Front Watts link instead of a Panhard bar?
- Thread starter Zandoz
- Start date
old round fart
Well-Known Member
Watts link will make the front end real busy. A friend of mine had a vertical channel on the frame and a bearing on a shaft welded to the axle that rode up and down inside the channel. that was the cleanest front locator I ever saw, besides the dead perch.
Sounds neat, any pictures of such a set up?
Busy as in cluttered, or as in squirrelly handling? If you mean as in cluttered, that will not be an issue for me. First, most of it will be hidden in a sprint car style nose. Second, since I'm going with the R&P steering, and won't have a cross-steer drag link and tie rod, I'm already ahead of the game in exposed clutter.
I've seen front ends like your friends, and really like them. Unfortunately I need to keep the custom fabrication budget to a minimum...and most of that budget will be going into the frame. As much as possible I have to stick with off-the-shelf stuff. I've been playing around with the old CAD system, and I think I can re-purpose a Speedway rear axle Watts link kit to fit up front.
old round fart
Well-Known Member
Busy as in cluttered. No pix of the front end.
EX JUNK
Moderator
Ah, the Watts linkage. I regard unique suspensions like the "complications" of fine watches; engineering works of art. Here's one, with the pivot on the axle:
I too have a tube axle (Speedway 4-bar with Panhard) and R&P. I designed this variation on the Watts:
It's called a Mumford linkage, and is often found on the rear of sports cars. It has some advantages in that arena, but I like it because the links are parallel to the ground and it would make people scratch their head. Some fabrication required, but you would have the only one.
I was going to do it on my car, but have decided to split the axle instead, eliminating the need for any locator mechanism. It was a close call, but so many folks told me the split axle wouldn't work that I have to try it.
I too have a tube axle (Speedway 4-bar with Panhard) and R&P. I designed this variation on the Watts:
It's called a Mumford linkage, and is often found on the rear of sports cars. It has some advantages in that arena, but I like it because the links are parallel to the ground and it would make people scratch their head. Some fabrication required, but you would have the only one.
I was going to do it on my car, but have decided to split the axle instead, eliminating the need for any locator mechanism. It was a close call, but so many folks told me the split axle wouldn't work that I have to try it.
Ah, the Watts linkage. I regard unique suspensions like the "complications" of fine watches; engineering works of art. Here's one, with the pivot on the axle:
I too have a tube axle (Speedway 4-bar with Panhard) and R&P. I designed this variation on the Watts:
It's called a Mumford linkage, and is often found on the rear of sports cars. It has some advantages in that arena, but I like it because the links are parallel to the ground and it would make people scratch their head. Some fabrication required, but you would have the only one.
I was going to do it on my car, but have decided to split the axle instead, eliminating the need for any locator mechanism. It was a close call, but so many folks told me the split axle wouldn't work that I have to try it.
If I go with the Watts, I'm going to try to keep it a whole lot simpler than the red grill example...LOL Right now my main issue is trying to figure out how to locate the axle ends of the rods so that they will not interfere with the shocks. My planned shock set up is to use the typical Model A and later under the batwing mounts, but turned around so that the shock spindle is facing the rear, with the shocks behind the axle and inside the 4-bars.
"so many folks told me the split axle wouldn't work that I have to try it"...that's pretty much the boat I'm in with the R&P...LOL
R&P is great if one does a little planning. Mine has been on the road for 20 years:
...and I've driven it thousands of miles. The Ackermann is way off and someday I'll fix that, but it is a minor problem. I've never had shocks on the front or a steering stabilizer, but recommend both for the best handling. Someday...
...and I've driven it thousands of miles. The Ackermann is way off and someday I'll fix that, but it is a minor problem. I've never had shocks on the front or a steering stabilizer, but recommend both for the best handling. Someday...
Dirt-T
Member
It could be a unisteer?
Unisteer? Bah, 'tis but half a proper R&P!
Dirt-T
Member
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