[V8Vairs] Torvair Front Weight

[Larry]

At 02:45 PM 1/10/2008, you wrote:
>I wonder if you can control the lack of adequate traction in the front
>through suspension changes rather than adding weight. Is the car grossly
>understeering now?


It understeers in turns almost all of the time but it can dangerous 
when the surface has sand or is wet.

>My somewhat stock '68 500 pushed terribly under
>acceleration, a result of transferring weight to the back of the car. It
>was controlled by removing the front anti-sway bar and using stiffer
>rear shocks and springs. Adding a rear A/S bar would have worked too.
>More air pressure in the front tires helped a lot.

The back is super stiff with both coil overs and torsion bars to 
handle the extra weight.  There is no way to add a sway bar that I 
can see.  Changing the front bar may help. I am running 35 psi rears, 30 front.


>I will not add weight to a car to make it handle better.  400 pounds
>would adversely affect braking, fuel consumption (as if that's a
>consideration with such a large engine) and handling except in the one
>instance of accelerating out of a turn.

MPG - it should be GPM (gallons per mile) Actually it gets about 10 MPG.


>My current car's front track width is an inch wider than stock, partly
>to help with turn-in.

My front track is 1.5" narrower than the rear. That may be part of 
the problem.  I may put a 1/2" spacer on.since there is plenty of lug length.


>What have you done to the engine to get that much HP?

The engine has been bored .030, ported, polished, mild street cam, 
electronic distributor, stock intake manifold with Quadrajet and 
stock exhaust manifolds with a 81 Seville transaxle. LOTS of low end 
grunt!  While on the dyno (connected directly to the wheels) the 
front was trying to lift off the hoist. We have to put the rear arm 
of the lift just in front of the rear wheels or the will fall backwards.

Since the alignment, it does feel better.  When I brought it in the 
shop there was some water on the ground in front of the door.  On the 
alignment machine, the front tires locked at <5 mph. Normally on the 
street they are OK but any slippery conditions is another 
story.  There is a proportioning valve but I think a wider stance 
with better tires (now 195/60R13 front, 225/60R15 rear) and wheels 
will help.  If I put in weight, it will be easily removable.