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I thought I had fixed about everything on the Speedster, but you don't have to look very hard to find something else!

Several weeks ago there was some conversation about the EMPI front sway bar hitting the locking nut on the trailing arms. After replacing the bushings I'm having the same problem.

The EMPI bar is a "Rube Goldberg" contraption. I'm working a new design that is somewhat like the original Porsche bar. I will be using 5/8" 4130 for the actual bar. It will attach to the lower beam tube with 2 welded in place mounts for the bushings. The bottom of the bushing and mount will only be 1 3/4" below the tube.

This bar will be more simple than the Spyder bar I built a few years back. No milled aluminum parts. I'm going to borrow DannyP's idea and weld the arms to the bar.

Material is here and I have begun to mill the parts. Full drawings and description will be made available.

Stay tuned.

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Very cool, Jim.

I know you are set on welding pickup points onto the lower arms. Just to let you know, in the last few thousand miles, I have experienced ZERO fatigue or bending of my coupler nuts/shock studs/10mm bolts to attach the 10mm heim joint downlinks.

I have been doing a lot of research on Formula Vees lately. If you've checked them out, I'm sure you've seen the front shocks moved to line up behind the beam uprights. They use a special cast piece up top, but on the bottom they use a stud/nut extender to move the shock over a good 1.5 inches.

I'll submit that I have zero scientific evidence that this is OK. But almost all Vees have the shocks hidden in this manner. And there have been countless Vees run for a lot of years at 120 plus mph on countless tracks all over the world. This leads me to believe that my method of downlink is just fine.

Anyway, in the end, you do you. Just trying to make your construction easier.

Last edited by DannyP

Hey, Jim, I found a Formula Vee photo today that might be of interest.

A Vee only has 500 pounds max on the front axle instead of 800 or more on a Spyder/Speedster. From what I've read, the trailing arms on link-pin are weaker.

These shock extensions seem to work just fine for racing though. I know a swaybar is not the same loading as a shock.

Screenshot [22)

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Last edited by DannyP

Wow...it's hung way out there. Is that just an extension from the shock mount? The Super V's are really interesting. None, that I know of, in my part of the country. I'd love to see them run. Thanks for the photo.

I have all the fabricating done on the sway bar. Just the fitting and welding remain. I'm not a paying member sooo, Theron no longer allows me to post my design documents.

I'll post a link for the drawings when it's all completed.

IMG_20211109_071303605IMG_20211109_071327775IMG_20211109_071425721IMG_20211109_071441034

Jim, yes it's just an extension on the stock mounting for the shock.

And Super Vee have Rabbit watercooled motors.

Formula Vee has three classes, Formula Vee(1200cc and Hoosier slicks), Challenge Cup(1200cc and Yoko 200 treadwear street tires) and Vintage Vee(1200cc pre-1973 cars). They race at Roebling, Road Atlanta, and Sebring and more down south.

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