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Anyone with lowering springs..........did you change out your sway bar end links!?!

copgtp

copgtp

Your ClubGP Liason
Found a pretty interesting read over at clubgp:

Shorter endlinks for lowered cars??

Cliffnotes: Because a lowering spring actually makes your control arm sit at an angle to the ground, the spacer in the endlink should be removed and replaced with a few washers to allow the sway bar to sit level again.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Only reason I ask is because one of my endlink bolts are stripped, and I need to get a new one. But if I should be running without the small spacer, I should also be running a shorter bolt, hence why I am inquiring before I purchase.
 


Why does the sway bar need to be level? It's sole purpose is to connect each side of the car so movement is tied together.
 
I'm not sure Bio! Lol, not a suspension guy. I'm just curious.

This post brought to you by.....
 
Interesting..

In the bushings that hold the bar to the subframe, the bar can rotate fairly easily unless the bushings aren't lubricated. I don't believe there would be much of a difference by shortening the spacer length.
 
I doubt it would make a difference seeing the sway bar is constantly flexing/moving with the supspension anyways.
 
All I know is that it has to deal with the geometry, it all performs optimally when its where it should be, but its not a deal breaker on street cars like ours.
 


I always thought this was only necessary if you slammed the car. A 2 inch drop shouldn't need all this nonsense.

When you lower the car, the control arms don't sit parallel to the ground any longer, they angle up.

This also makes the ends of the sway bar angle up like that as well.

By removing the spacer and getting a shorter bolt for the end link, it brings the sway bar ends more level to the ground which improves the handling.
Click to expand...
 
Just thought the ClubGP post is interesting. Alot of guys are saying that shortening the end links is really helping them improve the feel and handling of a lowered car.

This post brought to you by.....
 
i dont understand why or how it would though, that's why im questioning it.

the sway bar doesnt react any differently when it is 'rotated' differently. it is still connected to the same spots on both sides and it still moves at the same rates and in the same fashion that it did before. it physically doesn't do anything differently.

the control arms, yes, i see that. it makes sense in every way. the sway bars...lost me there.
 
The bar is most effective when horizontal, so to speak.

If the bar is rotated the force vectors change not for the better.

But really, how rotated a bar are we talking?
 


Hey. I bought those shorter spacers. I had to jack up both control arms to get the nut the bolt. Maybe cause I went to poly after the previous set up was gmpp. I did notice the polys creak but overall feels tighter / solid.

I wanted to ensure proper alignment as well response. Heard they would help but it's new to me as well
 
So I went ahead and tried this mod out.........and I have to say it makes a HUGE difference!!! I was skeptical at first, but keeping that sway bar level really helps.

The car feels much better on the road now, doesn't feel as "touchy", and I don't get that wondering feeling either. I'm lowered on SSC springs and AGX struts, FWIW.

I went with a 5" grade 8 bolt, and 4 washers.
 


It needs to be level because thats where its at its strongest functional point. At an angle it can no longer perform the same way. Its about its design.

I have shorter sway bar end links
 
With the zzp spacers and shorter endlinks, I still have a 20 mph vib and some vib at certain highway speed. I'm thinking my axles , again, might be shot. I only use napa That's the only thing bugging me. I had new tires installed recently, so I'll try a re balance soon after my new tie rod ends go on. Life time alignment too , so I'll report back after I do all that. But it's still a big improvement over where I started.
Only thing I did not change was my dog bones as they are polished billet ones. I'd hate to loose those
 
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