Anti Roll Bar ??

[Bluecat]

What are Anti Roll Bars for ??

I first thought that they might be there to save body damage if the car "Rolls" over but I don't think that is the case.

Is it some thing to steady the car as it drives to eliminate the chance of "roll"...am I being stupid (one at a time please)

Iv'e never used one so would be really grateful if someone could take a minute to explain...

Cheers guys

Bluecat

[WillyChang]

Try these: []

"It basically helps to stop the suspension unload in turns. When you turn left the inside suspension lifts a bit and the outside wheel's suspension compress's. If the inside wheel loose contact with the track/surface then the diff(standard diff) will unload and the wheel that is off the ground will get all the power and the one that is in contact with the track/surface won't get any. The sway bar keeps the suspension flat during cornering so that this dosn't happen. It's basically a bar from the left suspension arm to the right suspension arm that attaches to the chassis in the middle. You can get different sway bars that are stronger or weaker depending on your needs. You normaly only need sway bars on high traction tracks."

"also known as...

Sway bars

Stabilisers"

"To be a little more precise, the anti-roll, or "sway" bar, helps distribute the weight of the chassis during cornering to the opposite side of the chassis. By preventing roll, you are essentially keeping the roll center (or "center of gravity") of the car lower. The general result is less traction for the wheel on the outside of the corner, since some of that weight is being distributed back to the opposite side of the chassis.

Why would you want to take away traction? Simple - some tracks have a lot of traction, which can make a car either too unstable during medium to high speed corners, or worse yet, could cause the car to traction roll. Either way, the end result is slower cornering speed. Anti-roll bars will stabilize the car in these situations, and are much more effective than using stiffer springs to try and acheive the same results."

(btw these were snagged from http://www.rctech.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22571)

[mud4fun]

They are quite effective but generally only for hard surfaces. I have them fitted to my thunderdragon both front and rear. As WillyChang states - as the car leans into the corner the anti-roll bar forces the chassis back level again. They do not effect suspension travel too much either and are more supple than using firm springs which could transmit harsh knocks straight into the chassis causing damage. I have found that my thunderdragon achieves very high cornering speeds with this setup but the downside is that when the rear end does eventually break away you get no warning and it is severe because of the higher speed achieved - it usually spins you around! - without the anti-roll bars the slide is usually more controlled.

[Bluecat]

Excellent info guys - I appreciate your reply's.

I have been doing some off road racing recently on a fairly muddy track which has some jumps and sharp corners - would the roll bars (front and back) be of any use do you think or would I see more benefit when the better weather comes and the track is more dry and dusty?

Bluecat

[WillyChang]

If your car does not have any troubles with traction-rolling,

do NOT put on anti-roll bars ... (unless you're the type that

thinks wearing BandAids when uninjured is a fashion statement,

then sorry we can't help you there... [)])

ARBs will always *reduce* your traction (grip) and they

*hinder* your suspension to do its job, also

your suspension becomes *less* independent.

All this on a buggy means even the softest ARBs will have a

big difference on a bumpy track, but less on smoother ground.

For general running, ARBs are unnecessary.

When you do decide you need ARBs, you don't have to put

them at both Front and Rear. You should use them separately

to tune your car; if you put them both F & R then you're just

back to square one, but with less traction all round.

[mud4fun]

Hi WillyChang, I would tend to agree with you normally but in the case of the thunderdragon I have spent probably in excess of 100+ hours actual running time on both hard surface and off road (gravel/compacted hardcore etc) tuning the car. On the hard surface I got the best lap times using ARB's front and rear. However, as you quite rightly say for off road use they are not necessary and in fact are a hindrance. However, I have run mine on quite rough ground and the front ARB is OK, the rear one has to be removed or you just spin out all the time. I also run 1:1 4WD's off road in trials and ARB's are never used. My Land Rover 90 has superb axle articulation which would be severely compromised by ARB.

[mud4fun]

To be honest though, I don't race my cars at a club. I simply race with friends or my daughter and I want a setup that is a best compromise for all surfaces. I don't want to strip the car down and put a different setup on it each time I take it out. So you would be quite correct I'm sure if proper settings of coils and damper oils were observed. Thing is my cars may be needed to run on a beach one weekend,tarmac surface the next and a hardcore/gravel after that. I compromised on running soft springs, medium damper oil, single shock front, twin long CVA shocks rear with ARB front and rear. The handling on rough surfaces is 'exciting' as very careful use of speed is required when cornering but I can still achieve higher speeds than most modern Tamiya buggies (what does that say about Tamiyas latest buggies?!*) Another factor here is tyres. I got rid of the original block pattern and replaced them with mini spikes whcih again work consistently over a wide range of surfaces. You will quite often find contradictory advice on tyres but I just go with what works for me. My local RC Car club run on hard polished wood floor and they all use mini spikes despite the general advice against using them on hard surfaces?

[DJTheo]

Interesting to hear that thr good old 4WDs are faster in curves than modern Tamiya ones! [8D]

By the way, the Thunderdragon never had block patterns, But smaller diameter tires with pins. http://www.tamiyaclub.com/car.asp?id=73

Cheers

[mud4fun]

Hi DJTheo, The thunderdragon came from ebay with hard compound block pattern tyres fitted (they were actually fitted to hotshot wheels), I have purchased some yellow ones from ebay of the same pattern because they look good, however they only work on loose soil or sand as they are far too hard a compound for compacted ground or tarmac as they simply spin out all the time. The hotshot wheels fit fine on the thundershot/dragon but I have now scrapped the old triangular drive flanges and fitted normal hex ones so I can run modern buggy wheels/tyres.