I have a 93 S which came with no front sway.
I bought a set of ST fronts and rears, 28mm and 22mm respectively for Auto-X.

I installed them, and found that the sway bar and shift linkage are hitting eachother. I tried to unload and reload the sway, but to no avail.

In the course of a month and 1 autocross I managed to smoke 2nd gear in my GSR tranny. I replaced this tranny with an LS and in 3 days I smoked 3rd. Took the swaybar off and, minus 3rd, I've had no further issues.

I found chaff marks all over the sway bar, about .040" deep and .250" wide in 3 spots where the shift linkage was making contact.

I believe that the sway bar was not letting the gears fully engage and holding the detents in the tranny short, causing a very rapid wear.


WHY?!?!?! This sway is designed for EG/DC chassis, yet I have this problem instantly
The only explanation I have been able to conjur is that the del Sol shifter assembly sits higher in the chassis than a Civic/Teg, and the shift linkage is bent at a greater angle, which is causing the interference.

Anybody ever encounter this, and if so, how did you fix it? I want some feedback before I attack a perfectly good 28mm swaybar with an angle grider.

Thanx in advance

 

I would bet that the shift linkage does in fact sit higher. Look at the middle hump in a del Sol, and the height of the shifter. It's MUCH higher than Civics or Integras. I know the seats are shorter, but still the shifter is almost directly beside the steering wheel rather than down low like in the other cars.

I think you probably need either a factory del Sol front bar, or you need the older ST front bar that passed below the exhaust pipe (much less ground clearance, though).

 

I can't imagine why you would want a 28mm front bar on a competitively autocrossed del Sol; it's got to be impossible to put power down. I had enough trouble with a 22mm front bar and a D16 . . .

 

update: I took the front sway bar completely off and ran. I don't know how, but the car handles like magic now. Wheel hop is drastically reduced, the car is exceptionally neutral to the point of slight, controlled oversteer which is surprisingly advantageous. I am going to stick with 22mm rear and no front. I have moved up roughly 7 positions on average in my local autocrosses. Still getting beat by an R35 GTR though.

 

dang got those R35's in AK already? good job w/ your improvements

 

thanks. we've only got one R35 though, and he flew down to Oregon to buy it. First R35 in the Northwest. His car payment is more than his mortgage. I'd feel bad for him if the car wasn't so incredibly badass.