u/Josh and @
mad_sb, Thanks for all the contributions guys! I'll update the original post.
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AlexTheGreek, I appreciate the kind words. I am indeed a "he".
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plucas, As much as I love open source... MATLAB is just a superior program in terms of functionality (toolboxes) and coding efficiency (multi-core utility). If it's a commercial project, and buying a $2k license is overkill... Octave is the way to go.
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MrH, would you be willing to share the m-file with the group? I'll dig through it and maybe someone can get it running in Octave
Lonely Sushi , I've always been taught that sway bars are a band-aid... albeit a very useful bandaid. If you can get the proper wheel rate without sway bars, the car can articulate across bumps more effectively.
Using soft springs and thicker sway bars (as modern vehicles do) gives you a sporty roll rate without the NVH of stiff springs. The other benefit is that (with certain geometries) the vehicle feels like it's "biting in" during turns which modern manufacturers seem to value highly. For me, I'd prefer the wheel dynamics to be as uncoupled as possible (so minimal sway bars).
Certain racing leagues (ex: SCCA) may not let you change springs for certain classes, but sway bars can be upsized. This does boost the wheel rate, but these cars have trouble staying at their performance limit in cambered turns or rough pavement.