Suspension Control

[bwaits]

>>>>>>What are the two upper links called & what is their function?

By all the part microfiche I looked at they are called "link".

>>>>>>We know it's legal to add a center link while leaving the two OEM links in place with air/foam bearings. The upper links are called link traction bars otherwise the center link could not be installed.

Not true, You can add the center link because you can add/substitute traction bars. The foam in the upper links is because bushing material is free. 2 completely different rules.

>>>>>>>>IF you are free to take the link bar, and gut the rubber bushing and replace it with one of your own under the free bushing rule, then you are free to use offset bushings, correct? Of course.

Not true. Bushing must be concentric. Why? because the definition is a reduction of diameter. You are not allowed to change the end result of a bushing only its material.

Bushing is defined in GCR: A sleeve or tubular insert, whose purpose is to reduce the dimension(s) of an existing hole.

[ddewhurst]

>>>>>>We know it's legal to add a center link while leaving the two OEM links in place with air/foam bearings. The upper links are called link traction bars otherwise the center link could not be installed.<<<<<<<

***Not true, You can add the center link because you can add/substitute traction bars.***

bwaits, using the same logic as you defined above for adding the center link will the same rule allow me to change the lower links to non OEM links ?

Have Fun
David

[Bryan Watts]

Originally posted by bwaits:
Not true. Bushing must be concentric. Why? because the definition is a reduction of diameter. You are not allowed to change the end result of a bushing only its material.

Bushing is defined in GCR: A sleeve or tubular insert, whose purpose is to reduce the dimension(s) of an existing hole.

I'm pretty sure that off-center bushings have stood up to protest in the past, but I don't know that for sure. I'm still just getting into this IT thing.


ANY bushing, no matter how offset, is still going to "reduce the diamter of the existing hole" as defined in the GCR. As long as the size of the existing hole isn't changed, it seems the bushing it "free" within that hole.

[This message has been edited by Bryan Watts (edited May 19, 2005).]

[ITANorm]

Originally posted by Bryan Watts:
I'm pretty sure that off-center bushings have stood up to protest in the past . . .

Correct.

[bwaits]

[quote]Originally posted by Bryan Watts:
[b] I'm pretty sure that off-center bushings have stood up to protest in the past, but I don't know that for sure. [quote]

Seems like a stretch to me but maybe not according to ITANorm.

-billy



[This message has been edited by bwaits (edited May 21, 2005).]

[bwaits]

Originally posted by ddewhurst:
>>>>>>We know it's legal to add a center link while leaving the two OEM links in place with air/foam bearings. The upper links are called link traction bars otherwise the center link could not be installed.<<<<<<<

***Not true, You can add the center link because you can add/substitute traction bars.***

bwaits, using the same logic as you defined above for adding the center link will the same rule allow me to change the lower links to non OEM links ?

Have Fun
David

Alright now, I am not a rule NAZI. If the links were legal to change - it could be cheaper. Works for me but.......


This is how I take it. I may be wrong.

You can remove the watts linkage because the rule says you can. You can replace it with a pan hard bar because the rule says you can. You can add traction bar(s) like the "tri-link" because the rule says you can. The 4 links you are referring to are axle locating devices that are not pan hard bars, or watts linkages. I understand your interpretation is that they are "traction bars" so you should be able to replace them. I'm not sure if I see this. General consensus seems to be that they must stay.

-billy

[ddewhurst]

Billy, I'm with Norm on the off-center bushing except that I will call the off-center bushing an eccentric bushing. Within the ITCS rules the buchings for changing camber are called eccentric bushings.

With the 4 bar rearend of the 1st gen Mazda RX-7 the Mazda workshop manual calls the rear links: "Upper links" & "lower links". Both of their functions are for location & traction. Using this rule & the glossary definations my CHEAP location/traction links are installed.

Have Fun
David

[bwaits]

Originally posted by ddewhurst:
Billy, I'm with Norm on the off-center bushing except that I will call the off-center bushing an eccentric bushing. Within the ITCS rules the buchings for changing camber are called eccentric bushings.

With the 4 bar rearend of the 1st gen Mazda RX-7 the Mazda workshop manual calls the rear links: "Upper links" & "lower links". Both of their functions are for location & traction. Using this rule & the glossary definations my CHEAP location/traction links are installed.

Have Fun
David

I will keep a watch out to see what happens. Maybe it will give us all the answer we are looking for I can have the links done in a matter of ten minutes


-billy