Was a 22mm front anti roll bar an option on a 1976 911 ?

[Sharkbitemarky]

So I have identified what bushes I need, some of the difficulty associated with identifying the correct item was that suppliers do not recognise a 22mm ARB as fitted to a 1976 911 they were generally ≤18mm ! My 22mm ARB looks very original could it be or would it have to have been a retro modification ? The next question is; is a 22mm ARB OTT ? Will it cause a harsh ride ? I'm trying to put the car back together as close to original as poss, in my ownership the car will not see a racetrack and I'm biased towards comfort than a rigid racing weapon.

Your responses appreciated

Cheers
Mark

[IROC]

This is completely from memory (sorry), but I think there were two basic setups for the '76 911. ROW cars (like mine) came with a 16 mm front bar and no rear bar. US-spec cars came with a 20 mm front bar and an 18 mm rear bar. I don't think (?) the 22 mm front bar appeared until 1985 or so (they were the under-the-body "Carrera" bars that many of us installed back then). The 22 mm Carrera bar looks just like the 16 mm (or 20 mm) bars - just larger (and harder to get into the bushings!).

Anti-roll bars won't really affect ride quality

[Sharkbitemarky]

IROC,

Thanks for the response, For info my car is a UK delivered, RHD, Coupe, Sportomatic, 2.7 (7R case).

Looking at the owner & service history (I think I have it all !) I can't see any evidence that it was upgraded !

[IROC]

Yeah, mine was a Germany-delivered "911" (not an "S") so I have no sunroof, different interior, etc. than the US-spec cars. I am the third owner, but know my car's entire history and it came to me bone stock.

[Sharkbitemarky]

Believe mine was "Lux" pack e.g. electric sun roof, 2 stage heated rear window, rear wiper, electric & heated door mirror, chrome trim around wheel/fender arches, chrome sill/rocker covers, radio & electric aerial......maybe 22mm front underbody ARB !

What do we know about the term "Lux" in relation to early 911's ?

[chrismorse]

In 74 there was a "Carrera anti-roll bar optional upgrade" to 20ft and rear,18. My dad bought the car with this option.
Hope others chime in with 76 stock and optional equipment specs.
Just for fun, check the rear bar diameter with a caliper or wrench and post what you have.
As long as you are down there, have a good look at the rear bar mounts. My dad was a very conservative driver and managed to tear off one side with the Carrera 18mm bar.

cheers,
chris

[brianlay]

Larger ARBs will definitely increase spring rate at the wheel and increase harshness

[Sharkbitemarky]

Originally Posted by chrismorse

In 74 there was a "Carrera anti-roll bar optional upgrade" to 20ft and rear,18. My dad bought the car with this option.
Hope others chime in with 76 stock and optional equipment specs.
Just for fun, check the rear bar diameter with a caliper or wrench and post what you have.
As long as you are down there, have a good look at the rear bar mounts. My dad was a very conservative driver and managed to tear off one side with the Carrera 18mm bar.

cheers,
chris

Chris, in different country from car at present however, I'm sure it does have an 18mm ARB at the rear, so seems possible that in 1976 there may well have been an option for front UB 22mm and rear 18mm ARB's, be nice to have this confirmed !. Sometime ago during the restoration I did notice that the rear LH welded ARB mounting bracket had been rewelded at some time in the past 43 years, I paid the area some attention removing excess weld that was not contributing to anything and generally applied new welding to add strength and general cosmetic tidying of the bracket area. Looks like a stress area that if fitted we all need to keep an eye on however, it's managed to hang in there for 43 years !😀.

Regards
Mark

[IROC]

Originally Posted by brianlay

Larger ARBs will definitely increase spring rate at the wheel and increase harshness

While technically correct, this effect only occurs when significant body roll is present during turning. While the car is moving straight ahead and the suspension encounters a bump, both wheels move vertically at the same time, so the anti-roll bar sees no torque (load) and does not affect ride quality. So...for the vast majority of driving (especially street driving) anti-roll bars have little or no impact on ride quality.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Sharkbitemarky

...so seems possible that in 1976 there may well have been an option for front UB 22mm and rear 18mm ARB's, be nice to have this confirmed !.

I may be wrong (that happens a lot) but I don't think a 22 mm front bar was available in the 70s. When I first upgraded my anti-roll bars, I used bars off of a turbo of that era because they were the largest you could get and stick with the "under the body" design. That was decades ago, but I seem to remember they were also the 20 mm front/18 mm rear bars. The turbo ones were slightly different as the rear bar had an offset in it to clear the case of the 4-speed gearbox.

According to Pelican's parts listings, the 22 mm front bar started in 1984.

[Sharkbitemarky]

Mike,

Thanks for your thoughts, I guess a bit of a mystery for the time being.

Cheers
Mark