Need help from handling/suspension gurus...

[devinsixtyseven]

I want to mount the rear swaybar on the TOP of my rear axle. Normally they're mounted UNDER the rear axle.

Will this be a problem, from a handling perspective? Will it change over/understeer? How will it be different from the "stock" position under the axle?

I want to mount the bar, I also want it out of the rocks. There is plenty of room for the shock mounts, brake lines, etc. with the bar mounted on top, and the mounting brackets will be much sturdier than what's supplied by Hellwig.

Thanks very much,
Sean

 

[ntsqd]

The only thing that effects how a sway-bar behaves is it's length, the effective length of it's levers, and it's diameter. Where it is mounted does not matter in this regard.

How the vehicle reacts to the sway-bar b4/after the move is dependent on the leverages remaining the same. If you move an attachment point fore/aft you will have an effect on the leverage.

Can mount it to the frame and the links off the levers to the axle, or can mount it to the axle and the links off the levers to the frame. Same with high or low.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

X2 above post is entirely correct.. Does not matter where it is mounted to the axle, largely depends on mounting the bar with the same factors if these are the characteristics you want to preserve. You might also experiment with removing the sway bar entirely which sometimes works..

 

[devinsixtyseven]

Excellent, thanks guys. A buddy in Dayton who builds door cars mentioned the same things, he's always run his over the axle, and even uses them to preload and fine tune body roll to straighten out the launch on ~1000hp hot rods.

I have never run the rear swaybar, but I want to run it with disconnects...it'll be safer on the road and I can let it loose for the trail. Same with the IFS front, tho it needs a better solution than the bushings at the top of the linkage...my old links are completely bent out of shape.

The arms on the bar don't stick forward very far, I don't think it'll get in the way except on really hard trails, and for that I can always just take it off. My truck's a DD, and I've been looking forward to mounting this swaybar for...oh, years now ...it's been sitting in the garage for the longest time.

 

[Photog]

When you move the bar up (over the axle), you will need to shorten the links. If you don't, the angle of the bar, relative to the axle & frame, will change. This will change the leverage of the arms. Try to keep the arms level with the frame (truck in resting position), for maximum effect.

If your truck is lifted, you may be able to use the stock links, depending on the amount of lift, and the change in height of the (anti) sway bar.