I have been frustrated for some time with the front anti sway bar fluttering during low speed driving. When you hit a bump, the hollow sway bar flutters in the middle and taps the gas tank, it is very close to the tank, 1/8 of an inch at most, and this tapping sends the noise and vibration through the car...its ampliphies and sounds like a pretty severe clunk.

Well, lots of time looking around, the whole front end has been out several times, its is certainly the sway bar, and at least SirAndy is one other person who has the same problem.

Well, I had to take out the tank for another reason, and I was looking at the sway bar, and sure enough the bottom of the tank has small marks showing the sway bar hitting it.

There are loads of ways to deal with this, but I had very little space between the tank and the bar, so my original idea of a pillow block and bearing in the middle of the bar would not clear the tank...hmm

I was cleaning up the back of the barn and noticed a length of garden hose laying there...hmm

I cut a piece of hose, long enough to go end to end of the sway bar.
I cut a slice down the middle of the hose from one end to the other.
The hose inner diameter is just a bit smaller than the sway bar, so it fits tight.
I put this piece on the sway bar, put it all together..
NOISE IS GONE

This has been going on for a few years, and instead of getting used to it, I finally fixed it, and it cost nothing but a piece of hose headed for the dumpster.

Rich

good thinking ...


now, i need to find some old hose ...
Andy

had you already r&r'ed the bushings where the bar passes thru the well wheels? that's one of the projects on my winter list.

k

tarett hollow bar has slightly different mounting hardware.
the bushings are tight, but the bar is so large in dia. that it hits the bottom of the tank under load, flexing in the center ...

Andy

i see. interesting. good tip for folks going down the tarett path.

k

It has nothing to do with the outer bushings, or bearings.
BTDT...many times.

I only notice it when driving slow..straight driving, hit a small dip, or bump...
Under severe stress, the bar is twisting, and so is my brain, so I never heard it...

It was just the low speed issue that pissed me off..
Its gone now.
I also tried to keep the tank up as high as possible, after I put the garden hose on...I put chewing gum..pre-chewed on top of the inlet breather tank...kept lowering the tank till it did not touch the under side of the hood...
Ends up resting on the bar..or so close to that so I could not stop it for the final adjust ment..so I figured it must just sit there anyways.

The tank does sit on the body closest to the driver, so make sure the felt is there,,,or it will vibrate.

I am happy, no sound it good.
Now, I would like to put a few inline shutoffs in the fuel lines...what a PITA to fudge with every time...just a piss poor design..

Rich

Rich