Soewhere, sometime in the past I read of others ideas on how to reinforce under the rear seats of a 544 for an IPD sway bar. I'll tell you what doesn't work. A scotch brite pad with 1/2 inch of fiberglass resin poured on top. I found pieces of the PO's "reinforcing" all cracked and in pieces under the seat and some nice big cracks through the steel.

Thanks for any help with this one


--
Bob W.
14 Volvos ('62-'91) and counting
544-122-240-740

Bob;

Yep, that looks about typical for an anti-sway bar installed without a plate kit to reinforce the area.

Live and learn...

If you got a kit in the last 3 or so years and it came without the floor pan reinforcement plates (and hardware), let me know and I'll send the missing pieces out asap, no charge.

Thanks,

Cameron
ipd

Cameron

Is IPD going to be producing and 544 sway barnsets this year?

For slow selling bar kits, there's a minimum 'batch' of 10. Same deal for the 700 series with IRS - we have to get 10 kits pre-sold before we can make up a batch (then we make 15 or 20 kits so we have a few left over). Right now there are no names on the list (in fact, there's no list at this time).

There are two kits on the shelf, though.

Thanks,

Cameron
Rose City

instead of the scotchbrite pad.

My rear pans weren't even rusted much (a rare condition around floor level on my poor old car) but the driver's side ripped out within a week. To repair I got some sturdy shallow channel iron stock. I cut and trimmed to go diagonally over the ripped out hole and paralell to the body crease under there. The ends went from the rear axle hump to the seat support beam in the front. I MIG welded it along the entire perimeter, then re-drilled the hole in the proper spot. Did it in both sides and it's held for 2 years so far, can't imagine it would ever need to be stronger. You could probably suspend the car on those braces.

Then, just last month one of the front swaybar mounts started to tear free from from the front spar. Some iron stock and plenty of MIG welding later it's all back together and solid. Sometimes I think I'd be better off just starting over with a solid bodyshell, although keeping this one in one piece is good welding practice...

I've got a 4"X4"X1/4" aluminum plate on both sides of the floor with some stick-on asphalt sound insulation between the floor and each plate. there's a 1/4" bolt in each corner.
I used a 1" 82 degree countersink to make nice pockets for the rubber link bushings.

10 years and counting.

I haven't installed any of my sway bars yet but I can tell you
that there will be a REAL steel plate on both sides of the sheet metal
probably 1/8" thick and about 4" square or bigger when I do.
I believe in sturdy. That's why I play with Volvos and not Renaults or
rice burners.
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

ipd will still sell you the bits. I just bought them for my 142.

or just make a ~6" x6" plate with a hole in the middle.