A question about suspension design

"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich) 06/30/2018 at 16:23 • Filed to: None

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Let’s suppose, in theory, that a person wanted to make an off-road capable vehicle that still has reasonable on-road driving characteristics (i.e.: it doesn’t roll over when driving around corners) . If the suspension was independent ( double wishbones on all four corners, as opposed to a solid axle), would an anti-roll bar still be needed?

I kind of thought that if the s uspension geometry angles were correctly done, you wouldn’t get a lot of roll, even without an anti-roll bar.

Steve in Manhattan > BaconSandwich is tasty. 06/30/2018 at 16:40

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I don’t know, but I do know Range Rover, Mercedes, and Toyota, among others, pay a lot of engineers a lot of money to answer it.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > BaconSandwich is tasty. 06/30/2018 at 16:47

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McLaren does it without a sway bar, but that might be an expensive option.

Berang > BaconSandwich is tasty. 06/30/2018 at 16:59

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If the suspension is stiff enough, an anti-sway bar may not be necessary. But stiff spring ing sucks for off road use.

sony1492 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 06/30/2018 at 17:13

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It would depend   on vehicle weight, for example base 92-95 civics didn’t have sway bars.

wafflesnfalafel > Berang 06/30/2018 at 17:14

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yeah - that’s really what the anti-roll bar does - allows you to run softer springs without significant roll.  That’s why some detach when going off road.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > BaconSandwich is tasty. 06/30/2018 at 17:19

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You need either stupid stiff springs or a high tech suspension system (magneride, whatever hydraulic system McLaren uses, etc) to get away with it. Neither of those lend themselves to offroad use. Your best bet is an aftermarket sway bar disconnect kit.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > wafflesnfalafel 06/30/2018 at 19:35

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The Toyota 4Runner has something like that - KD SS or something like that, right?

BaconSandwich is tasty. > sony1492 06/30/2018 at 19:35

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Interesting.  I wouldn’t have guessed that!

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > BaconSandwich is tasty. 06/30/2018 at 20:49

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My VW Transporter is an AWD with independent suspension. Torsion bars up front and coil sprung trailing arms out back. It has been lifted nearly 2" over stock.  There’s a sway bar up front but nothing out the back. The limiting factor off road is not the sway but the limited travel of the torsion bars...even disconnecting the sway would add very little to the flex capacity!