Type 44 Swaybar Questions..or: Listing Like A Spanish

[Alex Kowalski]

Well, these two answers are a little contradictory, but that's OK -- I'm asking for people's opinions and experiences, and I appreciate the candor.

As far as the bump steer goes, I have noticed it, although it is on a fairly severe bump that unsettles almost every car I see taking the turn:
it's a curve at the end of an overpass where two adjacent segments of the highway abut each other, more or less, at a metal expansion joint.  The joint cuts diagonally across the road, and as you drive over it, you hit it asymettrically.  Throws the car off-line every time, with a sharp rap at the wheel.  Not as badly as some cars and SUVs though - some of them actually lurch sideways a few inches when they cross it.   I don't think anything but a fully-active suspension, (programmed in advance to know about bump) could conquer that one.  Anyone who has ever driven Lake Shore Drive southbound into downtown Chicago has felt it.

I'm also going to try to get in touch with Scott Justusson directly to ask his opinion.  Thanks to everyone for the comments so far, they've given me a lot to consider.

Cheers,
Alex Kowalski
'87 5KCSTQ







> Message: 9
> Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2005 22:10:40 -0500
> From: Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Type 44 Swaybar Questions..or: Listing Like A Spanish
> 	Galleon
> To: Alex Kowalski <akowalsk at comcast.net>
> Cc: quattro at audifans.com
> Message-ID: <79698a9105022619101070bd84 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> 
> Alex-
> Scott Justusson has written volumes about suspension setup for type
> 44s. Having driven some type 44s with aftermarket lowering springs, I
> would like to share my thoughts, take them as you like:
> 
> 1. Type 44s are severely undertired for good handling- I noticed a
> huge difference going from 225/45R17 to 255/40R17 on my '91 200q,
> which has the flared fenders and different front struts that give you
> a lot more wheel clearance in the wheelwells. The car pushed a lot on
> 225, drove more neutrally on 255s, although the predominant
> characteristic was understeer until you reached the limit.
<snip> 
<snip>
> 3. Personally, I have not noticed any real bump-steer issues with type
> 44s, although several listers who I consider very knowledgeable have
> mentioned it. Maybe I'm just not driving on bumpy enough surfaces
> hard.

And Jesper Moreau, as if by magic in the very next message wrote:

> Listening indeed... I have had my car on the road for a total of 2-3
> weeks now. Fully broken in, I am finally just about done honing in the
> suspension. I have to tell you, I am very impressed with the handling.
> I'm lowered 2" in the front and 1 1/2" in the rear.....ish. I dialed
> in my adj. cam adv 4 deg. for some torque aroung the turns so I could
> really put these coils to the test. I took it to the serpentine back
> roads back by my dads place 300 miles from here. All folks from around
> the area heard YEEEEEEEHAAAAAA!!!