Rear swaybar hangin' low--any options?

[RallyJon]

I have a Weltmeister rear swaybar and it sits just below the transmission cradle. It's mounted on these long standoffs so that it clears the cradle. This seems like a really kludgy design--it is the low point under the car and very vulnerable to abuse on high-crowned or gravel roads.

Are all rear swaybars mounted under the transmission support (remember--early car, early gearbox--not like a 915)? Are there any that tuck the bar behind or in front of the cradle?

How was the factory bar mounted on early cars? Anyone have pics?

Here's a view on the ground:


On the lift:


Here's that huge standoff bracket:

[HarryD]

Rallyjon,

You have the Weltmeister sway bar attachment kit that requires no welding. The prefered option is to weld the factory ears in the back. This will raise the bar (ha-ha ) and provide a better location for the weight transfer.

I have the same units. On my '73 they are about 8" inboard of the bend in the bar due to the location of my fuel pump. This is also less than optimum but since I can't weld and am too cheap to pay someone, it has to do.

[RallyJon]

This will raise the bar...

So the factory style mounts place the bar forward of the transmission cradle and upward towards the torsion bar tube?

[HarryD]

Originally posted by RallyJon
So the factory style mounts place the bar forward of the transmission cradle and upward towards the torsion bar tube?

Not sure as I have neve looked at one in real life. Here's a shot from Wayne's 101 Projects book.



Hope that helps.

[RallyJon]

Thanks, Harry.

Anyone have experience with the fancy $500+ rear sway bars on early cars? Where does the bar sit in relation to the transmission mount?

[Vintage911Racer]

No, it will not put it in front or behind the trans mount. It will raise it slightly but not much. The other option you have would be to rotate the actual U-Tab kit backward slightly on the torsion tube. This will raise the torsion bar so it has almost NO gap between the bar and the trans mount. Is your car really Low? Unless it is abot 24 inches in rear ride height the bar should not be a problem.

[911pcars]

Rallyjohn,
All sway (anti-roll) bars, factory or aftermarket, pass under the transmission mount as shown.

The factory sway bar mount area is just above the blue jack pad in your pic. The difference appears to be the equivalant of the sway bar OD. As Mark said, "It will raise it but not much." However, that small amount could be the difference between just enough clearance and, as Wes Montgomery used to play, "Bumpin' on Sunset."

Besides Mark's suggestion about rotating the mount slightly (a), you could:

(b) Weld factory (reinforced) mounts in the factory location ..... or

(c) Notice in your pic there is a thin spacer between the bushing mount and the boxed standoff. Try removing this spacer for a slight amount of relief. ..... or

(d) Fabricate or install a new "standoff", the hollow spacer between the clamp on the torsion bar tube and the sway bar mount. This is just a section of rectangular boxed metal with drilled holes on both sides. You could find/fabricate something close but equally substantial, then use spacers to arrive at the correct location point.

Each of these involves various levels of complexity. Pick the one that does the job and places you and your car in a comfort zone.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars