rear sway bar drop link question

[Casket]

I'm about to put M471 sway bars on my 1987 924S, which has factory mounts for a rear sway bar, but no rear sway bar installed.

My question is this: For a street car, will the spherical rod end drop links (from Paragon, etc.) hold together? Or are the rubber bushed stock drop links preferred for the street.

I've used spherical rod ends on street car sway bars before and wasn't impressed with their longevity. However, the stock drop links are relatively expensive (even used).

What do y'all think?

Thanks!

Gary

[flash968]

all of the ones i've seen out there rattle after a while. the ones on paragon's site are KLA. i blew through 2 sets of those in about 20k miles. the rattle made me nuts.

i am testing a set i put together, but i don't have enough time on them yet to know if they will hold up.

[Casket]

I figured. That's been my experience with them on other cars too. Guess I'll just spring for the stock drop links.

[9FF]

I found that if you go solid at the drop links, stay with rubber or poly in the middle. You need some "give" on the sway bar bushes on a road car. Same goes for the front.

[Rasta Monsta]

I have KLA on my 931 and race car. No problems whatsoever, and the price is right.

[flash968]

they "function" fine, but rattle after a short period. the bearings are low quality. even when they are rattling though, they are still functioning. i sent back a set. they replaced it. the second set did the same thing. even when they are new, you can feel the play in the bearing.

but, that's why they are "affordable". you get what you pay for. as i said, i am trying out a set right now that have much better bearings in them. more than twice the cost though.

[SpeedyS2]

I plan to use my S2 as a DD, occasional (maybe 2-3 DE's a year) track car. Thinking about the Lindsey Racing 968 front/rear sways to reduce some roll.

Opinions on the LR rear drop links, or KLA, or stick with stock? I don't plan on doing anything to the suspension other than pretty much replicating the M030.

Thanks for any/all advice.

[flash968]

i think i would stay rubber on the drop links.

the LR m030 clone bars are nice. i have them on the white car, which is why i am selling the original bars from it. they are certainly better than what H&R is now providing to Porsche for the front M030 bar, which is now solid and not tubular, and a different size so the OEM bushings no longer fit, and is softer than the original M030 30mm bar.

[SpeedyS2]

^ Thank you.

[Casket]

I'm usually a huge fan of big sway bars and repetitively soft springs for street use, but my 924S has steel front control arms, so I felt constrained with respect to the front bar size. Based on my research the M471 combo (23.5mm tubular front, 14mm solid rear) were the stiffest sway bar set up the factory used on steel control arm cars. I’m planning on using urethane bushings everywhere except the rear drop links, stock springs and Bilstein HD shocks/strut inserts. If I end up with too much understeer I can always go to a larger rear bar. That’s the plan at any rate.

From what I’ve read, the big 30mm M030 front bar is probably only a smart idea with the later aluminum control arms, or aftermarket lower control arms.

[Rasta Monsta]

What is it about the steel arms you feel is a constraint?

[Casket]

I've read about the steel control arms failing, when used with the really big front sway bars.

...That would be a really bad day.

[Rasta Monsta]

Horsepucky. Got a link?

[flash968]

i have heard that, and while i've seen control arms fail on other cars due to large swaybars, i have a had time imagining that any of these would cause that. maybe the mounting point is just very weak, and that is what is failing?

[Casket]

Well, in any event, ...I'm not going to try it with my car.

[aradsinc]

Hi Guys
Question
How do you install the articulated bolt into the rear arm?
Do you hammer it in or what?
Thanks

[flash968]

if by articulated you mean the eccentric bolt, no. you loosen up the others holding the 2 swing arms together, insert the bolt, and then go about the ride height and camber setting.

if you hammer it in, you will gall it and then never be able to get your alignment right.