my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

I've never put sway bars on any car before and I just wanted to make sure I'm going in the right direction. It looks pretty much at the same angle as my stock sway bar but I dont think thats something I want to compare it to haha. I just cant feel comfortable tightening this up with the bar at such an extreme angle from the mount above it? Maybe my control arms arent adjusted correctly? It kind of looks like my axle housing needs to be about an inch towards the rear of the car. The instructions that came with the bars were for a DS safety loop so I dont even have those.... If anyone could let me know if this looks right, or if someone has a link to sphon's installation instructions for these bad boys that would help me out a bunch. Thanks!!

UMI Performance

iTrader: (77)

Based on those pictures I think the sway bar is upside down.

99zee

iTrader: (4)

That doesn't look right.

my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

Thats what I was thinking! I remember reading about someone doing that and messing up the bushings. I tried setting it next to the stock bar to judge which way is up, but they looked very different. I'll try flipping it over and see how that looks. Thanks, it's good to get a post from someone that knows a thing or two about suspension .

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I think it's upside down as well.

my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

Hmmmmmm....... I flipped it around and now it's hitting the diff. The end links look much better but now I cant get the bar high enough to get the D bushings back in.... Looks like I should have bought from UMI . I'm getting more and more worried because I bought these off ebay. They look brand new and none of the grease was open, they came in what looked to be original boxes, but I guess something could still be wrong? Dam you ebay and your amazing deals, but who could pass up $275 to your door for chrome moly front/rear?

my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

Also, I didnt tighten anything down in the pics, they were just finger tight. Maybe if I torqued them down it would squish the bushings some and it could seat itself better?

my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

OK, I'm going to try this once more before the stock bar goes back on and I sit in a corner and cry. The sway bar was on correctly in the first pictures. I should have shown a picture of where the bar is in comparison to the differential. Here are some pics from the rear of the car with the sway bar in the orientation of the first pictures I posted. The big U bend is supposed to...well look like a flattened out U and not upside down. the other picture is how the end link mounting points line up with the mounting holes, not very close...... I'm starting to think I'm making this waaaayyyy more complicated than it should be.





I'm going to put it back together this way and just see what happens when I torque everything down. It's too nice outside and I still need to wash it before I go cruisin.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I think you just got a set of bars that's not very good and worth the $275 Ebay price. I'm sorry to say that, but those seem to fit very poorly. And that's not uncommon, in fact I changed suppliers years ago over issues like that (but not nearly that bad).

I have Strano bars in stock, UMI stuff too--and frankly either is a better balanced set of bars anyway @ 35/22 vs. the 32/22 I think you got. I sell both. We use different hardware, and mine are a good bit lighter being hollow at both ends, but they cost a little more too.

my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

Another thought. I used the instruction from installuniversity and they were vauge about supporting it by the frame or the alxe. They did say they drove it up onto ramps so I assumed this was done with the suspension loaded, but the more I look at it, it almost looks like I should lower the axle, install, tighten, then raise it back up? At the same time, I dont think it really makes sense because if I tighten it down with the suspension unloaded, there will be just that much more stress on it when it is loaded....uhg

my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

Wow.. I always thought of spohn as a higher end suspension company, could it really just be a terribly made part? I would expect that from autozone, but not a reputable company...dang

Snake_Skinner

iTrader: (12)

Whats it look like when you install it with your old bushings and bolts? How big is the gap on the bushing? I think the gap is supposed to be like 3 1/2in.

jan231986

iTrader: (2)

PUt your axle on jackstands and tighten down the endlinks, done

my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

I think you got it jan231986, thats exactly what I did. I did the entire install on jack stands. After flipping it over the first time and being less successful with that I put it back the way it originally was and bolted it on. I just got back from the thrash test and it passed . In the past week I've put on my LCA's, relocation brackets, panhard rod, and now the rear sway bar and what a difference it made. I'm very happy with the performance. When the back end kicks out, as soon as the tires grip it instantly centers itself, very nice. Anything I should look for to know if this sway bar is installed incorrectly or is a defective part? Maybe weird bushing wear? Strange clunks or anything performance wise? It seemed pretty good to me just now so I'm not really worried, but if there are warning signs that my end links are going to break or something like that is going to happen, I'd like to see the problem before it becomes a bigger problem out on the road. Thanks for your help guys!

joecar

Is the car lowered...? If so then maybe the end-link sleeves appear (to me) to be a little too long.

Mguncowboy

iTrader: (2)

There is nothing wrong with the swaybar, looks like from your previous post you've tightened them up like the bar was in the first time, which is all you needed to do. No worries it's all good - bar is good and you have it installed it correctly. Enjoy the new swaybar.

my95LTwon

iTrader: (14)

Yes, the car is lowered. I'm curious if this does affect the performance of the part because I was thinking the same thing when I was putting them on. They make all sorts of relocation kits for everything else back there

A friend came by just after I posted I was going to tighten it up to see what happens and he thought it looked fine as well. I would think they would make a little bend right at the end just so it lines up a little better. But then again...what the heck do I know haha. I've driven it around a little more and put it through some more paces and it seems to be all good. I will definitely enjoy it, and it will be even nice when I get my front one on tomorrow.

Steve Gunn

Man, I'm glad you posted this. I have a 22mm solid Spohn that I couldn't make work either. I thought it was because of my 12 bolt or being lowered also. Exact same alignment issues. It's been sitting in my garage for 6 months. Now I feel like an idiot. You inspired me to try this again... On jackstands supporting the rear! Thanks!

Undertow74

iTrader: (45)

good to hear its fixed, this was my first time seeing this post, but my answer would have been to support the axle when installing. if you lift it by the frame and then try to install it you will put excess strain on the bar/bushing and can cause premature failure.

have fun with the new susp. mods!

joecar

When the car is on the suspension, if the ends of the bar are horizontal then the sleeves are ok.

If the bar angles down then the sleevs can be trimmed shorter.