FruiTay

I installed some sway bars a while back and since then have learned that there should be no load on the suspension when doing so. I used jacks so I'm fairly certain I did this incorrectly.

I understand now that I should be in the driver seat - or some kind of weight consistent with mine - and there should be no load on the suspension, as if the car was sitting naturally.

How would an incorrect install effect the function of the sway bars?

I'll get back under there and do it again, insuring it's correct, I'm just curious what the consequence is.

Thanks for any info!

fatbillybob

Maybe you have issue maybe not. If you have stock sways with stock fixed endlinks then no problem because you limited by endlinks. If you got adjustable links then yes you have problem if you choose to corner weight the car and desire the suspension to be all it can be. In theory you want your weight in the car and 1/2 your fuel load for your race.. then corner balance car with correct air pressure and one end of sway bar disconnected. Then once scaled you adjust the loose end link to passively be connected back at this new scaled position with wheels flat on floor or on the alignment platform. The reason is because you do not want to introduce wheel rate from the swaybar spring rate. You want the wheel rate to come from the spring only and the sway to impart its rate in transition.

Bill32

Exactly what BillyBob said.

If you were on the scales, didn't have the driver weight in and tightened the links, you've just loaded up the sway bar. And that will mess up your corner weights.

FruiTay

Thanks guys! I should be ok then. I have stock sways (c6 Z51 front and c6 Z06 rear) I have not done any kind of corner weights. Thanks for the instructions! I have some GM T-1s I'd like to get in sometime. Now I can do those correctly!

dhowdy

As long as you have adjustable end links, which I didn't see mentioned.

FruiTay

Understood! The process is for adjustable end links. Thank you very much!