Rear sway bar clamps

mitch_f1 · Postby **mitch_f1** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:09 am

Hey,
SO I have the issue of my rear sway bar moving around in the bushes. I had the same problem at the front, and fixed it buy picking up a set of T-clamps and putting them on the inside of both bushes. I would do the same at the rear, but the smallest T-clamp is 17mm, and the rear sway bar is 14mm. How do other people overcome this?

CheyneX5 · Postby **CheyneX5** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:20 am

Have a word to Lee. He just fitted a rear sway bar from whiteline. It came with 2 ring style bushes that go either end of the d-bushes. These also have a metal ring clamp to stop them from going anywhere. Shoot whiteline an email and you should be able to get some.

mitch_f1 · Postby **mitch_f1** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:26 am

So i'm a noob and it is 16mm for the rear sway bar. Also, I just called up wholesale (Whiteline distributor), and they have them for $20 each!!! Smallest t-bolt clamp that Triden make is 17-19mm

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:50 pm

It's normal for the sway bars to slide from side to side a bit. If you find them going too far to one side so they touch the coils then you could think about bending the end links in a vice so they centre properly. Adding clamps as stoppers sounds like a poor bandaid solution.

Steampunk · Postby **Steampunk** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:31 pm

There are smaller clamps, Here:
http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/mrsilicone/m.html?_nkw=clamps&_trkparms=65%253A2%257C66%253A1%257C39%253A1&rt=nc&_ipg=200&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14.l1514
Not exactly t-bolt clamps but still stronger than worm-gear.

mitch_f1 · Postby **mitch_f1** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:20 pm

Well the problem that I have is that the sway bar does not center (the left side will be like 15-20mm closer to the coils than the right side). So far as I can tell it appears to be quite a common fix, so much so that Whiteline offer clamps to fix the issue (the guy at wholesale said that they should have been included with the swaybar)? Could anyone else chime in here? Also, would there be any discernable reason for the sway bar to be able to move laterally in the bushes?

greenman · Postby **greenman** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 6:39 am

The sway bar will move if there are no locating clamps holding it in centre position.
The swaybar should have come with the clamps from new...sometimes whiteline gets it wrong and forgets these.
To centre the swaybar you may need to undo the mounts, realign it to centre, possibly regrease the bushes and then install the clamps.
Similar discussion in this thread.
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=49619

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 2:42 pm

greenman wrote:The sway bar will move if there are no locating clamps holding it in centre position.
The swaybar should have come with the clamps from new...sometimes whiteline gets it wrong and forgets these.
To centre the swaybar you may need to undo the mounts, realign it to centre, possibly regrease the bushes and then install the clamps.
Similar discussion in this thread.
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=49619

...and I disagree with all that. I've had those Whiteline sways on my car. They were not supplied with clamps. The engineering on them is pretty basic - probably part done by hand. It all depends on the angles of the flats on the two ends. If they're identical at each end and close to what they should be then the bar will not move around much, in the same way the original bar did not move around without clamps. If the guy operating the press that day made the angles at the ends a little different then the bar will tend to push to one side or the other. You need to take that into account when you fit them. e.g. if it always heads right then bend the right end link in the centre so that it pushes the bar left a little and bend the left end link so it pulls the bar left a little. It might take a couple of goes before the bar sits reliably in the centre.

If you use clamps to fight the forces of the end links then the clamps will lose and eventually break.

Steampunk · Postby **Steampunk** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 4:17 pm

mitch_f1 wrote:Also, would there be any discernable reason for the sway bar to be able to move laterally in the bushes?

manga_blue wrote:If you use clamps to fight the forces of the end links then the clamps will lose and eventually break.

I bought mine from a forumite who bought them in 2008, and they didn't come with the locking bushes.
Previous owner had a turbo NA and used to drift and the bar did not have signs of unusual wear or movement, or else I would not have bought it.

I agree with manga in that the bar should not move much, but obviously sometimes it does.

I would try, as manga suggested, doing the whole thing over again, and try to centre it making sure there is no preload on either side.

greenman · Postby **greenman** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 6:16 pm

Which part did you disagree with sorry?

greenman · Postby **greenman** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:15 am

I have used Lateral locking kits like these in the past with great success.
http://www.whiteline.com.au/swaybar_accessories.php
These are a lot more effective than the other compressed ones you mention manga.
Definitely no movement at all.... Unless they are not tightened correctly.

tuned_to_fly · Postby **tuned_to_fly** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:27 am

I had the same issue. A quick call to Whiteline themselves saw four clamps in the post for free. I didn't purchase the bar direct but they were fantastic and went out of their way to ensure I was happy.

Clamps on and no more issue.

mitch_f1 · Postby **mitch_f1** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:49 pm

Thanks for the suggestion, I might give whiteline a try tomorrow

mitch_f1 · Postby **mitch_f1** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:12 pm

Yeh, so I just called Whiteline and they were apologetic, and said I should receive some in the post tomorrow. Great bunch!!! Wish I did this for the front one as well! Would have saved me like $10 of clamps!!

mitch_f1 · Postby **mitch_f1** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:20 pm

So I spoke to soon. Whiteline are so awesome; they sent me them yesterday, and they arrived today!!!! So I went to put them on tonight, but there is only 5mm of room between subframe and swaybar (in pics above), so the ones they sent do not fit....bummer. Going to try grinding them down on the bench grinder. If they break, whatever, didn't cost me anything. Otherwise I may have to get a 17mm t-bolt clamp and pad it with some rubber so that it sits tight on the swaybar.