<VV> early suspension changes question

[Ron]

The wheel can't tuck under unless the shock breaks first.
RonH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joel McGregor" <joelsplace at earthling.net>
To: "Vair Views" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 10:28 AM
Subject: Re: <VV> early suspension changes question


>I don't know about the Corvettes but jacking on a swing axle car is talking 
>about the outside wheel dropping and tucking under during hard cornering. 
>The straps were supposed to prevent that and that is what the rear leaf was 
>supposed to do also.  The rear leaf didn't locate the wheels so it couldn't 
>change the roll center.  When the rear leaf was doing it's job I suppose 
>you could say that it didn't increase lateral acceleration - only preserved 
>it.  I would say it would increase lateral acceleration by allowing more 
>without jacking.
> Joel McGregor
> ________________________________________
> From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org [virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] 
> On Behalf Of Ken Pepke [kenpepke at juno.com]
> Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 8:54 AM
> To: Vair Views
> Subject: <VV>  early suspension changes question
>
> Straps used to reduce axle drop were used on mid 50s and later solid axle 
> Corvettes more to limit the axle drop while jacking the car than for 
> performance purposes.  Excess drop required lifting the chassis higher to 
> change a tire and that put too much strain on the 'fiberglass' body, 
> inducing cracks.
>
> Some Corvairs may have got the straps more as a 'monkey see, monkey do' 
> addition.  Remember, under high performance cornering conditions the axle 
> does not drop, it goes up into the body away from the strap [jounce] and 
> the unloaded wheel on the inside of the turn drops down from the body 
> [rebound] which is desirable because if that wheel / tire leaves the road 
> surface, drive power to the outside / loaded wheel is lost.  That strap 
> would hinder performance.  Most of us have seen that happen in the vans 
> when they run out of shock travel ... a known lateral acceleration 
> inhibiter :-)
>
> Even before the start of production Corvairs were tested to destruction by 
> Chevrolet.  Chevrolet was good at that.  They knew they already had a 
> design capable of generating higher lateral acceleration than their 
> competition.  Why would anyone think they had to make basic changes / 
> corrections to the design during production?  For the 1964 production they 
> did add a 'camber compensator' which was not a 'compensator' but was a 
> cross mounded half elliptical leaf spring which artificially modified the 
> rear axle roll center and the vehicle roll axis.  This change altered the 
> 'feel' of the vehicle but made very little, if any, improvement in lateral 
> acceleration.
>
> The 65 and later model suspension did improve lateral acceleration ability 
> a small amount by virtue of keeping the tire surface more parallel to the 
> road surface.
>
> Ken P
> Wyandotte, MI
> Worry looks around; Sorry looks back, Faith looks up.
>
> **********************
>
>> From: Ramon Rodriguez III <corvairgrymm at gmail.com>
>> Date: September 18, 2011 7:49:02 PM EDT
>> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
>> Subject: Re: <VV> early suspension changes question
>>
>> Thanks for all the replies thus far.  I'd really like some more solid 
>> data
>> on the "camber limiting straps" since that seems to be the source of the
>> idea that GM employed a "fix" in the early suspension to counter handling 
>> or
>> rollover issues.
>>
>> So I'd really like to know when they became available, whether or not 
>> they
>> were used on all cars eventually or only those with the suspension 
>> upgrade
>> package, and exactly what they do.  At least one reply seemed to say that
>> these things prevented the axle from rebouding UP too far, I assume that 
>> is
>> a mistake or typo and that they limit the DROP of the axle... therefore
>> limiting the maximum camber change.
>>
>> I'll also google the term and see what I can learn on wikipedia or 
>> whatever.
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Ray "Grymm" R.
>> Lake Ariel, PA
>>
>
>
>
>
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