<VV> Camber compensator - Tony

[John Kepler]

The sole purpose of the rear leaf is to add some weight carrying support 
to the weak rear coils (which, along with the front roll bar, are the 
real "camber compensators" in this suspension), without adding to the 
roll height -- a sorta low roll cheater spring..

Throughout the 1960's, GM had a fairly screwy suspension design philosophy
that crept into everything they built...even the Vette...the quest for the
"Soft GM Ride".  This meant weak springs, weaker sway-bays, a REALLY pesky
amount of Ackerman geometry, and too short suspension arms (leading to
things like spring-bow, bump-steer, and other assorted suspension defects).
For whatever reason, GM Suspension Design had a brain-fart, and the Corvair
(thank God!) missed the worst of these (and without getting a "tastes
great/less-filling" debates going), particularly in the Late.  Yes, from a
strict performance standpoint, the front sway bar could be a bit stiffer
a`la a Porsche 911 (and it'll pick-up the off-side front wheel like a
"tuned" Porsche as a result!), and the rear springs could stand to have a
somewhat higher rate, but on balance, GM got things mainly right for a
street car.  The suspension geometry is damn-good....better than a Camaro
from the same era, and there is a LOT for a decent suspension tuner to work
with.  For all the maligning ink the Vair got, the Stock Late has one of the
better semi-trailing link rear suspensions I've ever worked with....Yenko's
weren't a b!tch to race against for nothin'....and SCCA classed them
accordingly!

While the Early and it's swing axle rear had the inevitable camber issues
affecting handling...it was certainly no worse than others of the genre, and
surprisingly better than others (like the Mercedes of that era which DID
have significant tuck problems, and who can forget the "911 Surprise!"!).
The Earlies I've pushed have more TTO (trailing throttle over-steer)than
Lates, but neither has what I'd consider bad handling manners.  Any old
Porsche driver can flog a Vair to the limits without a lot of trouble.  Both
can use a somewhat stiffer front bar....but that's more a "fine-tuning"
point than a "gotta have" (unlike the Camaro that DESPERATELY needed a
stiffer bar).  Back in the day.....I made far worse cars go damn fast around
a road course.