Kobie

Looks like there's a new player in town!
I'd like to see a really good, real world test on one of these.

http://www.steeda.com/news/steeda_ne...ts_linkage.php

Texotic

looks good! hopefully it isn't too expensive...

sonnier

It looks a lot like the Fay's 2. I wonder what it will cost.

F1Fan

Hi Kobie,

I posted about the Steeda Watt's link protypes in testing3months ago. So far nobody has done even back to back test of the much olderless adjustableSaleen PJ Edition's Watt's link on a car yet. I've driven a couple of PJ's and have installed the Saleen PJ watt's link and the differences are not trivial in terms of handling. The car acts MUCH better both under power and off.Also while the car does not exactly"ride" any better there is some sort of a change in the car'sdynamic ridequality or feel that I cannot put my finger on. It's weird to say but there is something going on back there I don't fully understand about the ride. The Saleen PJ Watt's link was so much of an improvement that I had to eat my words(and for those of you who read any ofmy suspensionposts you know that's rarely the case)and go out and buy one for my own car! Yes, it's a lot of money but it for a handling junkie well worththe money,it makesthat big an improvement if you have therest of the suspensionto take advantage of it.

In looking at theSteedaWatt's link designthecenterlink mounting and the folded sheet metal axle mounts I'd guess that Steeda's design(if they stick to their usual 4130 chrome-moly alloy steel fabrication)will be significantly lighter and stiffer than the Fayes 2 Watt's link. The Steeda Watt's link is also technically better due to the completely parallel link arms (adjustable)and vertical center link which offers a small but important advantage in handling feel dueto improved linkage geometry and axle motion. The axle tube link mountsshould probablybe aweld-in designthough for street use Steeda could offera clamp on installation. PersonallyI don'tlike clamping on the axle tubes due to thepotential for issues caused by usingclamps on the 8.8's lightweight axle tubes but for street use itmaybe O.K.


HTH!

F1Fan

Hi sonnier,

The Steeda Watt's link is similar but very different. This is a Steeda engineered and fabricated suspension component, get serious it's going to cost a LOT, more than any previous design. But that said the Steeda design looks to be the best Watt's link design so far. But I'm pretty happy with the Saleen PJ Watt's link for now and once I get the new adjustable link arms designed and pop the car up and install them I'll be a happy man.

HTH!

sonnier

Thanks for the input F1Fan. I have a feeling as well that it will also cost more just like most Steeda stuff does. That said, I do trust Steeda more than others and it's what I prefer to put on my car. Their products always seem to fit right and are well engineered and it's worth the money to me at least. I have more Steeda parts on my car than my sig says(guess I should update that) and they work well on the track for me. I've been debating on whether to just upgrade my PHB or go with a Watts link but at least for now I'm going to see what more will come out.

Vapour Trails

Anybody have a ballpark figure in mind for pricing? Thousands?

F1Fan

Hi sonnier,

You are welcome. I toothinkthe Steeda Watt's link will be priced higher than the previous Watt's link offerings form Saleen and Fayes2 but for good reason. I too have an awful lot of Steeda suspension parts on my car but not because I wanted to use parts from a singlesuspension parts maker.I looked at whatwas being offered to the S197 market thencompared my own thinking about what I wanted out of my new S197GT's suspension and what I thoughtthe S197 chassis needed to get there. My opinions arebasedon 35+ years experience as a Germansports and GTcar guy, sometime engine management andsuspension consultant and restorer of two vintage Mustangs who has been a Mulholland Drive/Highway regular for over 35 years from cafe bikes to running race cars at night when nobody was looking and even getting arrested doing 150mph on said road one day. What I found was Steeda was doing pretty much what I would do to addressthese chassis issuesin much the sameway I would address these issues. The stock chassiswas compromised for John Q. public and Auntie M. not a track and canyon crazy carguy coming over fromaserious 35 year addiction to German sports and GT hardware.

If you have a ride issue with the carand you are still on the stockdampers fix that first.Tokico's D-Spec dampers will give you a better rideandmore handling and ride bang for the buck than theKoni Sport dampers. You will be favorably impressed with the improved rear axle behavior over the stutter type bumps like 2 or 3 sets of rail road tracks or minor bumps mid-corner. But if you are ahardcore trackguy whichit seems you're not, the Koni Sports may offer a slight advantage on the track but that potential slight advantage is paid forwth a slight ride and comfort disadvantagethe other 99% of the time you are drivingon the street.

I have to repeat this, you will never get the S197's live axle to behavelike an IRS (independent rear suspension) car over any sort of road irregularities this is just a fact of life. The nature ofall live axles lies in their significantly higher unspring weight and100% coupling between the left and right sides of the axle. These are inescapable design issues witha live axle rear end. Even if you could reduce the weight of the unsprung masses to the same level as a good IRSand somehow magically retain 100% of the strength and reliability of the live axle you would still have that 100% couple between the left and right sides of the axle which is most of the problem with bumpy or minor surface irregularities.Soft bushings and springs can help obscure these issues if the damper's dampening curves are well thought out which we all know is not the case with the stock dampers.

I you have to worry overthe price of a Watt's link just installSteeda'a niceStreet Adjustable Panhard bar and the matching HD PB brace and try them out. The difference between a properly installed stiffadjustable Panhard bar with poly bushings and the stock Panhard bar is very noticable. It willlet you feel a lot more of what is going on with the rear axle and control it much better also. But by the same token you will feel the rear axleskittering more over irregular surfaceseven though it's still only skittering the same amount. This is the improved handling feel.

HTH!

Kobie

F1,

I'm curious to hear what you think about the design of the Griggs Racing Watts Link.
http://www.griggsracing.com/index.ph...14b6967028e7d5
Someone on another board comented that this was the best design out there. The price seems to be pretty good.
Just collecting opinions!!

Kobie

How about the Torque Arm??
http://www.griggsracing.com/product_...14b6967028e7d5