IRS instead of twist beam

[rodpaslow]

Has anyone ever tried simple mans independent rear suspension?  I'm thinking about cutting the twist beam roughly in the center and adding a pivot point that will work in the center of it(either two or 4 sealed bearings & shaft in the approximate pivot center of the twist beam) and adding a sway bar.  Would this work?  This could be relatively simple , almost a bolt in...

I know I've seen on vortex using another cars front subframe and adding that, but that's major, major rework! 

[smutts]

I am glad that 1500 miles of ocean will be between me and the likely result. 

It sounds too much like an early beetle with the engine at the other end. Follow the link for why VW designed the rear beam without a swing axle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwc54G2Ur8

Please watch as it is a classic!

[RadoTD]

Your idea is somewhat contradictory. You would cut it into two halves to work independently but then put a sway bar on to make it act like a torsion beam...

VW did a pretty good job designing the rear suspension for what it is. It acts like indepent with a huge sway bar at a fraction of the manufacturing costs. People are still trying to stiffen the rear beams up from what they are with sway bars etc

[8v-of-fury]

Volkswagen used this design for a very very long time. Also all the built up Volkswagen's running auto-cross or any other race formation they still use the stock rear beam.

There is a ton of play between sides of the rear suspension, if you dont believe me. Remove your shock assemblies with the rear end up off the ground and see how much you can flex the two sides from one another. Can probably get almost a foot of "twist" out of the beam.

It is pretty much already an IRS. Definitely would not classify as a solid rear axle.

[CRSMP5]

thats one of the best vids ever.. i was worried when the loaded convert came rollin round.. best 8min ever..

p.s. let your kids see it.. may make hem think why a seat belt was invented.. as well.. no way those people used them..

[8v-of-fury]

thats one of the best vids ever.. i was worried when the loaded convert came rollin round.. best 8min ever..

p.s. let your kids see it.. may make hem think why a seat belt was invented.. as well.. no way those people used them..

Not with the 5 or more people flying out of the car upon rolling it.. Or the one chick who nearly died because she fell out the window! omg! lol

[mystery3]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwc54G2Ur8

Please watch as it is a classic!

Painful, so many squished up classics, 2002's, mantas, notchbacks...no likey.

[rodpaslow]

Great vid,  I see a lot of the old beetles got the worst of it, would roll without too much trouble.  Not too many porshe's or BMW's rolling if any.

I was just wondering if the rear beam would be easy to modify, as I travel over some pretty crappy road for about 10 mi on my daily drive and I know what's in the car is pretty good, but what one tire does, does somewhat affect the other because they are tied together with a flex beam.  I drive another car, a Honda civic with independent on all 4 corners and I can tell the difference.

[mystery3]

I drive another car, a Honda civic with independent on all 4 corners and I can tell the difference.

As opposed to a redneck honda civic? I think most are well aware that honda civics are from Japan.

Are your struts blown?

[8v-of-fury]

Watch the racial slurs there home boy.

Are your struts blown?

I ask the same, I don't see my rears as copying the other.

[R.O.R-2.0]

have you guys ever seen how much flex is built into the rear twist beam of a VW?

there be LOTS.. you can jack one rear tire almost all the way up into the fender before the other even starts picking up off the ground.. prolly about a foot of twist at the stub axles.. its amazing how flexy that stock beam is..

when i had bad SHOCKS in the back of any of my cars, they like to play copy the other side.. hit a bump with the left rear, and the right rear would jump too..

so yea, check your SHOCKS..

the front has STRUTS, the back has SHOCKS.

[8v-of-fury]

There is a ton of play between sides of the rear suspension, if you dont believe me. Remove your shock assemblies with the rear end up off the ground and see how much you can flex the two sides from one another. Can probably get almost a foot of "twist" out of the beam.

LoL

[rabbitman]

A few years ago I read on one of these forums about someone doing exactly what the OP asked about. Not sure how it worked though.

[RabbitJockey]

i've seen this discussed alot and even done before.

im not a race car driver or an engineer or anything, but in my opinion it's completely pointless, the torsion beam is just as good as any independent rear end, especially on fwd it's just there to go along for the ride.  my biggest argument for it, is look at any car with an irs, they all use a sway bar, and for performance they put a much bigger rear sway bar on, why not have ur whole rear suspension be one big sway bar?  i remember when they first came out with the kia forte koup, and all the dumb dumbs were saying that its nice that it has good hp but a shame it doesn't have a true irs.  the car that holds the record for the fastest fwd lap time around the nurburgring is the renault megane, and it has a rear torsion beam suspension.  many people will argue irs is better, and sure even on paper i'd think it would be since theyd seem control the geometry better, but in real life its just not true.  its funny also, look at the mustang vs current camaro and challenger, mustang has the solid axle with multi link, camaro and challenger have irs, and every magazine i have rear says the mustang does circles around the other two

[R.O.R-2.0]

i've seen this discussed alot and even done before.

im not a race car driver or an engineer or anything, but in my opinion it's completely pointless, the torsion beam is just as good as any independent rear end, especially on fwd it's just there to go along for the ride.  my biggest argument for it, is look at any car with an irs, they all use a sway bar, and for performance they put a much bigger rear sway bar on, why not have ur whole rear suspension be one big sway bar?  i remember when they first came out with the kia forte koup, and all the dumb dumbs were saying that its nice that it has good hp but a shame it doesn't have a true irs.  the car that holds the record for the fastest fwd lap time around the nurburgring is the renault megane, and it has a rear torsion beam suspension.  many people will argue irs is better, and sure even on paper i'd think it would be since theyd seem control the geometry better, but in real life its just not true.  its funny also, look at the mustang vs current camaro and challenger, mustang has the solid axle with multi link, camaro and challenger have irs, and every magazine i have rear says the mustang does circles around the other two

dont mean to stir the pot, but..

ive heard the EXACT OPPOSITE..