DeDion thoughts...

[Brad Porter <bporter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all,
	Well, I've had too much time on my hands lately, and my mind has been
wondering (good thing or bad thing? You be the judge).  I was quietly
pondering the simple elegence of the 116/119/161 deDion suspension, and
specifically the way that it isolates all fore/aft forces on the front
deDion bushing, and all side to side forces (almost entirely) on the Watt's
linkage.  Sadly, niether of my GTV6's is currently drivable, so the only
way I can enjoy my Alfas is to ponder quietly (pitty me).
	Because I was also thinking about adjustable sway bar arangements, I came
upon a thought: why not try and separate the anti-roll forces and the
suspending forces in the suspension?   It should be relatively easy to
apply a single spring's force at the center deDion cross bar or Watt's
linkage with a pivoting joint.  And, of course, the idea can be extended to
seperate damping for suspending and anti-roll forces.
	So now I'm wondering: are there any decent reasons to try this?  I have
alreadly come up with several reasons this is not a good idea:

- - We accept that we want some amount of roll resistance, why shouldn't the
springs help?
- - Because the existing springs do contribute to roll resistence, the
anti-roll bar can be smaller/lighter for a given amount of roll stiffness.
- - Packaging.  The gas tank is in the way, isn't it (assuming such a spring
would have to extend further vertically)?

Any thoughts?  Would a single spring be lighter or heavier than two to
produce the same total suspending force/rate?

	Another deDion issue I've been thinking about.is camber/toe.  I'm
interested to hear some thoughts from people who have deDion tubes which
have camber and/or toe.  Any advice on specific settings?  Are they
appropriate for street use?  Did any deDion Alfa have a cambered/toed
deDion stock (the ES30 did, didn't it?)?  Where can I have my deDion tube
modified?  It seems to me that this is a procedure which requires a high
degree (no pun intended) of accuracy since there's no provision for
adjustment - I think I'd like to have this done by someone who's done this
before.  How exactly is the modification accomplished - is the hub cut off
and re-welded back on to a newly surfaced tube, or is it heated and bent,
or what?  How much should I expect to pay for the procedure?
	Has anyone ever thought of, or tried using some sort of adjustable hub on
the ends of the deDion tube?  This would of course add a significant amount
of weight, and reduce the inherent rigidity of the big chunck of welded
steel that is the deDion assembly.  Any thoughts on this?
	And finally... are the all-metal deDion bushings still avaialable here in
the States?  What about the ES30's Watt's linkage bushing (is it also all
metal?)?  If someone could give me a lead to who I should talk to about
getting either of these parts, I'd appreciated it.

	Regards,
	 -Brad Porter		Williamston, Michigan USA
	  http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/5300
	  ICQ: 3011142
	  83 Silver Alfa Romeo GTV6 (The Good Twin)
	  85 Black Alfa Romeo GTV6 (The Evil Twin)
	  88 Pontiac Fiero GT (The Italian-American Step-sister)
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