Front Sway Bar Installation

[bcheney]

I just looked at an installation documented on 914world by a member (ORANGE914) titled "front sway bar install" and have two questions. Once the bar is installed (whether it be a stock bar or a Weltmeister) how easy should it be to rotate the bar by hand via the drop links? Should the fitment be very tight inside the bushings or should you be able to rotate the bar freely without much effort at all. Next, the steps outlined in this thread don't mention anything about welding triangle inner brackets (the one's that fit inside the fender well on the wall you access via taking the fuel tank out).

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Can you just bolt up and torque or is it highly recommended that you weld? Is there a significant downside to just using the bolts and forgoing the welds if the car is only used for street and an occasional autocross?

[TheCabinetmaker]

The triangle stiffneres can be bolted inside the inner fender wall. You use two triangle shapped pieces per side of car. One goes inside the other outside with the inner fender wall sandwhiched inbetween. Three bolts will hold the two stiffeners together. This is the time trusted way of installing the sway bar. If you forgo the inner stiffenerm and simple bolt on the outer plate with the "custom" U-bolts that some kits offer, you will likely end up tearing the inner fender wall with use.

You MUST use the inner and outer stiffeners, no welding required. Gas tank must be removed for install of the inner stiffener plates (hence the tempatation to take a short cut and not install the inner stiffener plates)

also the holes must be drilled very accurately, else the swaybar can rub on the gas tank! triple check all measurements before final drilling!!!


the sway bar maybe difficult to rotate, but that is ok, so long as she dont bind up. Some bars have soft rubber bushings and they tend to be tight, some have harder plastic bushings and they can be looser. the bushigns eventually will wear and become looser.

best of luck

[bcheney]

This is what I have. There is an inner and outer plate. Just want to be sure the outer is sufficient. Let me know Cabinetmaker! Thanks so much.

[Joe Ricard]

Sway bar should rotate like butter. yet should not wiggle in any direction.
Your mounting hardware looks very nice.

[bcheney]

Well the bar does not rotate like butter. It fits extremely tight. What can I check or do to remedy?

[Notafour]

Just some thoughts. It would seem that there could be a number of issues that would affect the movement of the bar. You may have checked them already but the bar should be straight and level across the chassis (not cocked in any direction) and the bushing to bar clearance with the bar installed may need to be tweaked. If the bushing is rubber it most likely will always bind.

[bcheney]

Thanks Notafour. I see you are in Orlando. Do you have a 914 or 914/6 currently? Always cool to hear from someone local. I live in the Dr Phillips area.

[Notafour]

Have a -6 undergoing a very slow restoration. I'm in the UCF area.

[mr914]

Does anyone have a drill template or a template for the stiffener?

Getting close to putting the bar on my 6 rustoration

[TheCabinetmaker]

Originally Posted by bcheney

This is what I have. There is an inner and outer plate. Just want to be sure the outer is sufficient. Let me know Cabinetmaker! Thanks so much.

Yes, that is a correct type of re-inforcement plate for the sway bar.

[luskesq]

Mr914, see the Pelican Technical article for template of reinforcing plate: Pelican Technical Article: Installing a 914/911 Front Sway Bar

BCheney, install looks good. There was one thread that I read on the binding issue and someone suggested (I haven't tried this) partial removal of the bar and using that as a lever to allign the actual fender wall. Do the same on the other side. I guess that would work if the opposing reinforcing plates are not horizontal to each other.

Good luck,

Keith

[TheCabinetmaker]

remeber that a sway bar that dont rotate well "could" be rubbing on the gas tank. I have seen that in an installation. the fix was to re-drill and move it away from the tank. there is not a lot of rooom for error in the layout of the holes, to far back or to far up and you hit the tank. fatter sway bars have less room. thus triple check the hole layout before drilling.

[Joe Ricard]

Must fit the poly / delrin / plastic bushing to the bar. .002 grease clearance and a zirk installed wil go a long way to a happy front bar.

with regards to the tank rub, very possible if the rubber tank holder thingys are too low. But you would hear that noise.