Autospeed article on Swingaxle - Julian Edgar

[petew]

I've been looking around for a cheap way to do a lockright locker into my swingaxle (no luck), when I came across this article by Julian Edgar. He's an aussie journo who I've watched over the years do some pretty crazy and innovative stuff with all sorts of cars over the years...

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.ht ... y&A=108852

It's very interesting what he has to say about the use of swingaxle in a variety of cars including autounions and benz.

[Slow 1200]

that was quite intereseting.....I was recently surprised to find swing axles on a purpose built off road circuit racer, the builder (who is a regular winner by the way) told me that it was the most reliable way to finish the races, his older design used double a-arms and kept breaking CV joints

The axle tubes were way way way longer that what we're used to, so camber changes were way less dramatic

[FJCamper]

Gentlemen,

I'm with Edgar. My take on it is the swingaxle got a bad rap more because of hostile Jag and MG drivers badmouthing it than actual engineering shortcomings.

It always comes down to application. True to Germanic thinking, the VW was not a sports car and within its limits, the swingaxle was totally suitable.

Suspensions are rarely bad or good, just different, and have to be applied to a job where they work.

Our approach to swing axle racing on our 1965 Ghia is not max G-forces, but the ability to drive the car through corners with controlled drifts and slides. It takes much more skill to do this opposed to an IRS car.

FJC

[buildabiggerboxer]

^^^^^^ this, i'm a big swing fan too, and not the Glen Miller type swing, within it's limitations, it can out perform IRS, for me the limitations are tyre and rim width, and with the very few remaining race tracks with very big and high kerbing, IRS cars can cut these kerbs with less deflection and handle and control very wide tyres better, but such cars and race tracks are outside most of the popular near stock race series regulations that most folk can afford to race in..
swing axle in the rain is so much fun, easy to hold at a good drift angle controlled on the throttle, and they don't seem to lose any forward momentum while going sideways, it scares the hell out of following competitors and they invariable drop back a few lengths from the shock factor lol..

[Jadewombat]

Yeah, autospeed is a great site. A lot of good, scientific trial and error as well as theory on there.