Re-newing Sway Bar bushes
11-03-2007, 02:44 PM
#1
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
Re-newing Sway Bar bushes
My question is, how much benefit will I get from replacing the bushes on my front and rear sway bars?
AFAIK all the bushes are original on my 90 C2. On visual inspection the rears ones don't look too bad but there is a definite gap around the bar on the front ones. The bars are stock, non-adjustable 20 mm at the front and 21 mm at the rear. I'm thinking of fitting polyurethane bushes rather than stock rubber ones and replacing the clamps on the front which are extremely corroded.
What I'm hoping for is a reduction in the body roll in low speed corners which is pretty obvious in the pic below
p.s. the car has stock Boge shocks and H+R reds at the moment.
AFAIK all the bushes are original on my 90 C2. On visual inspection the rears ones don't look too bad but there is a definite gap around the bar on the front ones. The bars are stock, non-adjustable 20 mm at the front and 21 mm at the rear. I'm thinking of fitting polyurethane bushes rather than stock rubber ones and replacing the clamps on the front which are extremely corroded.
What I'm hoping for is a reduction in the body roll in low speed corners which is pretty obvious in the pic below
p.s. the car has stock Boge shocks and H+R reds at the moment.
11-03-2007, 06:58 PM
#3
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
New bushings won't limit the roll you're experiencing. A sway bar's spring rate is determined by its thickness, bar length and arm length. Thicker bars front and rear, however, will flatten your ride.
Have you replaced the stock suspension? Stiffer springs and matching shocks will also cure that roll.
Have you replaced the stock suspension? Stiffer springs and matching shocks will also cure that roll.
11-03-2007, 10:08 PM
#4
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Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Got it.
The 90 C2 has the better stock setup when it comes to sway bars and the H&R reds are stiffer than the greens, right? Can't help but wonder what shape your shocks are in.
The thing with quality shocks (dampers) is that they make your car feel as if it's glued to the road. It doesn't need to be go-kart sharp but there's simply too much float or weight transfer going on with soft shocks. In your pic you can see a great deal of rebound travel exhibited by the inside suspension.
If your plans include frequent track outings, you may want to consider new shocks and a stiffer rear bar--at a minimum. And if you're going to the trouble and expense of suspension replacement, you may as well upgrade to a more serious setup, PSS9's or CROSS, for a dual purpose car. $0.02
The 90 C2 has the better stock setup when it comes to sway bars and the H&R reds are stiffer than the greens, right? Can't help but wonder what shape your shocks are in.
The thing with quality shocks (dampers) is that they make your car feel as if it's glued to the road. It doesn't need to be go-kart sharp but there's simply too much float or weight transfer going on with soft shocks. In your pic you can see a great deal of rebound travel exhibited by the inside suspension.
If your plans include frequent track outings, you may want to consider new shocks and a stiffer rear bar--at a minimum. And if you're going to the trouble and expense of suspension replacement, you may as well upgrade to a more serious setup, PSS9's or CROSS, for a dual purpose car. $0.02
11-04-2007, 06:25 AM
#5
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
Thanks for the input guys. The standard shocks and new springs were put on the car a couple of years by the PO but the focus of the car was not track days then. But they achieved the aim at the time (the lowering effect). Now the car has a dual purpose and will be used on track at least 6 times a year. I was already planning to put PSS9 on next year and your input has confirmed that this is the best place to start and then I can fine tune the set up by putting on different bars later. As you've also confirmed that the stock bars on the C2 are a good starting pointing I'll replace those bushes first since they're not a huge cost. Then, they'll be working as they should be so that I'll be able to judge the effect of any new shocks/springs. (I'm sure there must be some extra vertical travel at the front as I can get a small flat blade between the current bushes and the bar).
What I'm trying to do is be methodical about this. The first 6 months with the car has been about spending pounds and hours on getting the car in good shape and now I'm onto the changes to make it better for the track (brakes were the first job I tackled). My aim is to change something, track it to test the change, fine tune the change, track it again and then to move onto the next change. I'm getting a kick out of seeing the result of each change, more so than if everything was blitzed at once. It's very satifying when I can come off the track and think that I'd made a major improvement to the performance of the car.
What I'm trying to do is be methodical about this. The first 6 months with the car has been about spending pounds and hours on getting the car in good shape and now I'm onto the changes to make it better for the track (brakes were the first job I tackled). My aim is to change something, track it to test the change, fine tune the change, track it again and then to move onto the next change. I'm getting a kick out of seeing the result of each change, more so than if everything was blitzed at once. It's very satifying when I can come off the track and think that I'd made a major improvement to the performance of the car.
11-04-2007, 09:29 AM
#6
Nordschleife Master
Thanks for the input guys. The standard shocks and new springs were put on the car a couple of years by the PO but the focus of the car was not track days then. But they achieved the aim at the time (the lowering effect). Now the car has a dual purpose and will be used on track at least 6 times a year. I was already planning to put PSS9 on next year and your input has confirmed that this is the best place to start and then I can fine tune the set up by putting on different bars later. As you've also confirmed that the stock bars on the C2 are a good starting pointing I'll replace those bushes first since they're not a huge cost. Then, they'll be working as they should be so that I'll be able to judge the effect of any new shocks/springs. (I'm sure there must be some extra vertical travel at the front as I can get a small flat blade between the current bushes and the bar).
What I'm trying to do is be methodical about this. The first 6 months with the car has been about spending pounds and hours on getting the car in good shape and now I'm onto the changes to make it better for the track (brakes were the first job I tackled). My aim is to change something, track it to test the change, fine tune the change, track it again and then to move onto the next change. I'm getting a kick out of seeing the result of each change, more so than if everything was blitzed at once. It's very satifying when I can come off the track and think that I'd made a major improvement to the performance of the car.
What I'm trying to do is be methodical about this. The first 6 months with the car has been about spending pounds and hours on getting the car in good shape and now I'm onto the changes to make it better for the track (brakes were the first job I tackled). My aim is to change something, track it to test the change, fine tune the change, track it again and then to move onto the next change. I'm getting a kick out of seeing the result of each change, more so than if everything was blitzed at once. It's very satifying when I can come off the track and think that I'd made a major improvement to the performance of the car.