I was curious if there's a SAFE and effective way to narrow an aftermarket swaybar. I have a brand new Bugpack 3/4" sway bar for 2-3" narrowed beams, but since my wheels have such a negative offset 2 5/8" and I'm running dropped spindles as well as wide 5 disc brakes, I ended up having to run a 6" beam (with shock towers and no body mods BTW).
So is there any way to narrow it? I was thinking of cutting 4" out of the center and "V" the edges, MIG welding it by a series of tacks (allowing to cool in between each tack), then sliding a heavy wall steel sleeve over the joint (about 4" long) and repeat with the same welding process.
Is there a better way of doing this? Is this way safe? I am NOT autoXing this car. It's a street/strip 9 second, full weight turbo car.
Narrowed Sway Bars
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CalLookVWs
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Narrowed Sway Bars
That's what she said!Hedrock wrote:As far as the polish goes you can start with a file and just go from there. You don't need a mirror finish just enough to see how much penetration you have.
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FJCamper
- Moderator
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Springiness
Hi CalLook,
Cutting and rewelding as you suggest would seem to take the springiness out of the bar. These things have to twist and flex to work. Welds are usually brittle.
You solution suggets you are not adverse to working hard to fix it, so I suggest you check out your area for race shops that have experience in bending a custom bar for you.
FJC
Cutting and rewelding as you suggest would seem to take the springiness out of the bar. These things have to twist and flex to work. Welds are usually brittle.
You solution suggets you are not adverse to working hard to fix it, so I suggest you check out your area for race shops that have experience in bending a custom bar for you.
FJC
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CalLookVWs
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- Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:01 am
See, now I didn't even think of that. Thanks! There's a couple of drag shops and a shop that builds alot of stuff for the Nascar Truck series (chasis etc.) about 5 miles from me. I wonder if Bugpack makes their bars in house or has them made local...Maybe they could custom make/order one for me. I think it would be a cool part to sell for them since, so many people are running such narrow front ends anymore.
That's what she said!Hedrock wrote:As far as the polish goes you can start with a file and just go from there. You don't need a mirror finish just enough to see how much penetration you have.
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ToRy 70
- Posts: 1338
- Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 1:00 pm
Just curious as to how you managed to stuff a 6 inch beam up there without cutting up the fenderwells? I've got wheels with a fat outside spacing, and they barely fit under the fenders with a 3 inch balljoint beam. I thought about going narrower, but I'm getting used to the look. It was nice to be able to use the CB 2" swaybar and bolt it right up. I thought about going narrower and welding the swaybar the same way you're thinking of... but FJ's right, a custom bar would be the best (if most expensive) option.
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CalLookVWs
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- Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:01 am
Think custom made 1/4" plate shock towers and shock extensions that let you move the shock towards the wheel....it took me about a full day to measure everything out. I made a template out of 10G steel sheetmetal, mocked everything up and then copied everything onto 1/4" plate. I could fit up to an 8" beam under the car with towers...but 8" is waaaay too much for me. With stock spindles and brakes, I've got about 1 1/2" from the 135 tire to the inside of the fender lip. I will be going with a CB wide 5 dropped spindle disc brake kit soon. I just want to tuck the tire about 1/2" up into the fender and not rub anything, without the "hoodride look"
That's what she said!Hedrock wrote:As far as the polish goes you can start with a file and just go from there. You don't need a mirror finish just enough to see how much penetration you have.
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CalLookVWs
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- Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:01 am
I hope to be the only one running them, so I'm keeping it on the SH-
raygreenwood
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- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am
You can make a narrower sway bar by doing what I call "stubbing" it.
To do this, cut it dead center. Cut slowly without heat build-up. The best way is with a water cooled vertical band saw. Any metal shop should be able to do it in about 2 minutes for about $10.
Have them trim each segment to what you need to make the total length...minus about 2-3 inches from each side.
Then, deburr the ends, polish them smooth. Then take either a piece of round bar stock or square section of bar stock....of something reasonably stiff. Tool steel or chromolly alloy about 6" long.
Bore a hole in each end, not all the way through. Make the hole only a couple of thousandths larger than the sway bar ends.
Before you mount the bars...you need to carefully lay them out so they are in and equal position and market two spots about an inch apart on each sway bar.
This is the hardest part: on these four spots you can either drill all the way through...which is quite difficult with spring steel.....or you can grind flat spots of about 1/4 the bar diameter.
The stubs go into each end of the block. Then two holes are drilled in each end of the block for locking bolts that are at lest 3/4 of the diameter of tha bar...to be tightened against the flat spots on each bar end...locking them into place. You will need to use at bare minimum, grade 10.9 course thread with locknuts.
Or...if you drilled all the way through.....and this is only good on larger diameter bars....you can screw all the way through the sway bar into the other side of the holding block. Use 10.9 grade or better bolts ....that are at about 10mm in diameter. Smaller bars than say 19mm....this would not be good for as the bar will not have enough meat.
One thing. The more you cut out of the sway bar in length...the less twisting force it produces. That will have to be taken into account.
So if the center section of a 17mm bar was say 40"...and you removed 10" of it...you may need to go to a 19mm bar to accountfor the loss.
I have no way to calculate for that.
I have done this twice long ago on the rear of a 412.....before I moved onto something else. It will work well if you are diligent in your construction techniques.
. Ray
To do this, cut it dead center. Cut slowly without heat build-up. The best way is with a water cooled vertical band saw. Any metal shop should be able to do it in about 2 minutes for about $10.
Have them trim each segment to what you need to make the total length...minus about 2-3 inches from each side.
Then, deburr the ends, polish them smooth. Then take either a piece of round bar stock or square section of bar stock....of something reasonably stiff. Tool steel or chromolly alloy about 6" long.
Bore a hole in each end, not all the way through. Make the hole only a couple of thousandths larger than the sway bar ends.
Before you mount the bars...you need to carefully lay them out so they are in and equal position and market two spots about an inch apart on each sway bar.
This is the hardest part: on these four spots you can either drill all the way through...which is quite difficult with spring steel.....or you can grind flat spots of about 1/4 the bar diameter.
The stubs go into each end of the block. Then two holes are drilled in each end of the block for locking bolts that are at lest 3/4 of the diameter of tha bar...to be tightened against the flat spots on each bar end...locking them into place. You will need to use at bare minimum, grade 10.9 course thread with locknuts.
Or...if you drilled all the way through.....and this is only good on larger diameter bars....you can screw all the way through the sway bar into the other side of the holding block. Use 10.9 grade or better bolts ....that are at about 10mm in diameter. Smaller bars than say 19mm....this would not be good for as the bar will not have enough meat.
One thing. The more you cut out of the sway bar in length...the less twisting force it produces. That will have to be taken into account.
So if the center section of a 17mm bar was say 40"...and you removed 10" of it...you may need to go to a 19mm bar to accountfor the loss.
I have no way to calculate for that.
I have done this twice long ago on the rear of a 412.....before I moved onto something else. It will work well if you are diligent in your construction techniques.
. Ray
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CalLookVWs
- Posts: 778
- Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:01 am
Thanks Ray. I was starting to think of something similar to this. I will probably do this, as I'm not going through the twisties or anything. It's just a 9 second street car. I have a 3/4" - 19mm sway bar right now. I'll get started on this in a few months, as I have the body off the pan for welding and body work right now, and the beam is completely apart awaiting new bushings and paint.
-Shaggy
-Shaggy
That's what she said!Hedrock wrote:As far as the polish goes you can start with a file and just go from there. You don't need a mirror finish just enough to see how much penetration you have.