bcheney
Sep 28 2012, 04:50 AM
I just looked at an installation documented by a member (ORANGE914) titled "front sway bar install" and have two questions. Once the bar is installed (whether it be a stock bar or a Weltmeister) how easy should it be to rotate the bar by hand via the drop links? Should the fitment be very tight inside the bushings or should you be able to rotate the bar freely without much effort at all. Next, the steps outlined in this thread don't mention anything about welding triangle inner brackets (the one's that fit inside the fender well on the wall you access via taking the fuel tank out).
http://www.914world.com/specs/swaybar_install.phpCan you just bolt up and torque or is it highly recommended that you weld? Is there a significant downside to just using the bolts and forgoing the welds if the car is only used for street and an occasional autocross?
luskesq
Sep 28 2012, 09:55 AM
I have not installed mine yet but have read the site that you posted as well as others. I am not sure if there is a concensus but a number of folks recommend welding the interior brackets. In my notes I copied the following with regard to your question on binding. I did not note who authored this but saved it because it made sense to me.
"I have a little trick to make sure the bar doesn't bind:
Insert the bar until it nearly reaches the opposite side, then let it rest to see how far away from the center of the nearby bushing it is. pull on the bar to twist the chassis sheetmetal around the mount until the bar rests in alignment with the center of the other side. Repeat from the other side, so when you push the bar all the way through it moves freely inside both bushings at once. Also, I always take the trouble to weld the inner plate that has the nuts on it (I make my own), all the way around to help prevent stress cracks from forming."
It sounds like to me that he is bending one side of the inner fender well and then the other to correct the angle that the bar travels. Have fun and good luck.
Keith