Project Trackday

Stock vs. RB Tubular Front Sway Bar

Finally got in the new sway bars in the mail today and got them onto the car.  The stock front bar is 19mm in diameter, whereas the new front bar is a 28.575mm tubular bar.  I drove the car up on ramps to install the car so I wouldn’t have to pre-load the corners when torquing the bolts to spec.

Comparison of front bar thickness

First thing to do is to remove the old bar from the end links (14mm socket and wrench):

Endlink, 14mm bolt and 14mm wrench required

Then with the bar disconnected from the endlinks the mounting brackets need to be removed (12mm socket):

Front sway bar mounting bracket, 12mm

Then carefully maneuver the bar out.  With the A/C pipes in the way I found the only way to get the bar out was out the passenger side.  Maneuvering the new bar in was also a bit tricky, but I found it easiest to start by feeding the bar through the driver side.  The bushings were lubed using the provided grease from Racing Beat and then the bar was bolted onto the frame to hold it in place (but not tightened to spec).

New front bar in place, not yet torqued to spec

Then with the bar in place, attach the endlinks to the bar:

Reattached the endlink to the new bar

With everything in place, torque the mounting bracket bolts to spec, then the endlinks.  With that done the front bar install is complete!  Next to the rear bar…  The same process follows, start with disconnecting the endlinks from the sway bar (14mm socket + wrench):

Rear end link detatched from old bar

Then remove the mounting brackets to remove the bar from the car (14mm socket):

Rear mounting bracket bolts are 14mm, not the 12mm bolts used in the front

The stock 12mm rear bar was in bad shape...

Comparison of stock 12mm bar and RB 15.875mm bar

Installation is the same process as the front.  Mounting bracket first, then endlinks.

Rear bar installed, set on soft setting for now...

I will get a chance to test out the new sway bar setup this weekend at the IndySCCA Test’n'Tune at Grissom Aeroplex.  I will have more comments on the effectiveness of the bars once I get to test them out…  I need to get a good setup ready for the upcoming trackday at Putnam Park on 5/8/10.

The damage for these parts?  $250, putting the season total up to $685.  I’m going to need to sell off some extra parts to make sure I make the season budget limit of $1000…