Installing new front sway bar

[Christien]

I'm looking at installing a front sway bar in my car, though it's never had one before. In a nutshell, what is involved in the process? All my searches have turned up results for upgrading, not for fresh installations.

Thanks.

[JTL]

You are talking about a thru-body anti-sway bar? I upgraded my stock -84 bars 2 years ago. I installed welmeister 22mm adjustable bars front and rear. Here is what I remember doing:

1. Locate sway bar body stamp in both inner fenderwells. Don't know if your 72 has this; my -84 did. You may have to scrape away some undercoating to see it.

2. Drill appropriately sized hole where sway bar will be located.

3. Install bar, backing plates, bushings. Right side backing plate is easy but you have to get creative on the left side.

4. Drill hole in a-arms for droplink u-tab and install hardware.

5. Connect bar to droplinks and adjust for 0 preload. make sure both sides are even.

Installing a bar or a larger bar than stock will stiffer the ride. I lowered my car 1.5", upgraded the bars and replaced the rear sport Bilsteins. The ride is considerably stiffer even on the outermost setting but the corner handling is really nice. I haven't driven the car on track after the mods. I'm sure the bars need adjustment for track. If you drive you car primarily on the street I don't know if it's worth doing all this?

jt
-84 targa

[KlaasyT]

Hi, I was thinking of doing the same! I did the IDS event this year and wow does it roll on the slalom, skidpad. Great fun! My 72 t is a euro and has no bars at all. It does however have cover plates bolted in the inner fenders and u-tabs already on the control arms, so an easy install I think. Is your car like this?What brand of bar are you using? What size?



Clarence

[Christien]

Wow, Clarence, I think you're driving my car's twin! I also have the triangular cover plates on the inner fenderwells, though I don't know if I have the tabs on the control arms, I'll have to look.

JT, thanks for the detailed process - gives me an idea what I'm in for, though if I've got the fenderwell holes there already, and maybe the control arm tabs, it'll be significantly less work. I do remember someone having a look at it a while ago and saying installation would be a piece of cake. Granted, they were a pro, so it's all relative!

I do track the car, not as much as I'd like to, but 7 or 8 times a season. And it sees a lot of street/highway driving. I don't want a bone-jarring ride on the street - I put Bilstein sport shocks in a few years ago, and those are too harsh for the street. But I would like to address the body roll. Check out this video my dad shot of me at Mosport yesterday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP_DgE1yxgA#t=2m25s

Clarence, what colour is your car? I saw a bright yellow longhood with a ducktail driving east on the 407 yesterday around Whitby/Oshawa on my way home from the track, maybe 6 or 6:30pm.

[KlaasyT]

My car is irish green, no duck. I've had it at Mosport a few times but never on the big track. I would like to. Doing the IDS this year was fantastic. I live in Grimsby, work in Hamilton.

[KlaasyT]

great video! great car.

[ChkbookMechanic]

I just installed the Smart Racing Front and Rear sway bars in my '84. To install the front sway bar, the gas tank had to be removed since the reinforcement for the through body bars had to be held in place from both sides of the tub. The rear bar had to have the original sway bar mounts ground off and the beefier WEVO mounts welded on.

[JTL]

If you have the holes drilled and u-tabs in place the job would ~1/2 done. You definitely need some bars on the track. I wound't call my car's ride bone-jarring with the sport Bilsteins, although the front inserts are original. I have elephant PBBs on the front a-arms, which is a big improvement over the stock rubber bushings. I should have installed the rear PBBs too while lowering. If I take everything off now it's another $300 for an alignment.

Lane, I didn't remove the gas tank on my -84 for the front bar job. I was able to reach in pretty easily and hold the right side backing plate while bolting in the inner fenderwell mounting plate; long arms I guess
The other side was tricky. I remember dropping the backing plate behind the gas tank and fishing it in place with a long wire. I was able to hold it in place with a magnet and screwdriver while bolting in the mounting plate. That process took a little bit of time.

jt

[Christien]

Originally Posted by KlaasyT

My car is irish green, no duck. I've had it at Mosport a few times but never on the big track. I would like to. Doing the IDS this year was fantastic. I live in Grimsby, work in Hamilton.

Wow, I can't believe I haven't seen you driving around! You should come by the Sat. am meets at the Chapters at Sherway in Etobicoke.

The IDS is definitely fun, but wait until you do the real thing. I'm still a bit stiff and sore from Wednesday - I feel like an old man even though I'm only 34! Because of the roll and a very old driver's chair, I have to brace myself a lot, particularly on turns like 2 and 4, so my left leg is really killing me!

[Christien]

Removing the gas tank wouldn't be a deal breaker (just had it out a few weeks ago for a cleaning) but it would be nice to not have to do that. I don't mind a bit of extra time to avoid the hassle and mess. Not to mention the stink...

Thanks for the tips guys. I think this will be my next project.

[ChkbookMechanic]

Originally Posted by JTL

Lane, I didn't remove the gas tank on my -84 for the front bar job. I was able to reach in pretty easily and hold the right side backing plate while bolting in the inner fenderwell mounting plate; long arms I guess
The other side was tricky. I remember dropping the backing plate behind the gas tank and fishing it in place with a long wire. I was able to hold it in place with a magnet and screwdriver while bolting in the mounting plate. That process took a little bit of time.

jt

Yeah, I heard you could install it w/o removing the gas tank, but it was 106* outside and I wasn't going to attempt it myself, so I let some experts install it instead.. not having a grinder or a welder puts a cramp on what I can do myself when it comes to the major modifications to the car.

Originally Posted by Christien

Removing the gas tank wouldn't be a deal breaker (just had it out a few weeks ago for a cleaning) but it would be nice to not have to do that. I don't mind a bit of extra time to avoid the hassle and mess. Not to mention the stink...

Thanks for the tips guys. I think this will be my next project.

Just be prepared for how the car is going to feel. I went from the stock sway bars to the Smart Racing ones w/ a #31 bar in the front and a #27 in the rear and the car now has what feels like close to zero body roll and tramlines a lot worse on some of the really terrible streets.

I didn't mind the change since I got what I wanted, but you will definitely get a 'holy crap' moment.

[Christien]

Originally Posted by ChkbookMechanic

tramlines a lot worse on some of the really terrible streets.

What do you mean by "tramline"? I'll definitely be prepared for a different feel on the track - many "granny laps" as I call them to get used to the different handling characteristics.

[ChkbookMechanic]

Originally Posted by Christien

What do you mean by "tramline"? I'll definitely be prepared for a different feel on the track - many "granny laps" as I call them to get used to the different handling characteristics.

Tramlining is the tendency for the car to follow ruts in the road.

I still need to take my car to the track but real life gets in the way of having fun... maybe this weekend I can get in a session or two at the local track.

[Christien]

Oh, ok, I see what you mean - like getting stuck in streetcar tracks. I think I can see what you mean, how without the sways the car would be easier to "roll" out of ruts and grooves.

[ChkbookMechanic]

Originally Posted by Christien

Oh, ok, I see what you mean - like getting stuck in streetcar tracks. I think I can see what you mean, how without the sways the car would be easier to "roll" out of ruts and grooves.

You've got the idea. The 5 second explanation is the sway bars connect the bottom of the suspension on both sides together. When there is no bar each side is basically independent of one another and as the bar gets larger the less and less independent the suspension travel between the sides become.

This site has a fairly decent explanation of roll bars and suspension types: http://www.carbibles.com/suspension_bible_pg2.html

[Christien]

Cool - thanks for the link, I'll read it over lunch.

I just thought of something - I've already got a camber brace in the trunk - would that need to be significantly adjusted to work in concert with a front sway bar?

[ChkbookMechanic]

I wouldn't worry about the camber brace in the trunk. Just make sure your front sway bar is adjustable (Tarett, Smart Racing, etc). I like to do sway bars last in my suspension since I feel they are really the easiest thing to tweak once you get the rest of the suspension set up to your liking.