<VV> Camber compensator

[Tony Underwood]

At 01:23 PM 9/16/2010, Mark Corbin wrote:
>Actually, you're thinking of the Empi Camber Compensator, which actually
>pivoted at the diff case. The '64 spring system is firmly bolted to the
>diff case and doesn't pivot.


Um...  no it's not.   The '64 spring is in a rubber mount and it WILL 
pivot... not like the camber compensator but it pivots.   However, it 
supports some of the load in back while the camber compensator 
carries very little load... depending on how it's adjusted.


>The pivoting action makes all the difference
>in the world in how it operates.


But they both pivot.  Let one of the '64 rear leaf's hanger bolts 
break and see how quickly the soft coils allow the rear to droop down 
and pivots that leaf spring enough to drop the loose end down far 
enough to drag the ground and make sparks.  ;)   It was intended to 
pivot and would have been bolted solidly to the differential case 
with no rubber mount if it wasn't supposed to move.   The one bolt 
going through the spring center keeps it from moving around, like the 
camber compensator.


>It was later proven in tests to be of
>little value,


The camber compensator?  I beg to differ... when it's adjusted right 
it DOES make a difference.   It needs some preload to be 
effective.  I've fiddled a bit with the camber compensator on the '62 
ragtop and learned a thing or two about camber compensators.   They 
kinda appreciate the car having a front sway bar when they're set up 
correctly...    By the way:

The '64 leaf spring also needs to pivot in order for IT to be 
effective in pretending to be an ersatz Z-bar, turning suspension 
travel into body roll which is then transferred to the front sway 
bar.  That's why the '64 had a much stiffer roll bar up front than 
the optional bar seen on earlier 'Vairs (std on Spyders).


>whereas the Corvair system altered the roll center

...so does the camber compensator when properly adjusted, although 
admittedly not as much as the load carrying leaf used on the 
'64s.   But, it still does change the roll center.

I look at it this way:  It's not a perfect solution, but it does help 
and for that bit alone it's worth having.


>and thus
>improved the cornering capability. It all has to do with suspension
>geometry.

On that, we agree.


tony..