Weird anti sway setup?

[apollo1962]

I have an Apollo on the dodge m600 chassis. Have what looks like a anti sway set up with cross connected shocks(in the back) has anyone else run across this type of thing before. Google is empty.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

The 76-77 Service manual indicates that only the M500 and M600 chassis had rear sway bars.  The M300 and M400 chassis, which most Dodge users have, did not have rear sway bars.

Dave

[apollo1962]

True I have a sway bar but also these "additional shock absorber looking things, cross connected with hoses" Top of one hose goes to the bottom of the oppisite shock and visa versa. Ever heard of such a thing


Thanks

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

They still make air bags.  There may also have been air shocks at one point in time.  As far as a cross-connected sway prevention suspension system is new to me at least.

Dave

[Oz]

Have you seen any hoses going somewhere else from the shocks out along the frame, like air shocks would have or is it just the hoses between the shocks.  If not, I'm thinking it's some kind of shock oil pressure transfer between the shocks.

[Ken]

Sounds interesting, It is an old established hydraulic principle to cross connect hoses. Any downforce on one side would result  in that same downforce being transmitted to opposite side?

[apollo1962]

Hi Mark, by the way, what a great site you have put together...

No, the hoses go from the top of one shock down to the bottom of the opposite shock.(at least hydraulic cylinder, they look like a shock) I have "regular" shocks also. The ones I'm talking about are both  leaking so I'm hoping somebody has some info. I've Googled it and come up with some references to racing cars that have something like it but they are usually controlled by an external valve unit. These are very simple looking. Am I thinking about the physics correct that it would try to level the opposite side as one side compresses???

[Oz]

Ahhh... so the "opposite" shock is on the other side of the vehicle.  I was envisioning two shocks on the same side.

Is there anyway you can feniegle a camer in there and get a picture or two?

I'm sure there is an explanation for this if the set-up can be identified.  The only time I've seen this is when Volvo demonstrated it's own version which wasn't to improve shock absorption, but to reduce body sway in turns since, Like RVs, they are heavier cars and tend to lean outward more turns.  And this was within the last 10 years.  The idea is that the oil from the shocks on the inside of the turn is transferred to the shocks on the outside of the turn, making them more firm and the body more stable and level through the turn.  However... this is electonically controlled by a module which measures the pressure in the shocks and adjusts them like every millisecond or something like that.  So, unless there is a corresponding control module, I don't see this as being the purpose of the system, unless it has some kind of mechanical pump between the lines or something.

Without using that as the principle, if the oil in the compressed shock sends the oil to the opposite shock, then firmness would be lost on the "sending" shock, making it even more unstable in a turn.

Hm?

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

The key would be the top to bottom hose cross-connect.  As the inboard to the turn shock extended, it would push fluid out the top to the bottom of the opposite outboard to the turn shock thereby increasing it's fluid capacity and reducing it's compression rate.  Of course it could be that the compression of the outboard shock (weight compression) forces fluid to the opposite side top keeping it from extending thereby countering the roll.  Not sure how effective this system would be without some sort of pump multiplier though.