Anti Roll Bars

[DaveG28]

Hi all,

I run the 501xWE which comes with anti roll bars, and I have left them on the whole time I have run it, but I am not sure they actually do anything?

The reason I say that is unlike on my tourers, at no point does adjusting the suspension on one side (eg picking the car up and "wiggling" the wheel up and down on one side) cause the other side to move, its like the anti roll bars are too soft!? Have I got them set wrong or are they pretty much pointless on this kit?

[sosidge]

They are doing something - it is just that they are not strong enough to lift the weight of the suspension arms on the opposite side without flexing.

Run the hardest Tamiya bar (Blue/1.2mm) and it will lift the other side - the Yellow and Red bars don't.

Disconnect one of the bars and you will notice a difference in the handling balance. I would generally avoid running the bars if at all possible as they affect bump handling, however on a grippy/smooth surface they can make the car a lot more settled.

[mole2k]

I run a medium in the front and a hard in the rear. This is indoors though so ultra smooth surface.

[AaronR]

Originally Posted by mole2k

I run a medium in the front and a hard in the rear. This is indoors though so ultra smooth surface.

Yes, yes, bumping an old thread, but what will the anti-roll bar kit do for me (installing front, rear or both)? I won't list my whole setup, but I run diffs at both ends, standard center layshaft with big (501X World Ed.) pulleys, 18/96 gearing, Novak 6.5 Light. Buggy is run indoor, smooth, high traction packed dirt,tight turn layout with slick Losi Pink Taper Pins. Fast guy lap times low 13s with my best lap last night being 14.5 seconds.

Thanks for any help!

[sosidge]

Bars limit roll by connecting the opposite sides of the car.

Fundamentally, they reduce grip at that axle and compromise bump handling.

HOWEVER what I sometimes find with off-road buggies is that they can actually INCREASE grip, because by limiting the roll they keep the tyres contact patch in a much better position.

They will still compromise the bump handling though, although a soft bar (like the Tamiya Red or Yellow) will not cause too much of a problem.

So try them and see.

What I found on the Durga was that the rear end was gaining grip with the bar, so I stiffened the rear end by moving the shocks to the outer hole on the wishbone, took the bar back off, and got the handling balance exactly as it should be. But then again I probably approach car setup in a different way to most other people.

[toyracer69]

I use touring car roll bars on my 501X but this is due to running it on an indoor track, with only a few jumps.

[mole2k]

Are the touring car bars stiffer toyracer69? I run on a similar track and I would quite like to try something a bit stiffer to see how it handles.

[toyracer69]

Most definitely! They are much thicker, so are that much stiffer.

[501X Driver]

Always give them a try.
I have so much steering in mine I use them on the front to take away more traction. It is faster. Also our track has a lot of traction and I tend to traction roll with out them so I run the medium in the front and soft in the rear.
Try different combos and see what you like. It will make the car react quicker.
If your track is really rough, try it without. At a point it will hurt the traction in the bumps. Once you run them for awhile you will know when and when not to use them.