Anyone install the Strano bolt in Watt's linkage? What do you think?

 

FWIW, its a Fayes2 piece, Strano just sells them.

 

PM lonnie P from lonnies performance. He's on here and has the watt's link. He says its a day and night difference over a panhard bar setup on a serious handling machine. If you want the most out of the thirdgen suspension, thats the setup to get.

 

After I read the heated debate in the other thread I am wondering if there is anyone else who has tried this unit who can offer some feedback. Here is a link of the unit if anyone else is wondering about the peice in question.

http://fays2.net/fays2_watts_link_21_.html

 

There is a lot of arguement over theory of operation, but in a nut shell, the thing works... It allows easy roll center adjustment & positively locates the rear end, without the jacking effect that a panhard bar can sometimes exhibit.

 

i bought myself the kit as a christmas present . i had my car on my lift yesterday to install Founders LCA's . soaked all points to install kit with WD-40 . will install kit tommorow then post my thoughts . i will say this about the kit , everything seems to be aviation quality . (i say this as a retired military & civilian aircraft mechanic) i am very impressed with the quality . will post my opinion after installation . wish me luck .

 

Which Founders LCAs are you running? I assume you're NOT running poly on both ends...

 

and that would be why ? i am curious why you ask , i am always open to new thoughts . thanks .

 

The problem with poly is that is does not flex like rubber does. With the stock stamped steel control arms and rubber bushings they allow the axle to articulate throughout its range of motion. When you put on heavy duty control arms with polyurethane bushings they cause the suspension to bind under hard cornering which can make the rear end unpredictable with the possibility of snap oversteer. Best arms to run for performance and streetabilty are going to be any with heim joints.

 

Truth. Here are the ones I'm running on my GTA, and was running these on my IROC before the IRS swap.

http://www.hotpart.com/shop/index.ph...ct_detail&p=85

 

Tom - I'm assuming that your "aviation quality" comment refers to the Fays Watts link. If so, thanks. I haven't quite got to the point of pulling the trigger on a Fays Watts link for a different car.

Consensus seems to be that a WL with the main pivot chassis-mounted via some sort of framework is slightly better kinematically than those with diff-mounted WL main pivots (it has to do with how things like the car's roll moment and the rear axle steering vary as the suspension rises and falls).


UMI's roto-joint LCAs may be a little more durable than the hotparts for cornering that approaches autocross or road racing intensity. Available through Sam . . .

Link


Twigger's information regarding poly bushings and hard cornering is pretty much spot-on. Years ago the folks at Maximum Motorsport ran some actual tests to measure the amount of additional induced rear roll stiffness developed by several different LCA end types/combinations, and the poly-poly combination added the most rear roll stiffness by far. The disclaimer here is that the MM numbers being done on a triangulated 4-link Mustang probably don't translate directly to the torque arm/PHB F-body, though the relative positioning of the various end types shouldn't vary appreciably.

In easy to moderate driving, what you'd notice the most about poly-bushed LCAs is the lateral head toss going over drainage gutters at an angle such that only one rear wheel at a time drops into the trough and climbs back up the other side. The extra rear roll stiffness is clearly noticeable in back to back testing with OE and poly/poly. This isn't a harsh thing, your upper body just get tossed around a bit more.

There is a cure that's short of buying more LCAs, and that's to do a little creative drilling of the poly bushing faces to allow easier motion during body roll without giving up much of the longitudinal stiffness that locates the axle. Add a little belt sanding of those faces to make them more of very flat cones - this mod also does a pretty good job of eliminating both the squeaks and the periodic re-greasing that most folks end up having to do. Ride quality-wise, you would again feel the difference in before/after driving over that same little gutter. The only downside I can think of is that modified poly bushings probably won't last as long as unmodified ones, but poly bushings are properly considered as being wear items anyway. My avatar car is running modified poly bushings as shown.


Norm

 

thanks for the comments norm . i have not installed set-up yet due to cold spell we have had . after reading your LCA fix for the poly bushings i "WILL" be doing that before i install the W/L assy. . i do have a lift so it's not a difficult fix . thanks again . (hope we get a warm spell soon) wish me luck .

 

I put mine on, but it snowed 2 days later, so I'm waiting for the salt to get washed off now. I put it on with a lift at work that lifts from the body (not drive on), so I need to bring it back in to get it set up with the suspension loaded. The install wasn't too bad, but the mounting holes for my phr seemed to be about 1/2"too far apart for the Watts frame mounting holes. Got it to work, but needed some help (third and fourth hands). Just take your time and read the instructions a couple times before you start. Once I get it sorted out and get some longer swaybar U bolts (apparently 67 mustang bolts are the right length), I'll get some miles on her.

So far driving it doesn't seen to different, more consistent left to right. But I was not pushing the car hard at all, so we'll see.