<VV> Re: Have you seen a Hellwig front suspension device for a LM?

[Robert S. Wilkinson]

David McDonald wrote:

My '65 Corsa has the front stabilizer bar removed and has an after-market 
Hellwig device attached.  Since this bolts onto the cross member in the 
middle, it looks like it would just make the the front suspension very 
stiff and could not function the same way as a stabilizer bar.

How these work depends on how they're attached at the middle.  If a single 
center pivot point, they add vertical stiffness without adding roll 
stiffness (like the 64 rear leaf).    If it's firmly clamped over some 
distance (like 6 inches) to the crossmember at the center, then it's just 
like two independent transverse leaf springs, and adds both roll and 
vertical stiffness, equivalent to replacing the coils with stiffer 
ones.  If it's fixed (attached to the crossmember) at two discrete points 
(say a foot apart) near the center, then it adds vertical stiffness PLUS 
additional roll stiffness--like making the coils stiffer and adding a roll 
(sway) bar, too.  You can tune it in this configuration by varying the 
distance between the mounting points.

The three modes can be visualized by supporting the car in the air and 
moving one wheel up or down (easier if you remove the coil springs).  With 
the center pivot, the other wheel goes in the opposite direction.  With the 
firmly clamped setup, the other wheel does nothing.  With the two point 
mount, the other wheel moves in the same direction.

This might be worth keeping, in the third configuration and probably with a 
roll bar as well.

Robert Wilkinson
63 convertible