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In the shop at Pelican
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 10,459
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How are sway bars made?
Was just thinking that I really dont know how they are constructed. I've been building a couple of front subframe braces for my Saab 900 Turbo, and was looking at the sway bar at the rear and thought, it wouldnt be too hard for me to fabricate one based on the design of the stock one.
Is this something that conceivably could be done by a DIY'er, or does it involve heat treating, pre-tensioning, etc.. I have access to high quality metal, hence why I was asking. Last edited by Jared at Pelican Parts; 02-06-2006 at 04:44 PM.. |
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02-06-2006, 04:32 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NoCal
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I've been toying with the same idea.
 I would imagine they are mandrel bent and then heat treated. Don't know if heat would be required for the bend. Having done some (limited) bending of tubing and round stock in the past, I can tell you that it ain't as easy as it looks. It's tough to get the angles just right without building a jig, and you have to deal with some springback. I'd bet it would be TONS easier and cheaper to just buy some used ones and be done with it. Unless you like this kind of stuff (I do)I've been toying with making some adjustable bars for my 911, or possibly just adjustable lever arms and drop links that will work with the stock bars. Have fun, Jim |
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02-06-2006, 04:49 PM
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In the shop at Pelican
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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We are talking two 45 degree bends on this. I have a tube bender, so a little heat, and walla... And yes, I enjoy seeing if i can do this sort of thing.
I'm thinking that I would want to vary the angles at which the bar attaches to the car to give it a bit of pre-tension? |
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02-06-2006, 04:54 PM
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If you have a bender and some bar stock, I'd give it a go! Plus, if you get the stock cheap, you could probably afford to screw a couple up.
Off topic: did you get rid of all your e30 stuff? Jim |
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02-06-2006, 05:43 PM
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In the shop at Pelican
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
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what are you loking for? I have a few odds and ends
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02-06-2006, 06:54 PM
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Banned
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: So California
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How bout starting with some simple spring rate calculations? Otherwise your fooling yourself. It ain't rocket science but it is science.
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02-06-2006, 09:04 PM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
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Its not "a little heat" guys. To get steel to rebound to the orginal shape and to be uniform, its a long and involved process. Not rocket science but takes a while and I would bet a very large oven. We are not going to get our size sway bars in any home oven that I know of so buying used would be a lot easier...
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2021 Subaru Legacy, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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02-06-2006, 09:52 PM
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Slackerous Maximus
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Columbus, OH
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Just as a side note, I would like to assure you guys that you are indeed nuts for considering this.
Hell, I think I'll forged a crank shaft this weekend......
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2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor. 2012 Harley Davidson Road King 2014 Triumph Bonneville T100. 2014 Cayman S, PDK. Mercedes E350 family truckster. |
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02-07-2006, 12:03 AM
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02-07-2006, 12:27 AM
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Registered Loser
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Location: Worcester, MA
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Owner of a wrecked 944 |
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02-07-2006, 04:26 AM
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In the shop at Pelican
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Quote:
I'm a lot more resourceful than you think. |
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02-07-2006, 09:15 AM
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You could cut square ends on the bar and fab ends with the square hole to clamp on. You could also weld the ends on.
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2014 Cayman S (track rat w/GT4 suspension) 1979 930 (475 rwhp at 0.95 bar) |
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02-07-2006, 01:25 PM
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i thought a sway bar was one that moved just a little after happy hour.......what do i know??
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chance favors the prepared mind 1987 944 n/a 5spd. who remembers dial phones?. 'STOP FIXING THINGS ONE STEP BEFORE YOU BREAK SOMETHING ELSE" |
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02-07-2006, 01:26 PM
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You should see the Fuchs I forged with a waffle maker.
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02-07-2006, 04:08 PM
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Seldom Seen Member
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They're born that way . . .
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02-07-2006, 04:11 PM
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Lots of interesting comments here. I think I stated in my first post that this probably doesn't make any real sense financially, since good used anti-roll bars can probably be had for next to nothing, and there would be no way to recoup the initial investment of fabricating your own set unless you planned to sell a few (a bunch
 ) of them.I also agree with the comments made about heat treating, spring rate calculations, etc. That would be one of the first things one would do when researching this idea, after posting on Pelican, of course Most of us don't have an oven suitable for heat treating a bar once it was bent, but there are places that will do this for you. ($$$) Most of us don't have a means of bending 3/4" 4140, and, quite frankly, I'm not sure if I would trust a tubing bender for the job. But it can be done. (more $$$) Does it make sense? Probably not. Look at what aftermarket bars go for from companies such as Tarrett, Smart, Welt, and Elephant. That should give one an idea of the $ investment, research, and testing that goes into making a quality product. I happen to have access to some pretty nice manufacturing equipment, and I know how to use it, or know how to find someone who knows more than me to do it for me. That's why I encouraged Jason to give it a go, since I assumed he was going to do enough research to, at the very least, not hurt himself. Will he end up with a quality product that works and last more than one drive? Who knows, probably not. But he might learn something, and have fun doing it. And, I think that's one of the primary reasons most of us here on Pelican are DIYers.  Jim |
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02-07-2006, 07:44 PM
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unsafe at any speed
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 12,326
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Re: How are sway bars made?
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Make sure it is the right alloy. You need spring steel which is not as easy to work with as mild steel. Here's a couple links. http://www.engineering.com/content/ContentDisplay?contentId=41005011 http://www.mech.uwa.edu.au/DANotes/springs/fatigue/fatigue.html
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Bill Swartzwelder 2002 R1100S Prep/ 2024 Tenere 700 Last edited by wswartzwel; 02-07-2006 at 07:57 PM.. |
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02-07-2006, 07:51 PM
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Banned
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: So California
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Like I am making my own camshaft blank, I would even consider making say a 12 cylinder engine out of a couple of 911 engines, but I would never consider making a sway bar, unless I was IN that business to begin with.
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02-07-2006, 08:06 PM
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Slackerous Maximus
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Quote:
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2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor. 2012 Harley Davidson Road King 2014 Triumph Bonneville T100. 2014 Cayman S, PDK. Mercedes E350 family truckster. |
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02-07-2006, 11:11 PM
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Re: Re: How are sway bars made?
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02-08-2006, 01:08 AM
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1979 Porsche 930 3.4
1987 Porsche 944 2.5
