Author Topic: sway bar question (Read 2072 times)

tyroelite · « **on:** March 20, 2004, 01:36:19 AM »

Has anyone ever attempted to replace our puny sway bar w/ one from a 96ish Lumina? I can't tell for sure from what i've read so far.... I think I may pick one up tomorrow at the junkyard depending on its price to see what happens unless someone can confirm that it won't work on the TGP.

mfewtrail · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2004, 03:05:34 AM »

You do know about the 22mm addco sway bar that will work don't you? Just asking...if you get the Lumi bar cheap and it will work or can easily be made to work, I'd say go for it.

tyroelite · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2004, 10:19:15 PM »

yea, i do know about the addco bar. I picked up the bar from the lumina (7/8" i believe) for 13$... much better than 120$ from addco

any fabricating need to be done to make it fit or does it just bolt up?

twinturbosedan · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2004, 05:24:54 PM »

Quote from: "tyroelite"

yea, i do know about the addco bar. I picked up the bar from the lumina (7/8" i believe) for 13$... much better than 120$ from addco any fabricating need to be done to make it fit or does it just bolt up?

i thought the rear sway bar on 1.5 Gen W-bodies was completely different?

i have an Addco bar - i broke an inner hanger the 1st month it was on. it's been sitting in my garage for about 2 years now :(
joshua

tyroelite · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2004, 11:55:38 PM »

i'm not exactly sure yet, haven't had time to actually line it up. I'm HOPING i can get to it at some point this weekend but it isn't looking like i necessarily will.

Tooky · « **Reply #5 on:** March 25, 2004, 01:46:31 AM »

That stock sway bar is a TWIG! It's so small that I never noticed it, I always thought it was a brake hose or a fuel line. I still can't beleive it's actually a sway bar. Unless mine doesn't have one and that actually IS a fuel line/brake hose.. :P

tyroelite · « **Reply #6 on:** March 25, 2004, 11:17:19 AM »

Quote from: "TookyCat"

That stock sway bar is a TWIG! It's so small that I never noticed it, I always thought it was a brake hose or a fuel line. I still can't beleive it's actually a sway bar. Unless mine doesn't have one and that actually IS a fuel line/brake hose.. :P

agreeed... this one I picked up is nearly an inch thick!!! it'll be a HUGE improvement if it will fit... I have yet to attempt the fitting.. its still been a little cold so I figured I'd just wait a week or to which would be hopefully sometime this weekend. I'll let you all know when/if i get it in.

tyroelite · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2004, 10:18:41 PM »

ok, here's the report on the install.... the bar fit around the exhaust and such without any problems but it is slightly longer (wider) than the stock bar so when it went around the struts, it hit the bottom. I'm pretty sure it would have bent the struts over time if I had forced it in so I just put the stock bar back in. If someone had a pipe bender or the ambition to try and bend it by hand, it could probably be made to fit pretty well. So, anyone want to buy a bar? lol...

turby · « **Reply #8 on:** March 29, 2004, 08:30:20 AM »

Can't you cut the ends off to make it the same length?

tyroelite · « **Reply #9 on:** March 29, 2004, 09:33:16 AM »

hmmm, no i don't think so. The bend on the ends that curves towards the front of the car is too far to the side. It hits the bottom of the strut. It would have to be bent I think. Then maybe cut.

Jeff M · « **Reply #10 on:** March 29, 2004, 02:44:14 PM »

Quote from: "tyroelite"

hmmm, no i don't think so. The bend on the ends that curves towards the front of the car is too far to the side. It hits the bottom of the strut. It would have to be bent I think. Then maybe cut.

Don't forget, when you start messing with the sway bars, you WILL change the way the car handles more than what you wanted :twisted: If the sway bar in the back is upgraded and the front left alone, your TGP will be tail happy, specially when applying the brakes during a curve, there is a balance here and you might want to check a few internet auto-cross (etc) racer sights to know enough to keep you safe, while still handling better 8) . AND, to credit my statement, I know a few large ADDCO upgrade owners that after doing the rear, found they had a very happy back end :) , Just the facts!

Jeff M

tyroelite · « **Reply #11 on:** March 29, 2004, 04:09:25 PM »

i could use a little happier tail end. I think by taking out the leaf spring in favor of coilovers, there is less structural rigidity in the back. It would be nice to have a slightly larger bar back there to tie it up a bit.

twinturbosedan · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2004, 06:05:23 PM »

Quote from: "Jeff M"

If the sway bar in the back is upgraded and the front left alone, your TGP will be tail happy, specially when applying the brakes during a curve, there is a balance here and you might want to check a few internet auto-cross (etc) racer sights to know enough to keep you safe, while still handling better 8)
Jeff M

what about upgrading the stock 30mm front sway bar for the 34mm bar found in DOHC W-bodies? would that 'balance' the suspension after upgrading the rear bar with an Addco?

i'm in the middle of trying to mount up my rear Addco bar right now,
( http://www.w-body.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14254 )
but i have a 34mm front bar in my garage waiting to go in.
thanks

Jeff M · « **Reply #13 on:** March 30, 2004, 11:35:06 PM »

Quote from: "malibuolds"

Quote from: "Jeff M"
If the sway bar in the back is upgraded and the front left alone, your TGP will be tail happy, specially when applying the brakes during a curve, there is a balance here and you might want to check a few internet auto-cross (etc) racer sights to know enough to keep you safe, while still handling better 8)
Jeff M

what about upgrading the stock 30mm front sway bar for the 34mm bar found in DOHC W-bodies? would that 'balance' the suspension after upgrading the rear bar with an Addco?

i'm in the middle of trying to mount up my rear Addco bar right now,
( http://www.w-body.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14254 )
but i have a 34mm front bar in my garage waiting to go in.
thanks

That is moving/thinking in the right direction, though I enjoy a tail happy/fish tail like the good old RWD days, can be less fun in an emergency situation. I would only guess that adding 4mm to the front would like 4mm added to the back but there are some differences it weight at each end, so not going to say for sure, but for sure, you are going to be much better, and I would REALLY like to hear a before and after for at least going from 30mm to 34mm as that is one of those ideas in the back of my head/list of want-to-do's!!

Good luck!!, oh yea, MOOG has some sweet harder rubber bushings instead of the too-soft stock ones, might need some trimming at the bottom as the bushings must not hold the bars tight!! But these are worth it and not as super hard/squeak-prone as urethane!

Jeff M

TGPilot · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2004, 09:16:21 AM »

When I put the 7/8" ADDCO bar on my TGP it handled like it was on rails!! :twisted: Especially considering the weak stock rod (more like a welding stick!

) that is on there made absolutely no difference when it was off as compared to when it was on! Taking a drive through the Rocky Mountains and smoothly driving through 35 MPH curves at near 90 MPH and I never had the rear break free with the 7/8" bar. Let alone the feeling the car would pound the shock mounts through the top after serious rolling body weight transfers with the stock bar.

Now I will say that with the 7/8" bar that the inside rear tire would get very light under hard braking in tight turns... :shock:

Author Topic: sway bar question (Read 2072 times)

TGPilot