Recommendations on Sway bar bushings

[pbs911]

After carefull consideration of ride quality on my daily driver, and the desire to control body roll at the track, I opted to compromise and transplant the bigger sway bars of an 89 to my 78SC. I need bushing advice, however.

Should I go with the OEM rubber or is there a good after market poly/graphite bushing available for the sway bars? What are your experiences? Thanks in advance.

[Early_S_Man]

Paul

According to the spec book, the '86 and later rear bar is only 1 mm larger than the '78 SC rear bar.

it has been my experience that using poly-graphite bushings on the body mounts of anti-roll bars has no negative effect on ride quality or noise transmitted to the body ... while effectively increasing the stiffness of the bars. So, I say ... use the Weltmeister bushings and enjoy the benefit of a more effective rear bar! I would suggest reinforcing the mount with gussets, though, as a precaution against cracked or broken rear mounts.

You also may want to go to an aftermarket adjustable fornt bar of the 'through-the-body' design to be able to adjust out any increase oversteer tendency, though!

[pbs911]

Warren,
I thought that someone had to have had some stiffer bushings than the OEM, thanks.

I am also showing that the rear sway bar on the SC is 18mm, whereas the 89 is at 21mm. I will get the gussets reinforced.

I checked our host, but it don't list the Weltmeister poly graphit bushings, only OEM rubber. Can someone supply a link for me. Thanks.

[Early_S_Man]

Paul ... spec book shows 18 mm ft bar, and 20 mm rear bar on all SC's.

[Jdub]

Paul:

Contact Pelican directly; they can often find the part and sell it to you for a satisfactory price. Putting the Weltmeister bushings in as per Warren's advice seems like a good way to go. I also strongly agree that you must reserve some time and money to have those sway bar mounts strengthened for the rear sway bar (especially on our SCs). I believe the mounts are around $65.00 per side. You will have to clean off the material around the old set, remove them, and weld the new set on. Typically this is done by adding the sway bar back onto the car after cleaning the mount area up, putting bushes and new mount/clamps on the bar directly, then mating the mount to the car body proper, checking they are reasonably square, then tacking the mounts to the body (via welder), removing the bar, and finishing the welding job.

The spec for our SCs is Front sway 20 and rear sway 18. If you decide to "up" your bar size do remember to approach the project in a "holistic" manner so that no single modification stiffens one area so much that another, weaker area ends up with all of the tension moved to it. Like adding 930 9" wheels to a tired rear end, which can cause hub and CV joint problems from the added weight and unsprung movement.

John