Shimming the Sway bar

[Twisted Noodle]

Ok so I just had the tranny out in an effort to swap out the Clutch. I have read before that this was a good time to shim the sway bar. Also hose clamp a 3/8 hose on the bobble strut.

How much should the sway bar be shimmed? Are we talking inches or a fraction of an inch?

[Xtrempickup]

about 1/2 in

[Murphy]

5/8" according to gus's site

[GLHNSLHT2]

shimming it is old school and out dated and doesn't fix the problem with the design of the sway bar in itself. I can go into more detail later but what you want to do is this. http://www.pnw-sdac.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=2579

[BadAssPerformance]

+1.... I wouldnt shim a stab bar in a car that had to turn corners... dragstrip only. ...at least the way I like to corner :)

[GLHNSLHT2]

The problem is that with the factory outer bushings the sway bar binds up, that displaces the weight on one wheel more than the other. By adding heim joints and some nice inner poly bushings that allow the sway bar to rotate freely when you have weight transfer the bar doesn't bind and make one tire see less weight than the other. In a straight line and all but the very tightest high hp corners you will spin or put power to both, WITHOUT AN LSD! It's really eary in a way but also totally cool.

[inmyshadow]

A piece of rubber hose isn't going to stiffen the bobble strut.

In the past I've used a valve spring and clamped on front swaybar bushing. The valve spring crushed the bobble strut.



Also hose clamp a 3/8 hose on the bobble strut

[Twisted Noodle]

Yeah I have "squashed" that idea. I took a 1 1/2 pipe and was trying to mock something up.

[GLHNSLHT2]

http://www.pnw-sdac.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=984 Less than $10 to make.

[turboshad]

Yeah I have "squashed" that idea. I took a 1 1/2 pipe and was trying to mock something up.

A guy on neons.org threaded in a grease zerk fitting to the bottom of the bobble strut cylinder and then filled it with grease. He said it worked like a charm and I think it's an awsome easy cheap idea. Right up TD alley :eyebrows:

http://forums.neons.org/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=325623&hilit=bobble+strut+grease

[GLHNSLHT2]

will it eventually blow out the seals?

[Johnny]

You know I have bobble struts. If you can't afford one, once in a while I have a "blem". They sell for a lot less. Contact me and I'll let you know if I have any.
http://polybushings.com/images/ajust-strut.jpg

[turboshad]

will it eventually blow out the seals?

Who knows. All it cost to try is about 50 cents and a dime a dozen bobble strut. I made my own solid strut so I have never tried this.

[Vigo]

A guy on neons.org threaded in a grease zerk fitting to the bottom of the bobble strut cylinder and then filled it with grease. He said it worked like a charm and I think it's an awsome easy cheap idea. Right up TD alley


hey look, im in that thread :p

I tried it. Worked great except that my grease fittings wouldnt close up (probably too much dirt and cheap fittings) so it all leaked out after a drive.

BUT, if my fittings had not leaked, i would call it a $3 success story and i still recommend anyone try it with a worn out bobble strut. It definitely worked before the grease got pushed back out on mine.

[TheCanadian007]

Dumb question here, but what exactly does one do to 'shim the sway bar'?

[GLHNSLHT2]

you place a block between the a-arm and the bushing. Supposedly this puts more weight on one side than the other. http://www.gusmahon.org/html/tech%20diagrams.htm at the bottom. But that doesn't cure the problem with the sway bar function. It needs to move freely in it's path of rotation. What happens is when you launch the car twists, lifts a wheel off the ground more than the other. While it does that the sway bar bushings bind the sway bar up and don't allow the suspension to move. So now one tires is lighter than the other and it spins.

By using heim joints and a good set of poly bushings that don't bind the sway bar up as the suspension unloads the springs are able to push the a-arms down so that both tires keep the same traction. This get's them both to spin if they spin at all. Straight line and all but the most tightest corners where you do something dumb and floor it to 20psi this is the way to go. I probably will never buy a LSD with this mod. The tires just stick too much to make one a worthwhile option for me.