Freestyle adjustable ARB's.

Freestyle adjustable ARB's.

Author
Discussion

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Monday 14th December 2009
quotequote all
Has anyone tried these? If so, what's you're opinion?
I'll need to buy the ARB's for my project soon, and I'm a big fan of having adjustments available to me for fine tuning.
As the CC front ARB,s don't have adjustment, I was thinking about these.

Cheers,
Mick.

Incorrigible

13,668 posts

261 months

Monday 14th December 2009
quotequote all
The fully softest setting on the adjustable is still stiffer than the CC orange bar, so you may want to get one of those too

What's the rest of the suspension spec ?

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Tuesday 15th December 2009
quotequote all
Mmm..that sort of defeats the object of having an adjustable bar, if I have to swap over to a CC one for a softer setting. Isn't Orange the stiffest road ARB?
Do you have one or both of the Freestyle ones fitted?
I haven't specced the suspension yet, as I still have to collect more parts, so I don't have anything weighed.
I also wont have the weight bias worked out, untill the car is finished, and I can corner weight it, that's a long way off. Oh, and I don't know wheel frequencey yet either.
But I have been looking at some of the stuff Penske make. scratchchin

Epimetheus

161 posts

240 months

Tuesday 15th December 2009
quotequote all
Not sure of this is correct, but I was told Freestyle so 2 different s3 blade type front ARBs . . one for an adjustable stiff car, one for an adjustable softer car.


sam919

1,078 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th December 2009
quotequote all
Red should be the stiffest, 5/8's

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Tuesday 15th December 2009
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies.
Epimethius, mines SV by the way. But if what you're saying is correct, sound like they have different ones for track and road.
So has does anyone have them, or one fitted?

Shaun_E

747 posts

260 months

Tuesday 15th December 2009
quotequote all
I've got the softer of the front ARBs fitted to mine and run it about halfway most of the time. I have played with it on track - softer in the wet but to be honest I can affect the cars handling more with the damper adjustment so rarely change the ARB. I previously had a green (18mm) front ARB which is way too stiff. This is on an S3 so it may be different on an SV.

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Tuesday 15th December 2009
quotequote all
Cheers Shaun. Did you find the quality, and fit O.K. ?

Shaun_E

747 posts

260 months

Wednesday 16th December 2009
quotequote all
Quality and fit are fine. Mine creaks a bit but that could be sorted by rubbing down the powder coat where the bar goes through the bushes. It's really easy to adjust with an allen key. It would be worth giving Gary May a call at Freestyle to discuss which bar would suit you.

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Wednesday 16th December 2009
quotequote all
Smashing! Thanks. beer

Yellow 7

177 posts

172 months

Friday 18th December 2009
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I believe my Freestyle bar goes from 5/8" equiv at softest to not quite the beast they fitted to the VX with anti dive suspension. Very flexible and useful to be able to soften in the wet.

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Friday 18th December 2009
quotequote all
Cheers Mr. Yellow. beerdrink Anyone on here fitted a Freestyle rear?

Yellow 7

177 posts

172 months

Saturday 19th December 2009
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Gary of Freestyle's usual advice was to get rid of the rear ARB all together. This was a few years ago so things may have changed of course but what's really changed on the chassis / suspension in that time?
I took mine off 8 years ago and have never felt the need to put it back on - better grip out of the corners instead of flatter and scrabbling.

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Saturday 19th December 2009
quotequote all
Mmmm.....scratchchin I'm not so sure about that.
Gary still sells an adjustable rear ARB though.
My R300 had a rear ARB, and it was still quite understeery on some surfaces over here.
I recon disconnecting, or having no rear ARB will have the same effect as having a front ARB which is too stiff. ie increasing the loading on the front outside tyre.
I think I'd rather have the option of adjustment, than nothing at all.
Just my oppinion of course. Although I've never driven an SV yet, so a new learning curve for me, therefore I stand to be corrected.smile
I was more concerned about how folks found the quality, and fit of the product.

Edited by mickrick on Saturday 19th December 16:10

Yellow 7

177 posts

172 months

Saturday 19th December 2009
quotequote all
I would be inclined to find all the rear grip you can and then hunt front grip & get a nice balance that way.
No point in having nice balance and skipping at both ends - It might feel ok but it is not quick.
It's a matter of taste. Of course track will allow a stiffer set up than what passes for tarmac'd roads these days.

There is money of course to be made in having a rear ARB - none in taking it off.

The front adjustable is excellent quality. There were some quality issues on the early ones - must be 10yrs ago now.
Mine has functioned perfectly since 2002.

Edited by Yellow 7 on Saturday 19th December 17:17

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Saturday 19th December 2009
quotequote all
Some good points there Mr. Yellow. yes I'll bear them in mind.
Still think I'll go for the rear, as at the end of the day, it's not an expensive bit of kit, if i should decide I don't need it.
Thanks for your comments.

Cheers,
Mick.

Dave J

884 posts

266 months

Saturday 19th December 2009
quotequote all
what advantages will the freestyle one give you over the caterham adjustable one the car comes with ?(unless I'm mistaken I thought all acrs came with rear arb ?)

if you want to throw £200 away, simply send it in an envelope to me beersmile

I wouldnt bother with the Freestyle ones - I sold my front one as I found I never adjusted it and it is heavier then a non adjustable. The rear remains as I have a chassis that does not have the underslung arb mounts, the top mounts clash with the 8.5" rear wheels/tyres.

The arbs still use the crap plastic balls and the powder coat usually flakes off.

The nicer option is to make up one that fixes onto the wisbones with sliding mounts and rod ends instead of plastic balls ?.


dj

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
Not sure what advantage the rear has over the Caterham one Dave. I'm assuming it's a blade type one, the same as the front, if so, it would be easier to adjust, than disconnecting the arms on the CC one.
I probably wouldn't adjust it again after finding optimum setting for the road (Which will always be a compromise anyway), but if I fit a standard front CC one, how do I know if it's the right one? I would have to keep swapping the ARB's instead of just tweaking.
I don't know if all cars come with a rear ARB or not. I know my R300 had one.

Good tip about making one up with sliding mounts. wink
Something to think about when I start making my own rosejointed wishbones. For the moment though, I want to get the car built up, and through IVA. Then I can tinker.

Dave J

884 posts

266 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
just fit a few extra mount balls to the arms of the caterham one and then its just as simple top alter as the caterham one.

you will probably end up with an orange or red bar on the front . Both of those are still less than half the price and lighter than the FS one.

Edited by Dave J on Sunday 20th December 18:14

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,700 posts

173 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
Thanks for your input Dave. beer
I seem to remember my old car had the Orange one, but I can't remember what setting the rear was on.
Something for me to think about for a while!

Oh, the £200 quid I won't be posting to you I'm afraid, but if you're ever over here for Hol's, you can help me try to spend it on beer! drink