Please Help! - Broken rear swaybar mount
05-04-2009, 05:37 PM
#16
Race Car
Thread Starter
Attached are some photos of the LH side (Unbroken side) and the RH (Broken side.
Photo's are with the car on the ground, there doesn't appear to be any points of contact and the spacing and alignment of links, mounts, swaybar, toe link all look to be ok to me.
There appears to be a slight mark on the plastic protector on the broken side which, would be from contact (guess) after the mount broke as it is very minor and didn't break the plastic.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated....
Thanks to Mongrelcat
I have tracked down a replacement piece and should have it here early next week.....
Thanks for all the kind words and help so far, very much appreciated.... Matt, it will be up and running soon so i can still take you for a ride. Next track day is the 17th of May (Sunday)...
Photo's are with the car on the ground, there doesn't appear to be any points of contact and the spacing and alignment of links, mounts, swaybar, toe link all look to be ok to me.
There appears to be a slight mark on the plastic protector on the broken side which, would be from contact (guess) after the mount broke as it is very minor and didn't break the plastic.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated....
Thanks to Mongrelcat
I have tracked down a replacement piece and should have it here early next week.....Thanks for all the kind words and help so far, very much appreciated.... Matt, it will be up and running soon so i can still take you for a ride. Next track day is the 17th of May (Sunday)...
05-04-2009, 08:50 PM
#17
Former Vendor
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Steven - One thing is that the drop link mounts are a little high. You can still see a number of threads under the drop link mount. They should be threaded all the way to the bottom of the shock for the TRG or RS bars.
Now you did have the bar in the middle hole so the geometry under the toe arm is a little better there. Still find the damage hard to fathom as just fatigue. Was there any grease in the bushings (teflon preferably)? Was the metal ring that limits the left and right movement of the bar in contact with the aluminum?
Now you did have the bar in the middle hole so the geometry under the toe arm is a little better there. Still find the damage hard to fathom as just fatigue. Was there any grease in the bushings (teflon preferably)? Was the metal ring that limits the left and right movement of the bar in contact with the aluminum?
05-04-2009, 09:52 PM
#18
Race Car
Thread Starter
Thanks Bob, I will move the drop link mount down, that will also allow me to get full stiff on the rear sway bar.
I kept the bushings well greased. ( i actually used the grease from the Chris Walrod front bushing kit) I check and lube them twice a year. they moved very freely, I couldn't find any binding at all.
The collar has no marks nor did the cross member from any contact. There also wasn't any marks from scrapes from curbs, off road excursions or the like.
I spoke to Steve at Rennsport Systems as well as Scott at TRG, they had never seen anything like it and couldn't work out how it could have happened either.
Thank you for taking a look for me, I really appreciate it.
I kept the bushings well greased. ( i actually used the grease from the Chris Walrod front bushing kit) I check and lube them twice a year. they moved very freely, I couldn't find any binding at all.
The collar has no marks nor did the cross member from any contact. There also wasn't any marks from scrapes from curbs, off road excursions or the like.
I spoke to Steve at Rennsport Systems as well as Scott at TRG, they had never seen anything like it and couldn't work out how it could have happened either.
Thank you for taking a look for me, I really appreciate it.
Steven - One thing is that the drop link mounts are a little high. You can still see a number of threads under the drop link mount. They should be threaded all the way to the bottom of the shock for the TRG or RS bars.
Now you did have the bar in the middle hole so the geometry under the toe arm is a little better there. Still find the damage hard to fathom as just fatigue. Was there any grease in the bushings (teflon preferably)? Was the metal ring that limits the left and right movement of the bar in contact with the aluminum?
Now you did have the bar in the middle hole so the geometry under the toe arm is a little better there. Still find the damage hard to fathom as just fatigue. Was there any grease in the bushings (teflon preferably)? Was the metal ring that limits the left and right movement of the bar in contact with the aluminum?
05-15-2009, 12:26 PM
#19
Race Car
Thread Starter
Update
QUick Update:
Received all the parts over the past week or so and last night did the install with a friend. Installation went without a hitch (thankfully).
Tonight I will string up the car and check the toe settings on the rear (its the only thing we had to remove).
Parts Replaced:
Rear crossmember
Swaybar bushings
Swaybar U bracket
I would like to thank those who gave advice, supplied parts or steered me in the right direction. Mongrelcat, viperbob, Steve at Rennsport Systems, Scott at TRG, 944/951Guy.
Thanks Again....
Received all the parts over the past week or so and last night did the install with a friend. Installation went without a hitch (thankfully).
Tonight I will string up the car and check the toe settings on the rear (its the only thing we had to remove).
Parts Replaced:
Rear crossmember
Swaybar bushings
Swaybar U bracket
I would like to thank those who gave advice, supplied parts or steered me in the right direction. Mongrelcat, viperbob, Steve at Rennsport Systems, Scott at TRG, 944/951Guy.
Thanks Again....
05-15-2009, 12:54 PM
#20
RL Technical Advisor
Hi Steve,
Glad to hear that you are all fixed up and "back in the saddle",...
I've been thinking about this since you called and one thing in your (very nice) pics jumps out at me. Look at the marks on the plastic covers over those lower toe links: looks to me like the swaybar made contact on both sides.
I am wondering how much the swaybar put pressure against the lower toe links at full droop as that puts pressure back against the mounts. With factory rubber mounts, there is sufficient flexibility in the rubber to deflect pressure on the mounts and crossmember, but the TRG ones are solid so all the force get directed into the aluminum crossmember.
I'd make certain that the droplink mounts get adjusted so that the bar cannot touch the lower toe links at full droop.
Glad to hear that you are all fixed up and "back in the saddle",...
I've been thinking about this since you called and one thing in your (very nice) pics jumps out at me. Look at the marks on the plastic covers over those lower toe links: looks to me like the swaybar made contact on both sides.
I am wondering how much the swaybar put pressure against the lower toe links at full droop as that puts pressure back against the mounts. With factory rubber mounts, there is sufficient flexibility in the rubber to deflect pressure on the mounts and crossmember, but the TRG ones are solid so all the force get directed into the aluminum crossmember.
I'd make certain that the droplink mounts get adjusted so that the bar cannot touch the lower toe links at full droop.
05-15-2009, 10:42 PM
#22
Race Car
Thread Starter
The contact with the plastic cover on the toe arm looks like it is from contact post breaking of the crossmember tab. I moveds the car around (curbs etc) to compress the sususpension and there is no possibility of contact between the swaybar and the lower arm.
With that being said I have lowered the swaybar mount on the shock now anyway as per Steve's and viperbobs advise.
I also took the car for a drive today everything feels great and the toes settings are unchanged from when i pulled the car appart (more luck than anything)
Overall I am pretty happy the car is back and feeling awesome... Thanks again for the observations, really are appreciated.
With that being said I have lowered the swaybar mount on the shock now anyway as per Steve's and viperbobs advise.
I also took the car for a drive today everything feels great and the toes settings are unchanged from when i pulled the car appart (more luck than anything)
Overall I am pretty happy the car is back and feeling awesome... Thanks again for the observations, really are appreciated.
