Sway Bar
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 843
Likes: 149
From: Iowa
Sway Bar
From past posts I have said that I was going to replace all of my bushings with Super Pro, In regards to the sway bars I have ordered a 30mm Super Pro bushing and I have the lower link bushing, For the top link bushing I have found oem repop rubber. When I assemble everything I will coat with silicone TPE grease. My concern is should I install the Bar clamps to keep the bar from moving excessive? Their will be no autocross just sport touring. My other concern is I have purchased a steering damper kit that Dave Cook tested, I will be installing after all of the bushings as I want a before and after test. My thoughts are that the damper will or could add excessive movement to the sway bar and even a greater need for the clamps. Please give me your thoughts and let me know if I am over thinking this, As I have a history of over building.
Thank You
Hawkeye56
Thank You
Hawkeye56
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,091
Likes: 1,972
From: St. Charles MO
That's a good question about the bar clamps. I'd never used them before, ever. Then I put an aftermarket bar on the front of my new Camaro and it came with limiters welded onto the bar. The difference there is that the stock bar has the center "D-bushings" bonded to the bar, so that when they are in the clamps they won't allow any lateral movement. With the aftermarket bar using poly bushings that don't restrict lateral movement, it makes sense that the limiters are there to retain OE function. On cars like ours, the OE setup has no limiters of any kind. I see adds for clamps that say if the bar moves laterally then it makes for a variable rate. This is certainly true to an extent, but I don't have a good idea how much movement really takes place or how much it affects the rates. My guess is that it's not a big deal.
That said, if the bushing kit came with bar clamps and they fit, then I'd use them. There's no reason not to: they won't hurt anything as long as there is a mm or so between them and the straps that hold the bushings in (or the bushing itself - whichever is wider). IOW, just make sure they don't create any bind.
That said, if the bushing kit came with bar clamps and they fit, then I'd use them. There's no reason not to: they won't hurt anything as long as there is a mm or so between them and the straps that hold the bushings in (or the bushing itself - whichever is wider). IOW, just make sure they don't create any bind.
