Recommended Torsion Bars - Multi-use Car

[boombang 2]

Unsure how much Gaz customise the shocks, but they were ordered specifically with rallying in mind.

 

Martin Wick's were bought at the same time, and were ordered specifically for track work, came up different lengths, unsure about internals.

[boombang 2]

Ok decided to make this a simpler thread.

 

I have Gaz Gold adjustable shocks. Car is going to be used on tarmac rally, track and road. Happy to sacrifice a little stiffness for compliance to make the car as good as possible for tarmac rallying. Shell is stitch welded on most seams, runs a 10 point cage. Front springs currently 225lb/ft. I felt that 21mm bars which I have experience on other cars (running Bilstein tarmac spec shocks, 225lb/ft springs) were touch on the soft side and made car touch nose heavy - basically the rear end wasn't as lively as I'd like.

 

Any opinions on that basis on what I should get?

[Rippthrough 98]

Ok decided to make this a simpler thread.

 

I have Gaz Gold adjustable shocks. Car is going to be used on tarmac rally, track and road. Happy to sacrifice a little stiffness for compliance to make the car as good as possible for tarmac rallying. Shell is stitch welded on most seams, runs a 10 point cage. Front springs currently 225lb/ft. I felt that 21mm bars which I have experience on other cars (running Bilstein tarmac spec shocks, 225lb/ft springs) were touch on the soft side and made car touch nose heavy - basically the rear end wasn't as lively as I'd like.

 

Any opinions on that basis on what I should get?

 

Well even just going to 22mm bars, they're 20% stiffer again over 21mm bars, which is a notable bump in spring rates, I'd try to avoid going too large on the anti-roll bars.

[pug_ham 241 3 Cars]

No help to you here Alex with this post but just to clear up the SBC spec I've come across;

I am very happy with the phase II SBC setup which I believe uses 21mm ARBs, not sure of size or torsion bars. The car is very progressive even on the wet, it's a perfect setup for an everyday/ocassional trackday car IMHO.

I was told by another forum member that also had this kit on their 205 (got the pm somewhere) that the TB's are 20mm & the arb is 23mm, measured off their car & confirmed by Des @ SBC.

 

Graham.

[boombang 2]

Am probably going for 22mm now, will be ordering beginning of next week.

 

This is on basis I genuinely believe 21mm aren't firm enough (from driving a car with similar setup to mine with 21mm bars) and that on broken tarmac think 23mm might be too stiff.

 

Any more comments?

[Rippthrough 98]

Depends on your version of comfort, on the buggy we're running 28mm torsion bars, with an 80lb/inch spring assist so we can fine tune ride height, and another set of 22mm bars that come in halfway through the compression travel to stop the rear bottoming. Ok, I'd never say it was comfy, but it's not certainly not an uncomfortable ride even on broken tarmac, dampers easily have as much effect on ride quality as the spring rate

The best thing you can do is see if anyone has a car specced similar to what you are aiming for and ask for a ride.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Rippthrough

[boombang 2]

Think this is the thing mate, a lot of people haven't ever gone for uprated bars, and those that have either gone 25mm or only to 21mm.

 

I've not ordered them for now, don't see the point in apying £300+ when I'm not sure about something.

 

If anyone out there does have uprated bars, be interested to see if you are at any meets over Xmas and ok to take me out for a spin?