gizmozoid

Howdy all,
Long time reader, first time poster.
I've been digging around for hours looking for answers to these questions, but only found some of them, so I apologize if i'm repeating anything.

I have an '86 951, all stock suspension. Just ordered a set of 968 M030 sway bars with factory bushings. I plan on doing a few track events per year. I autocross every couple months and my baby rolls like a Town car. I'm running 225x18 fronts and 285x18 rears.

Here are my questions:
What will I need to upgrade to swap out my stock bars with the new M030s?

Installation looks relatively straightforward, can I do it myself and what tools will I need other than a socket wrench? Will i need a torque wrench for the bolts?

What do the 968 castor blocks do? I've read since my wheels are over 17", I'd need them. Any recommendations? Is this for rear only?

Do I need a front bar brace since I'll be tracking the car?

What are drop links for? What are the benefits? Do I need them? Any recommendations?

Are rubber bushings ok to start with? Will delrin make that much of a difference that I should upgrade now?

Finally, since I'm still on stock shocks and springs (and they're really soft!), should I upgrade those before installing the bars?

Anything else I should know?
Thanks!

J Silverman

Personally I would upgrade shocks and sprigns before you do sway bars. Get the spring rates right then use sway bars to fine tune the balance of the chassis.

Techno Duck

The sway bars are basically a direct fit. Along with the center bushings and end bushings, you will need the larger center bushing clamps. You can find these used from basically any '87+ 944 Turbo, S2 or 968..or just buy new. Torque wrench is not required, just use common sense.

The 968 caster blocks are a nice upgrade. Odds are your factory caster blocks are worn to hell after 20 years on the road. The 968 parts have significantly less rubber in them which should give a more positive suspension action aswell as less deflection when the parts are put under load.

This picture should speak for itself..



The front bar brace is not necessary, but a good thing for anyone that tracks there car. The center drop links are sort of a weak design and cars with stiffer sway bars can break these mounts..ive even seen pictures and heard of people cracking the mouting area on the frame rails.

The only droplinks really available are for the rear of the car. Serge (a member here) was making adjustable spherical droplinks for a great price (they were cheaper than the factory rubber parts). You may want to do a search and find his contact info to see if he still has any sets left. The spherical droplinks remove rubber from the suspension (removing rubber is always a good thing) and will give the sway bar a more positive action. IE, less flex before it starts working.

Rubber bushings for the sway bars are okay to start with. You might consider going straight to delrin so you can sell the rubber bushings as new, unused parts. If you do delrin bushings, remember to leave atleast the droplink 'donuts' rubber. You need SOME flex from the rubber. Mind you, if you go with delrin, i highly recommend the sway bar braces as you will be placing more stress on the parts. But again, the delrin removes rubber from the suspension. Always a good thing!

Sway bars are a cheap way to improve the handling of the car. If your looking for a cheap way to make things 'better' its the way to go. Struts, shocks and springs can add up in cost quickly as there are many things to take into account. The sways will help, but they wont mask your tired suspension completley.

Vjgtrybno1

I am stock suspension except for the MO30 sways and 968 caster blocks and I love the difference. Use a little dishwashing liquid for lubrication if you need help getting the rubber bushings on. I have an old KLA front strut brace set, which is too flexible. Rennbay sells a nice stiff set that is easy to install.

gizmozoid

Thanks for the advice guys! I appreciate it.

I'm planning on upgrading the shocks and springs in the next few months. I figured the sway bars would at least keep my car level, and it is just a little cheaper.

Too many things to work on!

CurlyDE

I just installed these on my '86 this past week. You will definitely need the 87+ bushing clamps (as Techno mentioned). I have seen a few posts on the forums where people have snapped older center mounts (from the frame down to the center bushing clamps). I picked up a new set of those as well as the KLA brace.

I'm looking forward to getting my car back from the shop next week (having delrin bushings installed in the rear along with 30mm torsions). I went with the typical koni yellows, 400lb height adjustable fronts, 30mm rears, delrin every where possible, 30mm front sway bar, 19mm rear w/ aftermarket drop-links. I am running the early style steel arms (box welded).

J Silverman

I just installed the same setup on my 924 minus the sway bars. Youre gonna like it!

gizmozoid

Sweet! Can't wait.
Curly, where did you get the center bushing clamps?

CurlyDE

I ordered the center bushing clamps from Paragon. Here is the part # from their website PP944.343.731.02 (it is listed under front sway bar parts as the 87+ center bushing clamp). They also ordered the mounting bracket for me, although they part # is not listed on their site. If you want the part # for the mounting brackets also, I can check my receipt when I get home tonight.

N_Halbert

It is good that you ordered the new mounts. In addition you may want to get the bar end drop links and the brace. Especially since you will be using the bars as a spring since you are keeping the stock springs and torsen bars.

I went and installed the 968 M030 sway bars and with in a year broke the bar ends off and snapped off the mount at the bolt holes. I had been planning on adding braces over the winter but didn't get to it. So either replace it now or you will be replacing it later. I ended up missing a day at Tremblant when they broke.

gizmozoid

Wow. That sucks. I was planning on getting the KLA drop links from Paragon for the rear. Is that what you're suggesting? Or are you talking about the bushing clamp drop link for the front? How does installing this change the handling of the car versus attaching the bar to the frame?

Don, thanks for the part number. Which is the mounting bracket? What does the brace set do? Is that something different?

N_Halbert

No, I was referring to the front stock drop links. This thread on
Sway bar ends shows the new drop links and what happens over time to the original ones. Mine broke just like the second picture. I found a shop that was able to mig that part but they were closed when the mount broke.

From later in the thread this was the parts list
It wasn't a matter of changing the mounting of the bar. It was replacing all the parts of a 17+ year old swaybar system plus adding an additional brace that limits the movement and reduces the fatigue on the parts which will fail when under heavy load. Say a high G turn. The stock mounting bracket is a "L" with the bolts to mount to the frame in the foot and the loop and bar at the top. The bracket connects to the top and angles back to create a triangular mount. You don't really feel it.

gizmozoid

Thanks Neil!

I got my bars a couple days ago, I'll give Paragon a call to make sure I have what I need.

BeerBurner

Hmmm... good thing I decided to read this thread. I've got the front 968 M030 swaybar with the stock mounts. I guess replacing them will be a good winter project.

BB.

gizmozoid

So I got all the parts and will be working on the rear this weekend. I didn't find this on another thread, but which of the 3 holes in the bar should I connect the drop links to? Is it stiffer with the front set of holes? Any special tools I need before I start? Any suggestions or tips?