tr7triumph.com

Got my TR7V8 back on the road today. [:)][:)]
Bedding in new front discs, scrubbing in new front tyres.
Someone asked about uprated rollbars (sway bars), might have been Underdog.
Have only fitted front one so far and chucked it a roundabout, left right left. Turned in very nice, nice improvement. Backend felt a bit loose on the right turn, so need to fit rear rollbar (next weekend).
I think the tyres will be the limiting factor now.
Also running S&S springs (200lbs) and Koni's on top setting on front.
Cheers
Phil

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

The rear roll bar on a 7 does very little, especially if it's completely polybushed. The rear axle tube is a tad stiffer than a spindly piece of bent wire.

Jim

Phil, we have a full house suspension on the 8,

Lowered, springs, adjustable shocks, polly, anti dive, lowered
subframe, etc.

The thing that made the most difference to the handling was the
heavy anti rollbars, & the shocks. Between them they make the turn
in very sharp, with higher entry speeds possible. Of course, this
makes the car less forgiving.

The car was in very good order when we started, so it was not a
false comparison of replacing shot with new, but good with different.

Be careful when you fit the rear bar. A rear antiroll bar, when
cornering, transfers weight from the outside rear wheel, to the
inside front. This improve the general cornering power, by keeping
the car flatter, but spicifically increases the front grip, not the
rear. Your front bar should have increased the rear grip.

If your rear end has become a bit loose, it's probably only because
you are going faster, & you should expect it to become more so, when
the rear bar is fitted. However, you should look for anything else
that may be causing it.

I'd have a look at the left rear shock. It may be a bit soft.

Hasbeen

Where did you get the rollbars, Phil? Are these the ones that TSI sells from the States or did you get some here in the UK?

And that's a very helpful explanation of how they work, Hasbeen, for a technical numpty like me - thanks[:)]

Tony

<font size="1">1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue - very original & not rusty!
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Regency Red - on the road again.</font id="size1">

If it is Ted Schumachers uprated TR8 bars - he should have had to mill larger holes in the positioning
clamps at the front bar since they are sized for the standard bar diameter - I had to at least when I
fitted mine... Truly significant pieces of steel bar those TSI bars...

I'd recommend them to anyone wanting STIFF anti-rollbars...[:)]

<font color="red"><b>My two 1980 Wedges...</b></font id="red">

Thanks for posting your impressions Phil. I'm planing on a set when the budget alows. Since I fitted the Yokohamas, I have a lot more grip and the body roll is more evedent than before.

72 MGB BRG
80 TR8 Persian Aqua
If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

As ever Hasbeen is spot on in this;
Some basic rules;
A stiffer front bar will increase understeer;
A stiffer rear bar will increase oversteer;
Don't go to stiff on the driven axle as it will result in loss of traction.

Tony, Demon Tweaks do an uprated front roll bar from Whiteline/Selbys (# WHIBLF91; ø24mm)

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
1981 TR7 DHC (not very well known yet, but back on the road)
Also a 1980 TR7 DHC, 1980 TR7 DHC FI, 1981 TR7 FHC
http://tr7beans.blogspot.com/</i></font id="blue"></center>

Have found the problem with the loose back end - tyre pressures.
Normally run 26psi in the back tyres on the road, but when i go drag racing, i drop them down to 15psi and then before i drive home , i pump them back up again. If i am lazy i only put 24psi in, gives a softer ride (must be getting old !). Over the winter this has dropped to 22psi, so explains why the back end is " a bit loose".
Have 28psi in the front tyres at the minute, so will drop them down to 26psi aswell, might give more front grip and some kind of "balance". Fine tuning, i think they call it.
And the rear shocks (Spax) are set soft at the moment to give some "squat" for drag racing, so i can always go a couple of clicks stiffer for the road.
Will check tracking aswell, now it has been "shaken down!"
Tony, got the bars from Rimmers during their Sale period.
And yes, you do have to machine the clamps out to 22mm and the bushes need to be machined out, or replaced with 22mm bore ones like i did.
Cheers
Phil


1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

Theo, Phil, thanks for the pointers to sources in the UK.

Very interesting thread, I didn't realise how much influence the roll bars could have on the handling characteristics.

Tony

<font size="1">1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue - very original & not rusty!
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Regency Red - on the road again.</font id="size1">

The works rally cars used standard diameter rollbars (19mm).
They made them go round corners by fittng stiffer springs and dampers, aswell as the wide soft tyres.
For tarmac (TR7V8), they used 300lbs springs on the front and 250lbs on the rear. Would be too stiff for a road car for normal driving, so the thicker rollbar is a good option for the road.
Cheers
Phil

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Beans</i>
...Demon Tweaks do an uprated front roll bar from Whiteline/Selbys (# WHIBLF91; ø24mm)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Recieved a note from Demon Tweeks last week that this anti-roll-bar is no longer available [B)]

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
1981 TR7 DHC (not very well known yet, but back on the road)
Also a 1980 TR7 DHC, 1980 TR7 DHC FI, 1981 TR7 FHC</font id="blue">
<font color="red">http://tr7beans.blogspot.com/</i></font id="red"></center>

I just heard from Ted that he's making another batch of his heavy sway bars
- give him a call, I think the first orders will be at a special price...

<font color="red"><b>My two 1980 Wedges...</b></font id="red">

Thx for the info, will forward it to a friend who was looking for one [;)]

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
1981 TR7 DHC (not very well known yet, but back on the road)
Also a 1980 TR7 DHC, 1980 TR7 DHC FI, 1981 TR7 FHC</font id="blue">
<font color="red">http://tr7beans.blogspot.com/</i></font id="red"></center>