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The most recent change to the La Bala is one that simplifies the rear suspension! Remove the Watts Link and replace with a panhard bar. Quite honestly this is a really simple device and just looking at the renders below should be enough for you to understand what it is.

The reason I am scrapping the Watts Link and moving to Panhard is to lower the rear roll center. The Watts link placed the roll center at 11" and there was no adjustment possible. With a high rear RC the car gets no bite at the back end and tends to slip making the car feel loose. The Panhard allows adjustment from 8" down to 5" (or more just by changing the bracketry). A lower rear roll center promotes bite at the rear making the car feel tighter. Note that if the RC is too low the car will experience excessive rear roll, leading to unloading of the inside tire and delaying corner exit acceleration.

Nascar and circle track folks have a huge amount of knowledge regarding the panhard bar and what the adjustments will do to the handling of the car. Here is one very good thread from a IMCA tech forum: http://www.mri-racing.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=43&sid=b3871c43a0ffd10e603b1596a380f591

I've attached a number of images of the Panhard Bar. It's a 21" long by 1" round .120" wall DOM tube with weld-in bungs and 5/8" heims. The bungs can be RH/LH if you want to make adjustments to the length on the car, otherwise just remove one end and spin the heim in or out. The brackets are simple 1x2 .065" wall and the heims should fit in there with a washer. This modification lowers the roll center significantly. The various holes on the axle side bracket are so that you can adjust the Rear RC to your taste.

From the back of the chassis:

Looking up from underneath the chassis:

As a side note: The pink square tube assembly shown is the hinge for the rear Fiberglass clamshell and the green plates get bonded into the fiberglass.
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Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:57 pm Post subject:

What a great idea......that will help setting up the car for track work much easier... Very Happy

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:59 am Post subject:

Very cool. I'll put this on my list of TODOs on my car. Maybe one of the things I do over the winter. I'd like it for the simple fact of freeing up the space in the area of the watts links. Things are pretty cramped there with my muffler there. Plus, I'd bet there is a pound or two saved in this setup.

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject:

Thanks, this set up should be lighter than the watts linkage. and i got this just before starting on the cutting and welding Very Happy

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 1:17 pm Post subject:

You can flip a Watts linkage on its side and it will still work, but you're still carrying more unsprung weight than a Panhard, and five bushings or rod ends versus two.

Just because a Panhard is simpler doesn't mean it's not better...