Sway bar Blues

[thsupernge]

Guys, any advice or secrets to getting my front sway bar back in? I have been struggling with it for a few hours now and have run out of ideas and techniques.

[dtwa]

Based on a possibly faulty memory, I recall that you have to take one A-arm off to replace the swaybar bushings. So I think you need to start with the two interior bushings on the bar, and the other two in the A-arms. Put one end of the bar through the bushing on the A-arm that is installed. The other end goes in the loose A-arm. Soapy water in the bushings makes things slide together easier as you raise the loose A-arm into place. I used the OEM rubber bushings, and I remember it being a wrestling match; stiffer ones may make it harder yet. —Dave


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[manbridge 74]

You will notice when the car is jacked off the ground the suspension is in droop, the two brackets on suspension being closer together. Helps to have a lift and a pole jack or two to support one or both so they are spread apart some.

[thsupernge]

Dang it, really? If I were only just twice as strong!

[thsupernge]

Originally Posted by manbridge 74

You will notice when the car is jacked off the ground the suspension is in droop, the two brackets on suspension being closer together. Helps to have a lift and a pole jack or two to support one or both so they are spread apart some.

so lifting a side will get me closer?

[manbridge 74]

On the smaller bars you can generally muscle them in with a long pry bar. The 22mm 930 bar in my car required some more effort.

[manbridge 74]

Originally Posted by thsupernge

so lifting a side will get me closer?

It should.

[thsupernge]

Originally Posted by manbridge 74

It should.

I will give it a shot. Thanks! Yeah, this is the 22mm bar.

[thsupernge]

No dice. Compressing/lifting the A-arm does change the geometry, unfortunately.

[manbridge 74]

I recalled pole jacking both sides using a ratchet strap on one side to pull front of car down some. The front of these cars is fairly light and will come up before a-arm is level sometimes. Even then it was a struggle with a giant pry bar. Using soap or some lube helps.

[thsupernge]

Crap, it shot the bushing across the floor when it went in.
I think I am done for the day. I still have to get it out before I try again.

[GG Allin]

No joke, I went with a through body sway bar partially because I didn't want to ever have to deal with this.

[chrismorse]

I had just rebuilt the front suspension, Elephant bushings, ball joints and blasting/Por-15 painting everything. It was out on the bench.

I installed the new 20 mm bar bushings in the arms and liberally lubed the interior of the bushings with sillykone/ruber lube.

I next inserted one end of the bar into a bushing, pushing it in further than it needed to go, so that the end of the other side was as close to alignment as possible.

I next used nylon tiedown rope to rig a truckers hitch to pull the bar into position to get the end installed into the other A arm bushing and i could slide it right in, then shift it back and forth to allow the chassis mounts to align.

The A arms were in full droop, the thing that really made the bar installation possible was the silicone lube, pushing the bar further into one side than needed and using a rope/hitch to horse the other end of the bar into aiignment for insertion.

As usual, inserting the bar is vastly gratifying, particularly after the usual wrestling and strong language - don't forget the lube :-)

[chrismorse]

Originally Posted by GG Allin

No joke, I went with a through body sway bar partially because I didn't want to ever have to deal with this.

I have heard that for a given diameter, that through the body bars are more effective than an under mount type bar.

Additionally, you have the option of installing adjustable length "arms" on the bar, as well as adjustable drop links, to dial out the preload - where-as, the undermount bars are non adjustable in either dimension.
chris

[thsupernge]

Originally Posted by GG Allin

No joke, I went with a through body sway bar partially because I didn't want to ever have to deal with this.

I hear that!

[thsupernge]

Originally Posted by chrismorse

I had just rebuilt the front suspension, Elephant bushings, ball joints and blasting/Por-15 painting everything. It was out on the bench.

I installed the new 20 mm bar bushings in the arms and liberally lubed the interior of the bushings with sillykone/ruber lube.

I next inserted one end of the bar into a bushing, pushing it in further than it needed to go, so that the end of the other side was as close to alignment as possible.

I next used nylon tiedown rope to rig a truckers hitch to pull the bar into position to get the end installed into the other A arm bushing and i could slide it right in, then shift it back and forth to allow the chassis mounts to align.

The A arms were in full droop, the thing that really made the bar installation possible was the silicone lube, pushing the bar further into one side than needed and using a rope/hitch to horse the other end of the bar into aiignment for insertion.

As usual, inserting the bar is vastly gratifying, particularly after the usual wrestling and strong language - don't forget the lube :-)

I took basically the same approach with a ratchet strap. Broke the first one but then kept launching the bushing each time I was close. After about 10 hours and a bloody hand, I might take it to my local shop where we can get a few bodies on it!

[chrismorse]

Originally Posted by thsupernge

I took basically the same approach with a ratchet strap. Broke the first one but then kept launching the bushing each time I was close. After about 10 hours and a bloody hand, I might take it to my local shop where we can get a few bodies on it!

Sorry i'm not closer to help you out. it did take a bit of colorfull language.
:-)

[911pcars]

Another one of PAG's cost-cutting strategies. Yes, I would be tempted to find a pre-owned Weltmeister or equiv. through the body sway bar. The factory undermount sway bar seems more like what GM, Ford or Chrysler would produce, except their sway bar attachments don't suck as much.

Sherwood

[famoroso]

FWIW, the Eibach front bar design incorporates separate links that bolt into the control arm sway bar bushings.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5nbTwxlUKY/?utm_medium=copy_link

[thsupernge]

Originally Posted by famoroso

FWIW, the Eibach front bar design incorporates separate links that bolt into the control arm sway bar bushings.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5nbTwxlUKY/?utm_medium=copy_link

Might have to check those out Frank, thanks for the heads up!