Adjusting corner balance with your sway bars

#1

My front sway bar has a habit of shifting to the passenger’s side by about a half inch. That creates a 1" assymmetry. One sway bar mount is now at the bend and the other is an inch from the bend. This also impacts how vertical the sway bar links are.

What do you think is causing this, other then turning right a lot?

Should I care? Maybe sway bar controls relative wheel movement, not movement relative to the car. So maybe shifting relative to the car doesn’t matter.

If I need to care, how do I keep it from moving? Maybe just put some hose clamps on it next to the mounts so it can’t shift?

I acknowledge that the title of this thread implied that I was screwing with the swaybar intentionally. I figured that the idea that Gress was embarked on one more idiotic experiment would bring more eyes to the issue.

#2

Ranger wrote:

[quote]My front sway bar has a habit of shifting to the passenger’s side by about a half inch. That creates a 1" assymmetry. One sway bar mount is now at the bend and the other is an inch from the bend. This also impacts how vertical the sway bar links are.

What do you think is causing this, other then turning right a lot?

Should I care? Maybe sway bar controls relative wheel movement, not movement relative to the car. So maybe shifting relative to the car doesn’t matter.

If I need to care, how do I keep it from moving? Maybe just put some hose clamps on it next to the mounts so it can’t shift?

I acknowledge that the title of this thread implied that I was screwing with the swaybar intentionally. I figured that the idea that Gress was embarked on one more idiotic experiment would bring more eyes to the issue.[/quote]

Are you sure that nothing is bent. If so then I would go to Lowes get a large washer
(preferably Maytag,lol)cut it in half and tack it to the swaybar just inside of both mounts. Some makes of cars come like that from the factory.

#3

Scott,

I wouldn’t think it would matter - as you know, if you disconnect a sway, it renders it useless, and UUC has a sway bar for the E36 with 2 holes on each side, allowing for 3 different settings (both outer, both inner, one outer and one inner). So it is an asymmetrical device.

Also, with all the focus on sways recently, I would seriously pause before I took Karl’s advice. Welding on the bar I’m sure would be considered a modification.

#4

Ranger wrote:

[quote]If I need to care, how do I keep it from moving? Maybe just put some hose clamps on it next to the mounts so it can’t shift?
[/quote]

I have a miata which the rear bar would slide about an 3/4" side to side. I wrapped some rubber around the bar next to the bushings and secure the rubber with a hose clamp to keep the bar from sliding.

As to if you should care, it’s a matter of personal taste. If you let the bar slide, then it will act as a ‘progressive’ swaybar (much like a progressive springs).

The only place you might notice is where there is a hard quick side to side transition.

#5

Thanks guys. I ended up using a piece of rubber fastened on by a hose clamp such that the sway bar won’t be able to slide toward the driver’s side. The rubber under the hose clamp will prevent the sway bar bushing from being abraded by the hose clamp.

#6

Mine does that to. I slid it back to where it is supposed to be, lowered the car off the lift and quit thinking about it. :S

#7

[b]jblack wrote:[/
Also, with all the focus on sways recently, I would seriously pause before I took Karl’s advice. Welding on the bar I’m sure would be considered a modification.[/quote]

A modification that would have zero affect on anything other than the problem at hand. The hoseclamp trick works fine and would proof to be the same “modification”. I just wanted to suggest a little more refined solution.
Of course I don’t know what you guys are up against as far as rules are concerned.

#8

Clutchless Bastard wrote:

[quote]
A modification that would have zero affect on anything other than the problem at hand. The hoseclamp trick works fine and would proof to be the same “modification”. I just wanted to suggest a little more refined solution.
Of course I don’t know what you guys are up against as far as rules are concerned.[/quote]

It wouldn’t matter, and no one would care, but technically it’s not legal. That’s all they were saying.

My car does the same thing and I don’t care–seems to be working.

#9

mskeen wrote:

[quote]Clutchless Bastard wrote:

[quote]
A modification that would have zero affect on anything other than the problem at hand. The hoseclamp trick works fine and would proof to be the same “modification”. I just wanted to suggest a little more refined solution.
Of course I don’t know what you guys are up against as far as rules are concerned.[/quote]

It wouldn’t matter, and no one would care, but technically it’s not legal. That’s all they were saying.

My car does the same thing and I don’t care–seems to be working.[/quote]

SpeedTV reporter chick: “So Mr. Gress…”

Scott: “Pls, call me Scott.”

SpeedTV reporter chick: "Er, thank you very much sir. So, ah, Scott, to what do you attribute your meteoric rise from amateur racing to Formula 1? More specifically, how did you go from last place, to complete domination of Spec E30?

Scott: “Well, SpeedTV reporter chick, it all started with a swaybar and a hose clamp. Say…that’s a terrific skirt you’re wearing. So anyways, my swaybar was slipping and…”

#10

:laugh:

#11

I gotta say, you have one of the funniest imaginations Gress. I’d like to meet you some day…

#12

No kidding. That was great.

#13

Actually, in person I can be quite tiresome. Y’know the story of the kid who was so ugly that in order to get the dog to play with him, they tied a porkchop to his neck?

To encourage folks to put up with me I usually bring beer.

#14

Ranger wrote:

Hmmm… I like Warsteiner, Blue Moon, Dos Equis, Corona and just about any Raspberry Wheat.
:silly:

Nat

#15

natblack wrote:

[quote]Ranger wrote:

Hmmm… I like Warsteiner, Blue Moon, Dos Equis, Corona and just about any Raspberry Wheat.
:silly:

Nat[/quote]

Lets link up during the Roebling IFU. Come along side at turn 7 where no one can see. Drop your window net and I’ll pass you one from the CoolShirt box.

#16

Ranger wrote:

[quote]

Lets link up during the Roebling IFU. Come along side at turn 7 where no one can see. Drop your window net and I’ll pass you one from the CoolShirt box.[/quote]

Awesome!
I knew that little cooler in the trunk would come in handy for something!
:silly:

#17

Are you two dating now?

If so - Scott - you pay her registration fee next time!

:slight_smile:

#18

One woman telling me what to do is quite enough, thank you.