The vertical teledampers are excellent - but won't do anything much for axle tramp. The bar shown is a Panhard rod - stops sideways movement of the axle, very useful - but again little effect on axle tramp which is caused by the leaf springs flexing and 'winding up'.
Edit - Sorry ! Didn't look at the whole picture - of course it's not a Panhard rod! Very usefull radius rod. But notice the vehicle also has the much better 7 leaf springs!
Last edited by bmcecosse on Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
will there be any issues with the suspension binding with that link? i guess the longer the bar is then the less that would be an issue. I would think a flat bar is best when the car is sitting at its normal ride height. thats my guessing - please correct me if im wrong
You are wrong ! as is BM the photo shows one of two triangulated radius arms which are designed specifically to reduce (eliminate) both axle tramp and offer better location of the axle.
This design works along side std Minor leaf springs and has been marketed for 15 years. This set up is on our current 170bhp traveller which was thrashed around Snetterton late last year. No tramp and excellent handling were the order of the day, showing up several modern machines.
I also remember an advert for the then new Ford Capri GT where the ford engineers claimed additional diagonal links and one shock in front of the axle and one shock behind the axle 'virtually eliminates axle hop' didnt on my brothers although that was an ex Liverpool police pursuit car and went like stink.
Silly me - didn't look at the whole picture - it was off the screen. It is indeed a very useful radius rod, and NOT a panhard rod. Have added edit to my original post. Note the picture also shows the much better 7 leaf springs on that vehicle.
Back to the picture - the dampers will do nothing (and note the lower fixing bracket appears to have bent downwards !) but the rods will be a big help, although I feel they are too 'inboard' - would be much better out nearer the ends of the axle! Any chance of a picture of the other end of that rod - to see where and how it fixes to the bodyshell ?
Last edited by bmcecosse on Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The damper pin is indeed at an angle, it is meant to be, otherwise with a vertically mounted damper and a pin welded to the lower plate, length ways and in phase with the plate would mean that the damper would need to be angled forwards at its top location. If the pin were on the end of the plate rather than the side then it could by all means be welded in phase with the plate.
If you scroll right you can see some of the chassis bracket. this is fixed to a large 3mm spreader plate which in turn has a load spreader plate on the inside of the car under the rear seat. Its Pukka kit y'know BM
You seem to know all about it J !! I assume it was supplied by JLH ??
And yes - indeed I can now see the body end - must learn to scroll pictures! So - the bar seems very short by comparison to the length of the spring. In the past 'anti-tramp' bars I have seen were mounted alongside the front end pivot of the spring - and stretched back alongside the spring to mount on a bracket fixed at right angles to the spring clamp plate.
True , there are kits on the market which are simply tramp bars as you describe. However these are not just tramp bars and function correctly with no binding, or restriction to the suspension. Several members on this forum have this particular kit fitted so maybe I'll take a back seat ( don't want to be accused of advertising) and let them describe the use of and benefits.