Anti-roll bars, pinion angles and differing differentials
Q How does the size of the sway bar affect racecars? I know you can run softer or harder springs when you change the bar size, but why is that? And how does it affect the caster and camber?
THE CONSULTANT
A sway bar, or anti-roll bar, is an interconnective spring, almost always in the form of a torsion bar. It connects a front or rear wheel pair. In its simplest form, it resists only oppositional motion of the two wheels: when they move in the same direction, the bar just turns in its bushings and offers no resistance; when one goes up and the other goes down, that twists the bar and it resists the motion.
The bar and the two springs both resist roll. Together, they create the elastic component of the roll resistance. The geometry of the suspension generally also creates some roll resistance. So, for a given amount of roll resistance, a stiffer bar dictates softer springs.
At a given speed in a given turn, the car will have an amount of
