Can I Buy A Clue: 930 Rear Sway Bar

[zakthor]

Long ago when I got my car I got the suspension refreshed. Last step was for me to obtain and install a 21mm rear sway bar. I dutifully obtained and refinished a 21 mm rear sway bar from an 86 Carrera. Sand blasted and painted with epoxy, looks nice.

So then I try to install it and find there's no way it will clear the transmission mount. My nice new sway bar is straight and the stock 18mm sway bar is very bent. I read that I'm supposed to construct a block to push the sway bar down further. Sway bar goes onto a hook in the garage and I drive it that way for 4-5 years. Honestly love the handling but curious what the stiffer bar will feel like.

Finally have a day off, source some 0.375" aluminum bar. Construct a block, obtain longer bolts and find that while sway bar does now clear the transmission that drop links won't reach.

Reading around there's nothing I can find that directly answers this. One solution is apparently to buy adjustable drop links which are $125 and don't last long before making noise.

Another suggestion was to drill hole in sway bar. That makes no sense as the shorter arm will make the sway bar much stiffer.

And last idea is to find the 87-89 Carrera 21mm sway bar which is curved to clear the G50. That would let me use the stock drop links? I find one at dc auto, $85.

Today I try installing the curved 87-89 sway bar. Much less curve than stock, it doesn't fit in stock location, hits transmission mount.

I need a clue. Has anyone mounted a stock 21mm sway bar to the rear of an otherwise stock '79 930? What is the trick? I suppose I can construct a curved spacer or something. But rather not waste time on metalwork if someone has already worked out a good solution.

FWIW: Here's a sway bar comparison. As you can see I've gone long in rear sway bars.

Top is 930 stock 18mm (930-333-701-23)
Middle is G50 Carrera 21mm (911-333-701-11)
Bottom is 86 Carrera 21mm (911-333-701-10)



Thanks!

[356911930]

Buy the adjustable drop links...they never squeak to my knowledge but the plastic bushing might.

Rahl

[full quack]

Ummmm...why don't you just buy the correct sway bar to begin with??

Or get a higher quality after market bar?

What is there to gain with all this fiddling around with the wrong stuff, at best you are going to end up with a ill fitting bastard of a bar, that does not work properly due to improper geometry.

My worthless .02

Mark

[MichaelB]

I recall doing this to a 1978 930 I had years ago... But I just got a used 1986 front & rear bar... I think the rear was 20mm. 930-333-701-29

Direct fit.

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by full quack

Ummmm...why don't you just buy the correct sway bar to begin with??

Or get a higher quality after market bar?

What is there to gain with all this fiddling around with the wrong stuff, at best you are going to end up with a ill fitting bastard of a bar, that does not work properly due to improper geometry.

My worthless .02

Mark

Jeese man... Trying to figure out why its being such a bastard. I'm thinking there are some beautiful ways to mount these with correct spacers. I was assured that 21mm is what I need to balance the front so should be great once installed.

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I recall doing this to a 1978 930 I had years ago... But I just got a used 1986 front & rear bar... I think the rear was 20mm. 930-333-701-29

Direct fit.

Yeah, exactly! That was the plan - just hook up and go. The fronts went right in... I'd read and heard from two folk that rear Carrera bars should just work. The number you list above is a 930 part so should clear our transmissions. I guess I've got another option now which is to acquire yet another bar...

WRT Adjustable links. With the bar bolted onto a block the sway bar end-holes are about an inch too far from the drop link. Think an adjustable link can move that far?

I've heard from a few people that the adjustable links all become rattley but maybe it was just a certain brand, I dunno.

[zakthor]

So... I guess an explanation is that I misheard so long ago, maybe the Carrera bars just plain don't fit, I should have been seeking the later 930 bar all along (which is hard to come by.)

[zakthor]

And just like that I awake from my slumber and it is seven years that have passed.

Had a free morning and determined to get the right damn swaybar. Looked up all my options, was about to pull the trigger on that 'spensive adjustable blade one from elephant racing, but they're not open on weekends. Gotta do something before gasoline is outlawed.

Did a quick search and lo! someone had a 20mm bar from an 85-88 930 for $120 including shipping. Well... ok. Clicked the buy button and it arrived a few days later.

Out with the old, in with the new:



Old bar was 18.4, new bar is 20.

Took about 40 minutes to do the swap. Test drive says... different!

Rear is standing a bit more proud. Front feels more aggressive. Is significantly more difficult to get the front to plow. I'm curious what an extra mm of rear sway bar diameter would achieve handling wise, but probably I'm content with this state. So maybe I'm done with suspension upgrades.

Car state is:

79 930
torsion bars are sanders hollow 22/30
sway bars are 22/20
polybronze bushings
monoball strut mounts
shocks are bilstein hd in front, sport in back
fenders sit at 24"
tires are re11, soon to be re71rs

Super happy with how this car drives on the street. Especially in the rain.



Ya. So checked that off the list. Whew.

[patina]

Originally Posted by zakthor

And just like that I awake from my slumber and it is seven years that have passed.

Had a free morning and determined to get the right damn swaybar. Looked up all my options, was about to pull the trigger on that 'spensive adjustable blade one from elephant racing, but they're not open on weekends. Gotta do something before gasoline is outlawed.

Did a quick search and lo! someone had a 20mm bar from an 85-88 930 for $120 including shipping. Well... ok. Clicked the buy button and it arrived a few days later.

Out with the old, in with the new:



Old bar was 18.4, new bar is 20.

Took about 40 minutes to do the swap. Test drive says... different!

Rear is standing a bit more proud. Front feels more aggressive. Is significantly more difficult to get the front to plow. I'm curious what an extra mm of rear sway bar diameter would achieve handling wise, but probably I'm content with this state. So maybe I'm done with suspension upgrades.

Car state is:

79 930
torsion bars are sanders hollow 22/30
sway bars are 22/20
polybronze bushings
monoball strut mounts
shocks are bilstein hd in front, sport in back
fenders sit at 24"
tires are re11, soon to be re71rs

Super happy with how this car drives on the street. Especially in the rain.



Ya. So checked that off the list. Whew.

Thanks for the update. It's so funny, I just started to revisit my '78 930 and in a couple of weekends have made huge strides on small annoyances I put off for so long. The car is night and day better now after being very rarely driven over the last 2-3 years.

"Why didn't I do this sooner!?"