PSUice944

22mm front and and 18mm rear sway bars...

Which model would they be from?

Would they be better than the stock bars on my 86 na? (most anything would)

TIA, hope for something quick!

Adam Richman

I didn't even know there was a 22mm front sway bar. I thought there were the following OE ones: 21mm/25.5mm/26.8mm but don't take my word for it. I also thought they mated up the 21mm to no sway bar (my car stock 944-S), 25.5mm to a 14mm and 18mm rear and the 26.8mm to a 19mm rear. Basically from my logic a combination of 22mm front with an 18mm rear would be an extreme loose condition.

That's just my guesses and thoughts and neither should be taken as fact.

PSUice944

perhaps i should remeasure,,, i was just using the middle of the bar...

could they be hollow?

Dave

Original Porsche...lists 22.5F and 18R as the sizes used on a 951. Other sources disagree, but you measured 'em. This would be a step up from stock, as the stock front bar is 21mm and those lucky enough to have a rear bar only got the 14mm version (most have none)

TomH

Are sway bars the same as anti-roll bars

jim968

Yep.

Jim, uh, huh....

eugene

Actually, Anti Roll Bar is the CORRECT term. A car Rolls, it does not Sway.

Somehow Sway bar got in there and is widely used.

Dan in Pasadena

What does my stock '87 NA have?
I don't and won't race or autocross it but I'd like it to handle well for street purposes. If I want to upgrade what's the best "bang for the buck" and who to get them from? Ecology 944? How much? Realistic to replace/install myself?

eugene

Dan.

Get the 26.8mm Front(from 88 TS/89 T) Check with 944 Ecology or other Used parts places
Around $150 ?

Get a 20mm rear from Porsche. Around $130-150

Easy to do it yourself. No special tools needed.

Remember to get the appropriate bushings
(4 for the front. 2 for the rear)

You can get them from Porsche. Relatively cheap

89 944 N/A 23mm Front 18mm rear
Not sure if same for 87 model

Hope it helps.

TomH

Ah... Anti-roll bars...

Check out this months Excellence issue (Dec 2001), they have a detailed article on upgrading/replacing them on their 944.

Skip

Re: Sway vs. Anti-roll...

In a land far away, at a time long ago, the function of a anti-sway/anti-roll bar was slightly different. Leaf sprung cars and trucks originally used the semi-appropriately named anti-sway bars to control not only the roll of the car, but also the sway of the body in relation to the suspension (because there are no solid attachments of this system to the body... used only the leafs and shocks, which could easily twist when side-load was applied during cornering). In this case it could control two separate planes of movement. With today's multi-link or independant suspension systems, the anti-sway function is negated, but the anti-roll is still a very important part. So, we should really refer to them as anti-roll bars (as Porsche does in its' literature)... but, what about that apparatus the NTSB uses on skid tests to keep the car from actually rolling over... isn't that the real anti-roll bar? So, I propose we adopt the name "leveling bar" Just joking!

"Anti-sway bars" nowadays are more in reference to the bars that are attached to a trailer at the hitch area to help keep the trailer from "swaying" while towing.

Now for the stumper... how much of an anti-roll bar is unsprung weight? None? Half? Just the drop-links? All? Depends? Does it really matter?

Good Luck!

Adam Richman

Now I have never been afraid of being wrong (as long as I announce ahead of time I AM PROBABLY WRONG ), so I'll take a swag:

From my vantage point (I hate this cause I know this must be a trick question) the mount points of a "sway bar" are attached to the body of the car making the mount points sprung. Since the mount points (talking central not ends) can hold the weight of the bar itself, it should be sprung weight. Ahh, but the drop links can also hold the weight of the bar without the mount points attached and since the drop links are attached to the control arms front and whatever-you-call-em arms in the back, they should be unsprung. Sooo, utterly confused I'd say that the sway bar is sprung weight in a straight line but unsprung weight in a corner (or under load).


REMEMBER - I AM NOT REMOTELY SAYING THIS AS IF I THINK I AM CORRECT - JUST A GOOD OLE SWAG!!!

PSUice944

Ok Dave, I think you are the winner. See, I purchased these bars from a renner classified, advertised as turbo (s?) bars for $150. I figured if they were any improvement, it would be worth it. At least my tail won't be as sloppy (14mm)! And with all the hardware and then some to install, might as well do the fronts too.

Any other "affordable" tips? I figure the rear is a nice step now, next will be anotehr front bar, perhaps substantially stiffer.

Thanks for the input people!

Danno

My Turbo came with 26.8/19mm bars, must have been an option or something, since I also got the Fuchs wheels, leather seats and glass sunroof.

And putting the Turbo anti-roll bars on an NA car DEFINITELY makes a big difference. Front springs from a Turbo would be an easy upgrade as well.