<VV> Opinion on rear coil springs

[kenpepke at juno.com]

Perhaps one more try ... roll center height, at the rear, is a result of the geometry of the rear control arms and the roll center height at the front is the result of the front control arms.  [These points are somewhat dynamic through the travel of the suspension. ]  A line drawn through those point represents the roll axis ... the line upon which the vehicle body rolls as a result of forces generated due to lateral acceleration.  Changing spring rates affects both the roll stiffness and ride stiffness.  Varying the roll stiffness rate of the rear as compared to the roll stiffness of the front will alter the vehicle handling relative to understeer / oversteer.  Softening the spring rate, that is a spring with less pounds force per inch, at the rear will cause the front axle to resist more of the overturning force thereby increasing the vehicle's tendency to understeer.  Roll bars / sway bars further modify / increase roll stiffness without increasing ride rate.  The leaf spring at the rear was added to reduce the roll stiffness at the rear while maintaining the ride stiffness and body height. 
Ken P 


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Chris & Bill Strickland <lechevrier at earthlink.net> wrote:

Let's correct this correction -- the 1964 leaf springs are "weaker" to 
reduce the roll center height, transferring more weight to the outside 
front tire in corners.  The leaf spring was added to support the rear 
without adding to the roll center height. Stock front sway bars are part 
of the package.
 

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