Wouldn't the angle the endlinks make with the swaybar change? I think that would change the amount the bar has to twist for a given bump. If both wheels travel the same amount in the same direction, the bar doesn't twist but it still has to rotate. The bushings provide some resistance so it does have an effect on the ride stiffness.

 

There is almost no resistance in the bushings on the sway bar. They are designed to hold it in place not put reistance on the torsion bar.

 

I don't have the tools, time, or care to draw it out.

 

No one ever mentioned something as drastic as 45 degrees. But since you are trying to prove a point I will throw some physics at you....

The leverage required to provide torsional rotation of the bar remains the same at every angle provided the arms remain the same length and the mounts/links follow the arc. Since they are mounted to rotate on both ends they do. Even at 45 degrees an anti-sway bay can be made to operate efficiently.

The anti-sway bar only helps control sway by transmitting the force being generated by body roll to the opposite side of the vehicle. If the bar becomes oriented in a manner that it can't do this, the cornering will actually get better because the bar will not be able to twist. IF this becomes an issue you will likely bend/break a link or link tab and they are not strong enough to take this kind of force.

 

You can always admit you were wrong, I would if you could prove otherwise.

 

I think if you put a longer endlink on and the bar is angled upwards, it has to twist a few more degrees for the same amount of uptravel. You would have to raise where it mounts to the frame to keep it exactly the same. I don't know how much it effects things in a real world situation.

 

The only argument I can see that can made in affect to handling is that as the raised above the pivot point level (parallel to the ground) the sway bar would not be pushed up as much due to the sway bar traveling in an arc and the change in angle in the sway bar link. You also have to take into account the fact the control arm also moves in arc in the same direction as the sway bar (this only if the bar is above the pivot point, if the sway bar link mount is below the piviot point then the arcs will move in oppisite directions). Since both the axle and sway bar link mounting location are both moving up/down in the same direction there is a slight amount of change in the angle of the sway bar link therefore causing the sway bar to twist less because it is not traveling as far. This measurement would be so small that deflection of the rubber bushings in the sway bar link would likely be greater and would not be enough to make a measureable change in the "feel" or effective rate of the sway bar.

You could also make an argument about the angle of the sway bar link in orentation to the sway bar arms. The closer the two are to 90 degree the more force is theorically applied to the sway bar. As the angle varies from 90 degrees the link itself will deflect and aborb some of the energy and the sway bar will not move as much. Again this measurement would be so small it would not be detectable to the driver.

So in my previous statement about sway bar orentaion not affecting handeling is wrong, I should have said it would be so small a change you would never be able to detect it.

 

^^^ I was going to add some comments but you covered it all here

 

The sway bar would actuall move up less not more in relation to the travel in the axle.

 

On paper, the sway bar would essentially become stiffer (less roll) the further from parallel it is. That said (and as other have said), it will not be detectable by the driver.