Rear sway bar...what would you do...?

[BGCarrera32]

Hi-

84' Carrera coupe picked up as a project a few months ago. Rear shocks are toast and the car is fishy in the back end. You can get under there and shake the bar back and forth a little and make some clunk noises. Obviously, the bushings and butterfly mounts are exhausted too.

So the question...I totalled up the parts to replace the factory bushings and parts (drop links, mounts, etc.), and it looks like its more money than if just went with a Weltmeister rear bar kit from Pelican (and replaced the whole darmn thing). I combed thru a few threads about aftermarket bars breaking, etc.., and want to make sure I put the right bar on to begin with, or should I just stick with the factory? I plan to do mostly street driving, some DE track day events next year but no racing. I hope to lower the car from the US ride height to the Euro spec, and go with Bilstein Sport shocks on the rear.

If Welty bar 19 or 21mm? If factory stuff, any parts in particular I should be replacing while I'm in there? I know this question is awfully general...

Thanks
-BG

[pbs911]

A Welt bar seems to be a good bar. Others, more track serious, say to go for the Smart Racing bars @ $500+. The advantage to the latter is the bar can be changed easily.

Are you going to keep the OEM front? I believe it is 20mm. If so, and you increase the diameter of the rear from the OEM 18mm (?) to 19 or 20 you will be inducing more oversteer (i.e. the back end will want to swing out more easily).

For my 78SC, I chose to find a get set of OEM front and rear bars from a 86-89 Carrera. These bars are 22mm front and 21mm rear and are a noticeable improvement over the smaller 78's. They can be found for about $125 plus the cost of new bushings. They are none adjustable. I also consider them a temp measure in the event I get realy serious and want to plunk down $1000+ for the Smart Racing bars. I will probably go to 22mm both front and back when, or if, that happens. My driving skills are novice so I want to learn the car in the basic OEM set up.

Either way you go, you will want to have the sway bar mount reinforced. You can purchase a reinforced mount or probably have a welder put in some gussets.

[911pcars]

Although you may get recommendations to go with the Smart Racing bars, I think the WMs (21mm) are fine for your application. SR has a very fine sway bar (and pricey), but I think it more mandatory for a track car and very nice, but not as necessary for street/DE use. The main advantage of any aftermarket bar are the adjustable drop links to adjust weight transfer or should you ever want or need to corner balance the car. CB makes a real-world difference in the way a car handles and brakes. Make sure the sway bar mount on the chassis is strong, even reinforced with the factory piece or equivalent. The later 911s seem to experience a little more mount stress.

Don't forget the torsion bars, shocks and good suspension bushings. If budgeting is a concern, I would opt for upgrading the t-bars, shocks and ride height first.

just my $.02
Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

[BGCarrera32]

Thanks for the info guys...budgeting is a concern, and I'd love to do it all the but unfortunately I need to fix the back end now as its way beyond its lifespan...and I've only got 2 months or so before the snow flies here in (MN) arrrghhh...

BTW Sherwood, your gate shift kit is on my x-mas list...!

-BG