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Swaybar upgrade done - post observations 200

A few weeks ago I upgraded the swaybars on the '93 wagon with 23mm front and 23mm rear, and new IPD sway bar and lower endlink bushings. I also put Boge Pro-Gas shocks on the back. I purchased the sway bars on ebay, expecting 23mm front and 21mm rear. I am told (here) that the 23mm rear bar must have come from a '79 242 GT.

Here are my observations -

The Brickboard current postings and archives are a goldmine of shared experience - thanks to all!

The IPD Lower endlink bushings came with a steel sleeve that was .003" i.d. smaller than the bolt on the car, so I had to drill them out. Don't bother freezing the bolts in the theory that they may shrink enough to force them through. It doesn't work ;)

I now understand - from experience - the meaning of "oversteer." (see http://www.brickboard.com/AWD/?id=162600 for an explanation.) As expected (from archived posts), there is now a tendency to oversteer because of the oversized rear sway bar. The stock sway bars on the wagon were 19mm front, 16mm rear, and I would have preferred the 23mm front, 21mm rear combination for more balanced steering. I may yet swap it out. This is now an experiment.

The DW reports that the changes make backing out of the driveway more difficult because the steering is now a little "twitchy." More reason to swap the rear bar.

Otherwise the performance is terrific. It corners great (riding on Michelins) and is a real pleasure to drive.

Charles '93 245, '91 740






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New Swaybar upgrade done - post observations [200]
posted by  cgrammer  on Wed Jul 16 15:53 CST 2003 >


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