Hey guys , rear sway bars on an LX , theres 2 types , Which is better ??? and also does any body have a forward mounted A9X front adjustable race sway bar made by K Mac , need some feed back on them , cause I about to get one ...
Cheers Johno
Sway bars in the breeze
Started by
_SSL31_
, Nov 07 2005 10:12 PM
12 replies to this topic
#3
Toranamat69
-
- Members
-
- 2,117 posts
Forum R&D Officer
- Location:Brisbane
- Joined: 07-November 05
Posted 09 November 2005 - 07:17 PM
SSL31, I have not checked out both types of rear swaybars currently available but I currently have the whiteline one on the rear.
I am actually about to remove it and replace it with something better.
I'm not particularly happy with how it mounts to both the diff housing and the body.
Since I am about to remove my tailpipes, I am going to do something along the lines of L8's rear swaybar which mounts around the other way and connects to the rear chassis rails. The whiteline rear one does at least clear the 9" centre.
Regarding the front one. I had the front mount whiteline one on there and just removed it recently. It made bugger all difference and was questionable if it was worth the 11kg weight penalty.
I would not recommend this type for 4 reasons.
1. The way the bolts mount to the body they use the bumper bar bolts and they are in shear i.e. you rely on the friction of 2 plates bolted together to take the vertical force on the swaybar. This proved to be insufficient on mine. The bolts were done up tight and you can see where they have necked down due to the mounting bracket sliding up and down.
2. The connection to the lower control arm is crud - this needs to be done via drilling and welding, not the bolt on thing you get with the whiteline one.
3. The mounting bracket if far too heavy.
4. They don't allow you to run more then about 4 1/2 inches of backspacing on your front wheels or your tires will rub on them.
I have seen swaybars on other Toranas which are essentially the same swaybar as the whiteline one - mounted out front but they have different mounting brackets which bolt to the underside of the front chassis rails where there is a pair of 3/8" UNC encapsulated nuts. This will at least make sure you have a rigid mount. I thought it was the k-mac that worked like that but someone told me recently on the forums that the k-mac is the same style as the whiteline now. (agai check how L8's front bar mounts on his website.
It would be pretty easy to use the whiteline one and make a decent set of brackets but I recon to mount the swaybar where it should be, both the splash shields need to be removed or modified.
The other end of the swaybar which connects to the lower control arms would flex like anything with the standard whiteline arrangement - If I was going to stick with standard lower control arms, I would drill clean through the 2 layers of pressed steel which make the arm, and weld a stud in there and use endlinks with spherical bearings on the end which go onto that stud.
I have a 300ZX hollow one here I am going to try to fit to mine as they are lighter. It looks close but I have been a bit slack on this job.
M@
I am actually about to remove it and replace it with something better.
I'm not particularly happy with how it mounts to both the diff housing and the body.
Since I am about to remove my tailpipes, I am going to do something along the lines of L8's rear swaybar which mounts around the other way and connects to the rear chassis rails. The whiteline rear one does at least clear the 9" centre.
Regarding the front one. I had the front mount whiteline one on there and just removed it recently. It made bugger all difference and was questionable if it was worth the 11kg weight penalty.
I would not recommend this type for 4 reasons.
1. The way the bolts mount to the body they use the bumper bar bolts and they are in shear i.e. you rely on the friction of 2 plates bolted together to take the vertical force on the swaybar. This proved to be insufficient on mine. The bolts were done up tight and you can see where they have necked down due to the mounting bracket sliding up and down.
2. The connection to the lower control arm is crud - this needs to be done via drilling and welding, not the bolt on thing you get with the whiteline one.
3. The mounting bracket if far too heavy.
4. They don't allow you to run more then about 4 1/2 inches of backspacing on your front wheels or your tires will rub on them.
I have seen swaybars on other Toranas which are essentially the same swaybar as the whiteline one - mounted out front but they have different mounting brackets which bolt to the underside of the front chassis rails where there is a pair of 3/8" UNC encapsulated nuts. This will at least make sure you have a rigid mount. I thought it was the k-mac that worked like that but someone told me recently on the forums that the k-mac is the same style as the whiteline now. (agai check how L8's front bar mounts on his website.
It would be pretty easy to use the whiteline one and make a decent set of brackets but I recon to mount the swaybar where it should be, both the splash shields need to be removed or modified.
The other end of the swaybar which connects to the lower control arms would flex like anything with the standard whiteline arrangement - If I was going to stick with standard lower control arms, I would drill clean through the 2 layers of pressed steel which make the arm, and weld a stud in there and use endlinks with spherical bearings on the end which go onto that stud.
I have a 300ZX hollow one here I am going to try to fit to mine as they are lighter. It looks close but I have been a bit slack on this job.
M@
#4
_SSL31_
_SSL31_
-
- Guests
Posted 09 November 2005 - 08:14 PM
Thanks for that toranamat69
For the front sway bar I d go rear mounted but the gonzo pipes are too big , hense forward mount question , I heard along the grape vine that K mac do a street version / like whiteline ( unadjustable ) and a race version fully adjustable to suit different track setups , I saw one of these race ones on a A9X at the Gatton street sprints a couple of years back...
Rear bars , I didnt give enough info , I was refering to orginal factory bars , one version mounts to the floor pan via rods and rubbers and on to the diff with u bolts and the other version mounts side to side on the lower trailing arms ( this is the one I got on with my 9" )...
For the front sway bar I d go rear mounted but the gonzo pipes are too big , hense forward mount question , I heard along the grape vine that K mac do a street version / like whiteline ( unadjustable ) and a race version fully adjustable to suit different track setups , I saw one of these race ones on a A9X at the Gatton street sprints a couple of years back...
Rear bars , I didnt give enough info , I was refering to orginal factory bars , one version mounts to the floor pan via rods and rubbers and on to the diff with u bolts and the other version mounts side to side on the lower trailing arms ( this is the one I got on with my 9" )...
#5
Dangerous
-
- Members
-
- 948 posts
Forum Fixture
- Location:Adelaide, SA
- Joined: 14-November 05
Posted 14 November 2005 - 02:38 PM
For the rear bars, I've found the UC/Commodore style which mounts to the floorpan an to the axle tubes via rubber mounts to be far superior to the stock LH/LX trailing arm sway bar.
Toranamat - interesting comments on the front mount front sway bar. I was considering one of these, as I reckon the front mount concept is superior to the stock front sway bars, but I might wait until you have had a play with your 300ZX one.
Toranamat - interesting comments on the front mount front sway bar. I was considering one of these, as I reckon the front mount concept is superior to the stock front sway bars, but I might wait until you have had a play with your 300ZX one.
#6
_QIKSLR_
_QIKSLR_
-
- Guests
Posted 14 November 2005 - 04:51 PM
I've got the k-mac race adjustable oposite mount front and rear bars. (same as litre8s). I've trail fitted them but haven't driven with them.
The rear clears the drop tank and 9". The exhaust is going to be interesting tho. I'm hoping I can get the exhaust over the diff but I might be pushing my luck.
The front will require me to remove or make a cuttout in the splash guards and I can't run my brake duct extentions. But there is a different (probably newer/revised one) which mounts higher which clears the brake ducts (I've seen this on 2 cars, I think litre 8 is one of them). I bought mine off a guy who bought them new over 20 years ago and never fitted them.
The rear clears the drop tank and 9". The exhaust is going to be interesting tho. I'm hoping I can get the exhaust over the diff but I might be pushing my luck.
The front will require me to remove or make a cuttout in the splash guards and I can't run my brake duct extentions. But there is a different (probably newer/revised one) which mounts higher which clears the brake ducts (I've seen this on 2 cars, I think litre 8 is one of them). I bought mine off a guy who bought them new over 20 years ago and never fitted them.
#8
_redlh_
_redlh_
-
- Guests
Posted 14 November 2005 - 06:42 PM
Got any details, part numbers etc on the rear bar? I'm still looking for a bar that clears the 9".
Edited by redlh, 14 November 2005 - 06:45 PM.
#9
_QIKSLR_
_QIKSLR_
-
- Guests
Posted 14 November 2005 - 07:50 PM
I just checked the instructions that came with them, theres no part number written on it and as far as I know theres no numbers stamped on the bars. Give k-mac a call, they don't list the stuff for old cars on their site but as far as i know they still produce them.Got any details, part numbers etc on the rear bar? I'm still looking for a bar that clears the 9".
www.k-mac.com
#10
355LX
-
- Members
-
- 611 posts
Long Term Project
- Name:Dave
- Location:Perth, WA
- Car:LX hatch
- Joined: 08-November 05
Posted 14 November 2005 - 11:46 PM
I've recently bought a K-mac front adjustable bar. I'm not happy with it in the least. I have checked about 8 geniune A9X group C cars, and the ones that do have k-mac bars, are not like the unit I recieved, which I was assued was in fact exactly what they used back in the day. The quality is non-existent, and when I called K-mac with my findings, I was basically told too bad, stick it in the trading post if you dont want it now.
I still have'nt fitted it, and am undecided what to do with it. $400 badly spent as far as I'm concerned.
I still have'nt fitted it, and am undecided what to do with it. $400 badly spent as far as I'm concerned.
#11
_QIKSLR_
_QIKSLR_
-
- Guests
Posted 15 November 2005 - 08:03 AM
Spewing :(I've recently bought a K-mac front adjustable bar. I'm not happy with it in the least. I have checked about 8 geniune A9X group C cars, and the ones that do have k-mac bars, are not like the unit I recieved, which I was assued was in fact exactly what they used back in the day. The quality is non-existent, and when I called K-mac with my findings, I was basically told too bad, stick it in the trading post if you dont want it now.
I still have'nt fitted it, and am undecided what to do with it. $400 badly spent as far as I'm concerned.
I spoke to them at Summernats this year and they said the same thing - that they are the exact same as what they ran on the race cars back in the day. But like I said, they seem to have changed the design on the fronts, because I've never seen one with the same bracket as mine. (I'm certain that mine were bought new in the late 70s/early 80s)
Whats your one look like? Does the front match the pic I posted above? Or does it have a shorter bracket and longer linkage?
I hope mine is good quality. The paperwork claims that everything is drop forged and the highest grade metal blah blah. But all the bracketry appears to look flimsy (but i'm no expert on metals).
Edited by QIKSLR, 15 November 2005 - 08:04 AM.
#12
Toranamat69
-
- Members
-
- 2,117 posts
Forum R&D Officer
- Location:Brisbane
- Joined: 07-November 05
Posted 15 November 2005 - 05:49 PM
Oikslr,
That KMAC one above is different again to the ones I have seen on the genuine A9X's too. That one is still better than the Whiteline one in 4 facets though.
1. The bolts are at least used in tension, not shear so the bracket should stay put.
2. The bar curves around earlier giving more wheel clearance on full lock.
3. It is adjustable
4. The brackets to the LCA are stronger looking although I'm still not sure about these.
Still a very ordinary setup though, just best of a shite crowd.
M@
That KMAC one above is different again to the ones I have seen on the genuine A9X's too. That one is still better than the Whiteline one in 4 facets though.
1. The bolts are at least used in tension, not shear so the bracket should stay put.
2. The bar curves around earlier giving more wheel clearance on full lock.
3. It is adjustable
4. The brackets to the LCA are stronger looking although I'm still not sure about these.
Still a very ordinary setup though, just best of a shite crowd.
M@
Edited by Toranamat69, 15 November 2005 - 05:53 PM.
#13
_QIKSLR_
_QIKSLR_
-
- Guests
Posted 17 November 2005 - 11:24 AM
Cool 
Oh well I can't complain for $50! If something better comes along I'll get it.
Oh well I can't complain for $50! If something better comes along I'll get it.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users
