Front Sway Bar install help
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: AR
Front Sway Bar install help
I just received my Pfadt JOC suspension and I've been getting everything installed, except I'm concerned about the way I have the front sway bar installed. Currently I have a metal line (I'm assuming it's A/C) resting on the top of the front sway bar while the suspension is loaded as such:
The first thing coming to mind is I have my end link length out of whack. Here are pictures of my two end links.
I'm thinking I need to lengthen the end links to help rotate the sway bar away from the metal line but then I'm concerned I won't have enough threads attaching the two end link pieces. But this also pushes the sway bar ends closer to the steering rod (I think that's the right component name) so that when I raise the front end via a jack and the load is taken off the front suspension the steering rod will impact the sway bar. Any ideas or thoughts concerning my issues?
The first thing coming to mind is I have my end link length out of whack. Here are pictures of my two end links.
I'm thinking I need to lengthen the end links to help rotate the sway bar away from the metal line but then I'm concerned I won't have enough threads attaching the two end link pieces. But this also pushes the sway bar ends closer to the steering rod (I think that's the right component name) so that when I raise the front end via a jack and the load is taken off the front suspension the steering rod will impact the sway bar. Any ideas or thoughts concerning my issues?
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,724
Likes: 9
Hey there. The shape of the JO bar mimics the production shape very closely, I would start by matching the endlink length to your production endlinks. After having seen several of these installs on C5's most of our users end up with very short endlink lengths. The endlinks really don't need much clearance to the tie rods since they travel along very similar paths.
If after matching the stock endlink length the sway bar still touches that line, there's a chance that at some point during your cars lifetime that the line may have been tweaked a little bit. It's an aluminum line, so very carefully by hand bend the line until you have about a 1/4 inch clearance and you should be good to go!
Let us know if you have any more questions! Looks like your install is just about wrapped up!
If after matching the stock endlink length the sway bar still touches that line, there's a chance that at some point during your cars lifetime that the line may have been tweaked a little bit. It's an aluminum line, so very carefully by hand bend the line until you have about a 1/4 inch clearance and you should be good to go!
Let us know if you have any more questions! Looks like your install is just about wrapped up!
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: The USA Rocky Mountain Area
I installed mine this week-end, and cranked the end-links ALL the way down. Here is a pic.
If the tires are in the air, the end-links will seem not right, but then the wheels are back on the ground again they should be perfect.
Slightly bend that pipe out of the way, I had a similar issue, just bend it out of the way a bit.
Did the shocks yesterday on a 4-post lift with air wrench, made that install easy.
If the tires are in the air, the end-links will seem not right, but then the wheels are back on the ground again they should be perfect.
Slightly bend that pipe out of the way, I had a similar issue, just bend it out of the way a bit.
Did the shocks yesterday on a 4-post lift with air wrench, made that install easy.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 4,812
Likes: 46
From: Taylorsville North Carolina
If you go to the AX/RR section, there are several threads on how to properly adj the links so there is no pre load on them. Basically the car needs to be sitting on the wheels on a level spot. You should be able to slide the bolt thru the lower control arm easily. If not, adj either side until so. The rears can be done without lifting, but the fronts are a little harder to get to. I set mine on my ramps so I can access the links. If you ride in your car mostly by yourself, or track mostly by yourself, you should weight the drivers seat equally to get correct. Search in the AX/RR section for more details. Let us know what you think of the bars
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: AR
The reason the end links were so long was to rotate the sway bar away from the aluminum line. Once I bent the aluminum hose out of the way, I adjusted the end links so all the preload was out of the bar which resulted in them being shortened quite a bit.
