pmartin

Hi all,

Can someone provide a technical explanation of what the Watt links do and what would be the result if they were missing?

TIA

phil

moremazda

iTrader: (4)

The Watt's link is a device that maintains the axel's postion perpendicular to the for-aft center line of the car as the axel is at rest and in motion.

If it were missing the axel would be free to move along a plane perpendicular with the for-aft center line of the car. The resultant being a car that is virtually uncontrolable.

Is that technical enough??

inittab

it keeps your axle from flying out from under your car when you make a turn.

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

Couldn't have said it better myself.

pmartin

aren't there some live axle cars that don't have Watt links? How do those cars maintain stability? I am thinking of a pathetic old Dodge I used to have but perhaps the leaf springs had something to do with it.

Phil

Rx7carl

A panhard bar does the same function. there are other ways of doing it too.

1st7heaven

There are 3 link and 4 link rear ends out there. G-force engineering makes a 3 link for our cars that replaces the watts link and it uses a panhard bar.

There are some pics of mine on my personal page here:

http://members.cardomain.com/7heaven

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

Chrysler used to be a huge fan of torsion bars. I don't know why they stopped using them. They're pretty fail-safe, but when they break it sounds like a bomb going off.

There are a whole slew of rear suspension designs today. However, the watts is still being used in some cars like the Neon and PT Cruiser.

82streetracer

iTrader: (1)

now thats some mathematical sarcasm

Manntis

The Watts linkage had been used on factory-sponsored RX-3 racers. Uchiyama chose to keep the Watts linkage because it gives the RX-7 a more faborable roll center.

Had Mazda installed a Panhard rod with the same favorable characteristics they'd have had to make the rear overhang 3 inches longer.