So I took apart my rear swaybar to see if i could examine if there was any negative binding in my endlinks. Something ive kinda ignored for a while, but because of my poor performance last weekend autoxing, i got on my *** to check out. I ended up finishing to ground off the outer diameter of the endlink which was rubing the bolt that held the bracket to the control arm, and checked there was enough clearance and everything was clear to move. i reinstalled the bar and then i noticed something about the design of the bar. basically, because of the angle the endlink attaches from the outer hole of the sway bar to the control arm is so acute to horizontal plane, that the sway bar is not being pushed up at all until the control arm actually collides with the bar, which then effectively reduces the torque length and makes the swaybar stiffer than should be.



this may explain why i have so much oversteer, it may not. ill have to see next week at the next autox session, since there are always other factors. but, im puzzled as to WHY my frickin sway bar is designed like this with the endlink free to rotate. which then i was thinking, maybe i shouldnt have ground off the endlink so that it remained bound and restricted so that it couldnt freely rotate, and then fix the distance between the control arm and swaybar arm. but that doesnt make sense to me. anyway, ive got the stock rear sway bar back on, and ill see if id rather have less rear sway than more is better for me.

i actually dont know the exact origin of my rear sway. i got it used and i tihnk the seller said it was a jackson racing bar, which if so, was probably not made by JR, it looks like what ive seen suspension technique bars are, except it only has 2 holes for setting the stiffness (if it worked), and is 23mm. arent ST bars 22? actually, can i get a pic of an rear ST bar installed on a CRX as well?

funny thing tho, it feels fine on the track at speed. although when i had 900 rear springs, i did have problems keeping the rear in place at times... which may have led to this... :click:



Modified by Tyson at 2:17 AM 9/25/2003

 

fix the endlink so it is verticle before you make any major changes. my rear bar had the endlinks angled (but to a much smaller degree then yours) and the car gave me all sorts of weird handling. basically, depending on the amount of compression of the rear suspension the swaybar stiffness would change. in droop the bar got stiffer, in compression it got softer. it only got softer up to a point though. beyond that the endlink was working more in the horizontal plane and "pulling" on the bar instead of twisting. at this point the bar got infinitely stiff.

nate

 

I run a ST bar on my 89 crx si (will try to post a pic) but my end links are near vertical no binding. they do mount to the same bolt as my rear shocks. had to gring the welded nut off my Illumina It is a 22mm and has 3 holes for settings.

 

thanks for the info, a pic would be nice.

it just occured to me its possible the bar was made for a 88, which had different control arm, which may affect how it is supposed to be installed. anyway, i think i can fix the endlink so it doesnt rotate and itll work as properly.

 

A guide i made
I created that guide, but, a lot of people questioned the "tech" part of it, sayign it made no sense. Except, my experience was that it worked exactly how i mentioned. Adjustments did the same thing... I didn't just make up something in my head and never try it.

how about several pictures? (ignore the writing if you doubt what I say)

 

On my Comptech bar there is a 1" stepped bushing that fits between the endlink the the lower control arm, which in your case would move the lower part of the endlink into a more vertical position.

see step#4
http://www.comptechusa.com/instructions/ins078.pdf

Cheers,
Roy

 

thanks, im basically going to configure my endlink to match the comptech setup. jsut gotta figure out how to sleeve the endlink to the stock bolt. maybe have to get a new endlink....

 

yeah, i made a spacer to get my endlink more vertical, the same way comptech does. i just used a little bit of steel pipe and slipped it over the bolt going from the endlink to the LCA. it's about 1/2 inch long, and has held up on the street and a few auto-x's for several years.

Jeff