Need help with suspension question. 85' Carrera

[rgdtoo]

Hi,

Question on Weltmeister Pro Sway Bars:

My 85 coupe's front sway bar runs in a channel below the trunk, not through the fender well into the trunk and out. The install instructions describe the bar as if it goes through the wheel well and out (as delivered stock~not). I was talking to my alignment guy a few days ago and he described a similar situation of drilling through into the trunk area etc.

For an 85' which is not set up from the factory as described above, does anybody the correct install method.

Thanks,

Bob

[Walt Fricke]

I don't have a detailed writeup. It's not too hard, but far from just a bolt-on.

I don't recall Weltmeister having very complete instructions, but that was 20 years ago, so maybe they have improved.

Luckily, the inner fenderwell panels have a triangular stamped area (left over from the 1973 and earlier cars), which is where you locate the fittings that hold the bushings and the through rod. You use these as a template to locate the three bolt holes to hold them in place, and to locate the larger hole you have to cut for the bar itself. A 1" hole saw should do for that.

In the bad old days you pretty much had to remove the fuel tank to complete the jb. The outer triangular piece has an inner mate which is just a flat plate with holes, and nowadays it has the needed three nuts welded to it I think. So if you can get this into place inside and lined up, you can insert the bolts through the outer piece, then install it, then wiggle the inner part into position and get the bolts started.

You can use the new sway bar rod itself to help position the inner piece and keep it from falling down into some irretrievable place down at the bottom of the fuel tank. Slide it over the rod at a spot where your hand reaches most easily, slide the rod in farther - over and through the hole in the other side, in fact, and then slide the nutholder plate over into place.

You should be able to reach the inner location on the right side all right. The left side is trickier due to more stuff in the way but I think that is doable.

You end up with a sandwich: outer triangular plate with bearing part sticking out, then the body sheet metal, then the inner reinforcing plate/nutholder.

The other bit of bother involves the lower attachment to the A arm. First you go through the trouble of getting the old sway bar off. Then you have to saw off the attachment on top of the A arm. Then you position the new attachment and either hold it on with one long bolt (using holes you drill through the A arm) or better, you weld it into place. Or do both.

Then it is just a question of installing the arms and drop links.

Someone may chime in with pictures of a more recent install.

Walt Fricke

[rgdtoo]

Good info, I should be able to fake it now.

This almost seems like it would make sense to remove the gas tank and probably save time in the long run. I would guess after doing it once you would leave it in but... Is there any issue with removing the gas tank. (guess I can look that up in my manual)

Ultimately were do the triangle brackets end up, inside right?

For the record, Weltmeister must not have changed their instructions much, if at all.

[waynesco1]

not nessasary to remove tank . drill your holes insert long 1/20 all thread from wheel well into trunk. screw backup plate to thread pull into place start fasteners.

[Walt Fricke]

The sheet metal mount consists of two main pieces: the part which has the bearing (urehtane) in it, and the backing plate (thanks, Wayne - I couldn't fish that name out last night). The backing plate goes inside - in the trunk area - while the bearing part goes outside. You need to have the arms stand out from the sheet metal of the inner fenderwell, and the round bearing piece does that.

Another thing to consider is undercoating. It would be a good idea to scrape off the undercoat where the bearing plate will be. The more you spread out the load on the sheet metal, the less likely it will be that those fairly narrow bolts will start tearing the sheet metal.

If a guy has a welder, welding the backing plate into place (the bearing plate too, for that matter) seems like a good idea to me. But not essential, at least until you start noticing cracks. I've had to weld up a few cracks. You can purchase a reinforcing plate to weld inside if you want.

Walt Fricke