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urgent watts link help needed!
blakep82 - 3/4/08 at 02:19 PM

i'm about to start making mine today, and was about to go out and get the tube cut and trimmed in a lathe, but how should a watts link work? i always thought the bars should overlap so the swivel in the middle is like at 45 degrees like A, but the racing ones seem to have the swivel vertical like B, is there any difference?! would C be a problem?

i don't like C, so i'm not doing that, but is there a best way? i don't think it makes a whole lot of difference but i want to be sure
[img][/img]

minitici - 3/4/08 at 02:22 PM

Pivot should be on axle case.
Link!

[Edited on 3/4/08 by minitici]

MikeCapon - 3/4/08 at 02:22 PM

All you need to make sure of is that you don't run out of movement in full bump or droop. A gives you the most available movement but unless you've got miles of wheel travel B should suffice. All you need to do is a scale drawing or the trig.

Mr Whippy - 3/4/08 at 02:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by minitici
Pivot should be on axle case.
Link!

[Edited on 3/4/08 by minitici]


what a cool link, as they say a pictures worth a 1000 words...

iank - 3/4/08 at 02:31 PM

The whole link to Wikipedia has other useful information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watt's_linkage

blakep82 - 3/4/08 at 02:32 PM

wheel movement will only be like an inch or so normally, 2" at the very very most.

think i might go for the swivel being vertical then, since i've not got the swivel bracket in yet (ordered today)vertical will be easier to work out for the length of the bars i guess...

yeah, vertical it is. i always had it in my head it should be a Z shape

minitici, the swivel can be on the chassis or axle. its on the chassis in my case

blakep82 - 3/4/08 at 02:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by iank
The whole link to Wikipedia has other useful information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watt's_linkage


ah, the full link shows it both ways, one way is the drawing showing the swivel verical, and the ford ranger is at an angle, so i guess it doesn't matter a huge amount?

Mr Whippy - 3/4/08 at 02:35 PM

2" take it this is never going on the road

blakep82 - 3/4/08 at 02:39 PM

it will be, but very carefully, making sure to avoid all speed bumps

well, any bumps...

[Edited on 3/4/08 by blakep82]

britishtrident - 3/4/08 at 02:40 PM

The really important thing is the two radius rods are the same length and parallel to each other.

Syd Bridge - 3/4/08 at 02:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by iank
The whole link to Wikipedia has other useful information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watt's_linkage


Where would we be without the good ol' Wikipedia, eh?

It completely overlooks the fact that most serious racecars that use(d) a Watts Link, put the crank/pivot on a bracket on the CHASSIS.

Unsprung weight and all that insignificant stuff.

Syd.

blakep82 - 3/4/08 at 03:11 PM

^ thats where mine is!

yep the bars will be the same length (got rose joints in the for adjustment) and should be parallel... i may have welded on the axle brackets without seeing the centre pivot... they won't be far out anyway. not noticable, and will still be better than a panhard rod

Volvorsport - 3/4/08 at 05:19 PM

draw it out on a piece of paper , youll soon get the idea

blakep82 - 3/4/08 at 05:52 PM

i know how they work and what they do, its just whether the bars should overlap slightly or not

Volvorsport - 3/4/08 at 06:06 PM

well conventionally theyre shown at 90 degrees to each other , since that should be the ride height its set at , as long as they work equally its not too important