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Swaybars |
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The plan is to use a
NASCAR type straight bar with splined ends on the front.
The rear would be a custom
bent 3/4" steel bar using adjustable end links
that slide along the bar to adjust the stiffness. The
3-D model is to the right, pretty typical, its nothing
special.
The steel arms were purchased on
eBay for a whopping 5 dollars.
Parts list. |
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| 28 Feb
Frame Prep Front
1 5/8"holes are cut in the
main tubes for the 1 1/2" cross tube. Be sure to leave enough
space between the tubes to get the mig nozzle in
to weld the tube, On the roadster, there is about 5
inches between the oil pan and the 4" cross member.
The sway bar cross tube is 3.125 inches back, so there
should be plenty of space. |
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| 21 Mar 2010 |
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The five
dollar arms are too short, so we had to lengthen them a
little. I notched the pieces and later beveled them before
welding the pieces together. After welding the welded area was heated red hot
and allowed to cool slowly to hopefully remove any hard
spots. |
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Speedway
Engineering 1 x 33" 48 spline sway bar. 32" would work
too, just need a shorter cross tube. |
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| I wanted metal shaft
collars 3/4" wide that were the same outside diameter -
1 1/2" as the cross tube, but no one carried them. I
ended up making a set. The shaft collars hold the bar in
place so the arms can be installed and prevent side to
side movement, they also hold the arms out the proper
distance. |
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| Completed installation,
all that is left is to obtain the proper length bolts
and finishing. I did not want the sway bar arms to
hang down very far below the 4" tubes at full droop. The
shock spring hat clears the sway bar bracket by about
1/4" inch. |
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| 18 Apr 2010 Rear Bar |
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| I used a
3/16" diameter rod from Lowes as the pattern to bend the
thicker 3/4" bar into the proper shape. It had to be
heated to make some of the tighter bends. There are not many ways to mount a sway bar
on the 3-link, I considered mounting it at the top in
the frame, but it would interfere with the planned
battery box or the upper 3-link arm.
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| 3 inch muffler clamps
were used to mount the bar to the axle temporarily. The pan hard bar is turned to the fully
shortened position so the axle is all the way to the left,
and the clearances checked between the 3 link frame and
sway bar mounts. |
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| With the bar mounted the
suspension is run its full range of travel to ensue the
bar did not interfere with anything. |
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| The axle brackets have
been tack welded in place.
At ride height, the arms
of the bar should be approximately parallel
to the ground |
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| The aluminum
bits were polished a little and coated with Everbrite.
The axle brackets will be fully welded when the axle is
removed for paint. |
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