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RS Racing sway bars

Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:52 pm
by Alfettish
Hey all,
I'm considering getting a pair of swaybars from RS. I'm wondering about the uniball reaction arms that one of the fronts comes with. Anyone know what they are for?

Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:57 pm
by Jim K
If you're talking about the unibal links (two identical pieces) they replace the swaybar to lower A-arm factory links offering zero compliance. There are similar but longer links for the rear swaybar.
Jim K.

Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:44 pm
by Alfettish
Oh, so their puropse is for a more rigid setup?

Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 4:03 pm
by jol
Alfettish wrote:Oh, so their puropse is for a more rigid setup?
If they allow adjustment of the fitting on the bar, front or rearwise it also adjusts stiffness of the setup

Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:41 am
by Alfettish
Cool.
So what about torsion bars for a street car? I couldn't find any on that site, where can (should) I get some from?

Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:08 am
by Sporttunergtv6
alfa ricambi sells 27mm super sport bars that are fine for street driving and really improve track driving. performatek sells 27 and 33mm bars.
v

Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:26 am
by junglejustice
The spherical rod-ends in this case have nothing to do with adjusting stiffness on the bar - I guess that you COULD do that, but you DON'T! (The anti-roll bar/sway bar should not have ANY pre-load on it!!!)

Ron's adjustable reaction arms are there as part of the kit SPECIFICALLY to avoid pre-load on the bar - especially on lowered cars! You install the bar - leaving one rod-end dangling, then with the car at full-rest, on the ground (easier on an alignment rack), you adjust the loose rod-end (slipping it on and off of the mounting-pin on the lower-control arm) until it goes on freely and without tension.

Install it, nut it and lock it all up! Done.

As far as the torsion bars; Ron's setup was tuned specifically to work with the stock bars! You can never add that level of stiffness (100kg to 125kg PER SIDE required to make these cars in to something) with bigger torsion bars! In any case, the bigger bars will make setting ride-height a living hell! (You can't pass them out through the rear of the cross-member to make adjustments on the lower-control-arm end...)

Believe me - I learned this the hard way! Keep the stock bars - add the RSRacing coil-overs! (We're sending another set down to Australia as we speak (actually Group 2 here in Seattle is) and Ron and I are planning a trip down there in March to setup a local distributor!

Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 3:38 pm
by Alfettish
Thanks JJ, the coilovers look very attractive but I don't have the money at the moment.
I'll go with the sway bars at first and then save :)

Where do you think you'll be setting up the distributor? If you come to Canberra I'll put you guys up; plenty of room at my pad :)

Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 7:46 pm
by junglejustice
Thanks for the invite - we are open at this stage - have a few engine buyers all over the place too...

Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 4:32 am
by jol
I haven't seen any pic of the swaybar in topic, what I meant was adjusting the fitting of the swaybar, as the mspaint artwork might show.
Swaybar and A-arms in black, stiff setting in red and normal setting in blue.

Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 9:44 am
by junglejustice
Yeah, it's the "stiff setting" part in your depiction that does not exist on this particular bar (or any other Alfa bar that I have seen...)

The bars are secured by two bushed center-mounts and the reaction arms attach to the lower control arms - here - a couple of shots so that we can be on the same page...

Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 9:46 am
by junglejustice
...the only part not visible here are the two center-mount clamps that secure the horizontal section of the bar to the front cross-member...

Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 9:59 am
by jol
junglejustice wrote:...the only part not visible here are the two center-mount clamps that secure the horizontal section of the bar to the front cross-member...
Ok, then I follow... thought it was something like this:
http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NMS20 ... %20%26%20S
or this
http://www.altaminiperformance.com/Asse ... Sway01.jpg

Then I'm with you..so the only purpose of adjusting the length/height(as the topic was about) is to let the bar be parallel with the ground at any setup, lowered or not, right?

Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:16 am
by TS_turbo
jol wrote:I haven't seen any pic of the swaybar in topic, what I meant was adjusting the fitting of the swaybar, as the mspaint artwork might show.
Swaybar and A-arms in black, stiff setting in red and normal setting in blue.
:D yes you are right .. and other way to make AR bars adjustable in stiffnes is this

Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:21 am
by junglejustice
I don't get it- I don't even see a bar in that picture...? :oops: