> It was an interesting car alright but that was before anybody knew
    > anything
    > about road vehicle aerodynamics. Also it was years before the Germans
    > figured
    > out the high roll center jacking effect. Porsche and BMW used it
   right
    > up through
    > the 80's and into the early 90's as I recall. Late air cooled VW's
    > still had it. The
    > Brits were 20 or 30 years ahead in suspension geometry. It must have
    > been the metric system.
    > Newton was a Brit :) The Brits built better WW II fighter planes as
    > well.
    > Paul Lamar

   Hi Paul,
   It was the swing axle that had the jacking effect;  the last Porsches
   to have swing axle suspension were the 356 series in the early 60s; the
   911, introduced in 62 and still in production, were the first
   production cars with the full IRS.
   Mercedes ran swing axles well into the 60s, but with the design having
   only one swing joint on the whole axle, so half the camber change/ half
   the jacking  effect.
   VW changed to the 'Porsche type suspension' in 1967 IIRC. I cannot
   speak for the Mexican made VWs, as they often ran outdated designs for
   years after the German parent had moved on.
   That swing axle suspension was the curse of the first Corvairs, Ralph
   Nader's target . The later Corvairs after 66 I think, had Porsche type
   suspension, but by then, "the dog had a bad name".  BMW had true IRS,
   not swing axle, introduced in their 1602/ 2002 cars in the 60s. Datsun
   all but copied it bit by bit in their 610 cars in 67 and did very well
   in Rally competition due to it. It was known in Rally circles as the
   Datsun 1600.
   I agree with your remarks about the Brits; Jaguar had a true IFS/IRS
   suspension in the MK10 sedan and the XKE in production in 1960; all the
   work of Colin Chapman of Lotus fame.

   david mccandless

   Any trailing arm, unless it's real pivot axis is perpendicular to
   the longitudinal
   axis of the car, will jack. It is the height of the roll center that
   counts. This is why I get paid the big bucks :)

   I totaled a BMW 700 at HockenHeim when the rear jacked. Of course
   you could say I was going too fast :)
   --
   Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.


I think the 320i BMW's had it fixed in the at least by the early
eighties.  My buddy had one that he used to let me thrash.  It was the
most honest handling car I've ever driven.  It transitioned from light
off throttle over steer (without wanting to spin out) to mild push when
on the gas.  I used to love driving it through the 270deg on ramps -
could drift it easily.  Was way short on horsepower though.  I think my
old 145 volvo could keep up when accelerating..  At least the Beemer
could hold its speed in the twisties.


Matt-

Significantly they have now done away with that design as have everybody else.

Paul Lamar

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