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Front sway bar to strut


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Bmw E30 M3 went sway bar to strut from normal E30 sway bar to control arm for more efficient leverage, M3 uses lighter and thinner front sway bar.

 

Anyone weld tab to strut? I made quick look and it sure does doable to early S30

Edited by manninen
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I guess it's much easier to get a hold of bmw parts than it is to have aftermarket Datsun parts shipped over to you.  Yes you can weld on to the strut, the only thing that might possibly be a problem is you'll have a lot more pressure on the ball joint than you would normally.

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Parts source isn´t the issue here, i think. You can use any car parts here, if they fit.

I´ve noticed that here in Finland car guys are more creative and everything don´t have to be bolt-on.😜

 

I wouldn´t stress about forces to the ball joint or things like that. Especially if you use ligther sway bar. 

Attaching pickup point to the strut would cause much more stiffer sway bar. It´s all about suspension arm motion ratio.

Same effect for the springs here-> https://www.hypercoils.com/spring-rate-calculator/

 

 

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Just measured i need 190mm swaybar link, i know MOT guys might not like cutted and welded link but its 10min job to attach sway bar to factory points for MOT.

 

im doing this mod

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E30-E36-sway-bar-strut-mount-weld-brackets/253877569934?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

 

img-7285_orig.jpg

But again i have to criticise these parts, look how much you lose to leverage. you can only get softer with these parts

 

 

But for the effectiveness to leverage to bmw it´s about +2mm (18mm bar acts as 20mm bar) but cause 240z sway bar mount is closer to lower ball joint im guessing +1mm for effectiveness

 

 

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Quick google to 190mm sway bar link says crown vic link might fit, thats not cheap find in Finland

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165mm-210mm-Ball-Joint-Adjustable-Roll-Sway-Bar-End-Link-For-Lexus-Toyota-Nissan/264294647769?hash=item3d893047d9:g:Fd4AAOSwGhFcvW8f

These are easiest. But citroen parts are 5€ each, just need to cut and weld

Edited by manninen
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On 1/19/2020 at 2:01 AM, manninen said:

Just measured i need 190mm swaybar link, i know MOT guys might not like cutted and welded link but its 10min job to attach sway bar to factory points for MOT.

 

im doing this mod

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E30-E36-sway-bar-strut-mount-weld-brackets/253877569934?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

 

img-7285_orig.jpg

But again i have to criticise these parts, look how much you lose to leverage. you can only get softer with these parts

 

 

But for the effectiveness to leverage to bmw it´s about +2mm (18mm bar acts as 20mm bar) but cause 240z sway bar mount is closer to lower ball joint im guessing +1mm for effectiveness

 

 

sk8853_1.jpg

Quick google to 190mm sway bar link says crown vic link might fit, thats not cheap find in Finland

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165mm-210mm-Ball-Joint-Adjustable-Roll-Sway-Bar-End-Link-For-Lexus-Toyota-Nissan/264294647769?hash=item3d893047d9:g:Fd4AAOSwGhFcvW8f

These are easiest. But citroen parts are 5€ each, just need to cut and weld

 

 

Paralysis by analysis. Is this leverage a real problem? Seems like there are plenty of well sorted, fast Z's out there overcoming this issue. But then again, this is hybridz, blaze your own path.  

 

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With euro struts links would be longer, my car is us model. 

Sway bar tabs are hard/impossible with coil over threads. 

Twisted46: weight reduction mostly, id liked to know 18, 20 and 1" weights

 

edit: 18mm front swaybar weight 2.5kg

 

realized another thing what i can do, more later

Edited by manninen
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f9CSzMt.jpg

18mm sway bar 2.5kg

 

TEaBmZg.jpg

20mm sway bar 3kg, lighter than i thought

 

thing is those tabs on strut forward link mounting point 25-30mm, link has some angle if its gonna be hooked straight to stock sway bar.

 

So... to get that angle straight here is shortened 18mm sway bar.

 

z4Y9N7Q.jpg

Edited by manninen
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As grannyknot said, what about the ball joints? At a quick glance to me it seems that the sway bar will exert an upward thrust load on the ball joint as well as the usual downward thrust, a load the ball joint is not designed for. It's all very well being creative but in my experience any mod like this has to be thought through and the benefits weighed against the negatives. If sway bar  operation is unsatisfactory then eg look at using a three piece bar running on solid bearings to give a much more progressive response.

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Lower ball joint and sway bar links is stressed at stock mounting and only sway bar links are stressed on strut mounting. 

And everybody knows factory links last life time but are cushy without PU bushings, ball joint links are more rigid but wont last long. 

Sway bar mounting points on frame rails stress as stock 18mm

 

WJjUi5l.jpg

Choose your path

Edited by manninen
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Ookkay... mod is done and what i´ve notice this link angle that turning wheel binds sway bar a little. Turning wheels right, right side tyre goes slightly up and left side goes slightly down (sway bar movement such as you´re cornering left)  not 100% happy about it but glad it´s not other way around.

But i don´t know what it does to steering, driving over bump it might give some steering input, dont know it yet. 

When putting car first time sideways i know if i have to put it back to stock or trying that shortened 18mm bar with better link angles

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I applaud you trying something different. I wonder how that will act in a long sweeping turn. Holding steering input and having roll. I would imagine it will pull on the strut and have some steering input. But I have no real world experience. 

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Cut holes through the engine bay rails, weld in a length of tubing and run a solid bar thru like they did in back in the day. The diameter of the bar and the length away from the bar to the attachment point would give you a wide range of adjustment while cleaning up the clutter.

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