axle tramp

[mikew]

I have a bit of a problem with axle tramp!

My 1600 is a 1965 model so has no tramp rods.

It also has lots of torque from a H20 engine and if not careful in first and second gears, it has a tendancy to spin a wheel (no LSD). This is usually followed by axle tramp, which then transfers from an up/down motion at the rear of the driveshaft to a side/side motion at the front of the driveshaft, becoming so violent that the front uni-joint starts to bang against the handbrake lever inside the tunnel.

Not good.

I'm interested to know what creative ways my fellow roadster maniacs have solved or minimised this nasty problem.

I'd like a bolt-on solution before considering welding on torque rods etc. I'm thinking slapper bars under the springs, or maybe an extra leaf in the front half of the springs, however I don't want to make the rear any stiffer.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Mike

[toolsnob]

grab a later model rear axle, then simply make the front bracket for the torque rod, or leave your axle and make front and rear brackets, weld it all up. It is a simple process I have done this before.

Alexi

[TR]

Yes, adding the torsion rod is very easy to do with the body off, a bit tougher with the body on. There are many helper springs, anti this and that's available for trucks and street/drag cars, but I am not sure you will find some to fit the small springs on a roadster. A lot of people would say that these are band-aids for the real solution.

Jegs and Summitracing have such bolt ons for big cars...Hope this helps, TR

[nomadtrash]

There are all kinds of options for installing a bar on the axle. Each option causes different handling characteristics. Slapper bars work fairly well in a straight line but will cause all kinds of problems in corners and under brakeing. The best solution to help with axle wind-up and hop is what the factory did. An upper link that pushed and pulls in-line with the frame of the car. By raising or lowering the front link in relation to the rear you can tune the suspension for more or less traction and brake dive. Check out places like speedway racing or Summit. They have all kinds of linkages and brackets. I'm sure you can make a bracket that bolts to the axle and bolts to the frame.