Rear sway bar install in '88 Carrera

[Carloe]

So I'm in the process of installing a new rear Weltmeister 22mm adjustable sway bar into my '88 Carrera. As I'm installing the bar I realize that the stock drop link mounts on the rear control arms are not used in the new setup. The sway bar comes with a new customized ecentric nut which the new sway bar drop links screws into.
My questions:
Is this normal? Or did the send me the wrong sway bar?

Due to the removal of the ecentric nut wouldn't this require a re-corner balancing and alignment?

Why aren't the stock drop link mounts used? They look strong enough.

Thanks.


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Carlo
Redmond, WA
1988 911 Carrera 3.2
1990 964 Carrera 4

[89911]

Good question. After installing a similar bar in my 89, I posed the same questions. What I have come with is: You may be able to exchange the bolts without redoing the suspension. They are adjustment bolts that are then tightened and then the lower bolts at the termination of the spring plate into the trailing arm are tighnened last, locking the arm into position. Others can correct me if I am wrong. Why use this position as the droplink connection? I think the main reason is that is shortens the lever arm of the sway bar by a few inches. This alone stiffens the bar. The original mounting point is used by other manufacturers, usually higher end bars such as Kokelyn, Charlie bars, etc. It is a more substantial mounting point then the Weltmeister one, but I have had no problems with my setup, using 17" by 255 track tires. I can't imaginge being able to produce more stress then this. One other point about this setup is that there is really is very little adjustment, save for an inch or two. The next question is whether is is worth the money to spend twice of much for a more adjustable bar. I'm not sure. The rear bar is not as critical as the front bar. A far superior upgrade is to mount a through the body front sway bar. The mechanics are simplier and more direct. I suppose they were stopped from a financial standpoint.

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8 9 9 1 1, The last of the line.

[Carloe]

Thanks for the quick reply 89911. I just needed someone else to tell me I wasn't crazy.

Cheers.
Carlo

[911pcars]

I think the WM drop link connection to the spring plate is not as desireable compared to the factory location on the control arm. WM uses a relatively puny 5/16" allen head bolt to attach the low cost heim bearing (3/8" ID) to the spring plate eccentric, and this is the main criticism although I haven't heard of any failures because of this. If you notice, the factory sway bar mount bolt is quite large and a matching heim bearing will have much higher load capacity (and thus cost). WM chose to use a bent bar with their relatively inexpensive heim bearings versus the more expensive alternatives which have individual arms and heavier hardware.

The new SmartProducts rear sway bar also appears to mount to the spring plate. Not sure about its robustness, but it looks very nice in regards to their individual arms, hardware and drop link geometry.

Sherwood Lee
'69 911 w/WM rear bar
http:members.rennlist.org/911pcars