Watts Link - Designs and ideas

[MK1_Oz]

Paul, seeing as you are rolling your eyes I can tell that you are not understanding me. I agree that if I have a monumental hit in the wheel arch area that bends chassis rails then yes the watts link is the last of my troubles. My concern is that if the rear wheel hits a rock/bank/stump whilst in oversteer then I dont want that force to bend the chassis rails (whilst all other panels would not have been touched).

I am not an engineer and couldn't possibly even start to understand the forces involved versus the strength of the shell but I know a watts can kill a shell (see Roger's post above re v8 taxi cars).

[PaulMK1]

Fair call!

I have seen a lot of watts linkages fail in the pivot pin after a side impact. I've always wondered why they don't beef these up, but maybe thats the sacrificial component to avoid the above?

[MK1_Oz]

No worries Paul!

My understanding is that some part of the Watts link system is intended to fail during a substantial impact (it fails at the point just before chassis damage occurs). I dont believe Eurospeed built such an item in.

If I get a minute tonight I intend to try to research Watts Link shear pins more.

[PaulMK1]

I suggest you just don't hit anything

[MK1_Oz]

good idea!!!!!! Not sure how good my driving or that of my wife will be though

[Roger Miller]

Question is where does the pivot position start ?

Anybody ?

[Gary P.]

Roger, on mine Danny suggested that I start at a certain hole (remembering that my mount came off his white car) and I haven't needed to move it more than 1 hole away from there. It took me 18months to get my head around how different the car felt before I started to go faster everywhere.

I'd love to go to QR one day and go nuts with it though. Move it around by multiple holes to get a feel for what it does.

[Clayton]

Went out for a test day before the V8's and we moved the pivot in stages from full up to full down and I was very disappointed that I couldn't feel a huge difference.
It only takes about 10 seconds to move it, so it wasn't that I lost the feel for the car prior to the adjustment. In and straight back out...... (need someone that knows how to drive )

Gary, you say it took awhile to get your head around the difference. What was the difference ??
I have lost speed in this car compared to the last and its becoming frustrating.
Are you able to PM your ph # ??

Clayton

[PaulMK1]

So I guess it's not as simple as just getting the arms parallel at desired ride height then?

[Gary P.]

[Cossie Phil]

Hi Guys,

The reason there isnt much change to the feel of a car with watts link and leaf springs is that you have 2 devices producing their own roll centre. The watts link has an easily alterable roll centre adjustment(centre suspended type) and the leaf springs produce their own roll centre that cant be altered with any adjustments. Ideally to have the full benefit of the adjustable roll centre watts link, it needs to be combined with a 4 link rear, the 4 link has no influence over roll centre so whatever adjustment you make to the watts link in this scenario should be quite noticable. If the adjustable roll centre watts link is used with leaf springs the main advantage is in the rear diff sidewards stability it introduces, secondary is the minor influence it can deliver over the leaf springs natural roll centre.

Cheers,

Phil.

[MK1_Oz]

the roll centre when using leaf springs would effectively be the spring saddles??? If so then that is pretty much where Gary has his watts link anyway

[Gary P.]

Spot on Phil,
The big difference that it made was that the body no longer moved sideways in relation to the axle. It just took me a while to use all of that extra confidence in what the rear end was doing. There was definitely a noticable difference in the balance when raising or lowering the pivot

[ozstang65]

Gary, do you run rubber bushes in the spring eyes or SuperPro style?

[Danny M]

God I've enjoyed reading this thread

[mickas]

[MK1_Oz]

[Gary P.]

[gen mk 1rs2000]

have a go at this setup
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... 0742542412

[Danny M]