watt's linkage vs panhard bar

[Gavin]

I just wanted to know if you were to put a watt's linkage in an ae86 will it make it handle any better and if the conversion is worth the trouble for the advantages that a watt's linkage has.

I'm asking because I saw a custom watt's linkage in a Cortina and it looked easy to make,... sort of.

[Javal]

Unless it's a hardcore track car, you're an engineer and you're really motivated to, then it really isn't worth it.

Watts links are only better because the diff does not move towards one side of the car when the suspension is under compression.

5 Link rear ends are flawed that way. the panhard bar causes the the diff to travel through an arc as it goes up and down. Watts link rear ends eliminate this.

[floody31]

Hmmm, to be honest, Neil Crompton is the man to speak to about Watts Linkages.

[Gavin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (floody31 @ Jun 15 2008, 06:47 PM) </div>i'll give him a call now lol

[Blown86]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Javal @ Jun 15 2008, 04:47 PM) </div>
A Watts link does more than that, it locates the roll centre of the rear suspension at the pivot on the diff.
For example, the v8s have it adjustable.

The roll centre with a panhard rod is located at the postion the rod crosses the centreline of the diff.
As the diff moves up and down, the roll centre changes.

[Gavin]

I was thinking if you were to use the centre off an xf falcon watt's linkage then weld it onto the Toyota diff. Then use adjustable link's with rose joins and just use the Toyota panhard bar mount on one side and then make a custom mount for the other link. it's probably easier said than done I think

[federal]

if you really want to look into it, then search for Beau's N2 Replica on here...

[Driftspec]

Its an interesting idea, and one that can really change your rear suspension geometry, either for good or for bad. Mind you, if you're looking at avoiding using a panhard bar for that reason (rear geometry), it might be a worth a look at an adjustable 4-link setup that has been sold here in the past - its the same concept as your standard rear suspension, except that it is adjustable so it doesn't move around like a standard 5-link when you go up or down. Wouldn't probably be worth a search on the wiki to find out more

[slydar]

i considered it, and decide its not really worth it. not on a drift car. not enough travel on such a light car to bother. the lateral movement is minimal, most of the time youre using less than 3"s of wheel travel. and its really complex and adds weight and friction, and most importantly, complexity.

[ke70dave]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (slydar @ Jun 17 2008, 01:33 PM) </div>yeah I'm with slyder on this one

considering the majority of us are using 6kg springs in the rear of the car, the movement is minimal, and thus the lateral movement of the diff is minimal.

also with the way that my car is setup in particualar, it has 6kg springs and relatively low. the pan-hard rod is essentially horizontal, in line with the differential, so as the diff goes up and down (not much i must add!) with the suspension the lateral movement of the diff is almost insignificant as the arc created by the pan hard rod is very very small.

as compared to stock ride height, where the pan hard rod is at a significant angle (about 15 degrees or so i reckon) that as the diff moves up (pan hard rod heading towards horizontal), a substantial arc is sweapt out by the pan hard rod, and thus creating some lateral movement in the diff, as can be seen when cars are lowered with stock pan hard rod.

obviously a watts link setup would be WAY cool, but i think the only place you are going to see advantage is when its a dedicated race only car, and your looking for that edge over your competitors.

or ive just thought that it could be quite viable if the car was used for rally purposes, since their suspension spring rates will be alot softer than drift/race and thus a much larger suspension travel will be present, and thus any lateral movement of the diff created by a pan hard rod setup will be exadurated/amplified.

although i wonder if people in these rally cars ever modify the pan hard rod mounting positions to make the pan hard rod as horizontal as possible....that would work too i reckon.