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Front sway bar thread

the bruce

Go Kart Champion
Location
land
Car(s)
Golf GTI Mk.V 2008
True. Polys tend to bind, at least when not lubed frequently.
And they impede multi-link axles to move in their complex path of motion.

The McPherson strut with lower arm is a different thing. I think polys do
work there (if properly lubed).
 

ViRtUaLheretic

╭∩╮(︶__︶&#6
Location
KC MO
Car(s)
2009 VW GTI
The problem is nobody makes spherical for the front anymore, AFAIK h2sport was the only vendor.

p.s. thanks for the input guys
 

GodSquadMandrake

Radioactive Rotary Rocket
Location
Minneapolis
The problem is nobody makes spherical for the front anymore, AFAIK h2sport was the only vendor.

p.s. thanks for the input guys

All they were doing was sticking a pipe in the receiver on the control arm locking it in place with snap rings and then a bearing would fit into the pipe. You could make your own fairly easily. You'd just need a machine shop to mill the pipe. It's not like this was a welded tubular aluminum control arm with heim joints. It's much easier than that.
 

bostonaudi

Go Kart Champion
Location
Charleston, SC
Car(s)
1995 BMW M3
If you put poly in the rear, you just make the binding even worse. Nothing back there rotates on a single axis, everything has 3 dimensional movement. As the trailing arm goes up and down, it also moves side to side. It all moves in an arc. I mean you can do that if you want and it will be stiffer, just for the sake of being stiffer I guess.

I have Powerflex bushings in the rear, they seem like well made bushings. The rear picks up quite a bit of traction with them installed, but as GSM says, they resist movement in any direction except up and down so they can make the rear feel like an older twist beam with a big anti-sway bar.

You gotta be careful with rear modifications, my car was at a point where an inadvertent small jerk of the wheel when at the edge could cause the rear to cut loose abruptly, even with softish springs. This was at a much higher cornering limit than stock, as I also had the front spindles. Backing off the rear bar might have helped some. Its possible resistance to movement in other directions caused issues, but I suspect rear bearings will be even less forgiving, although they should feel better since they'll articulate in all directions freely, and ultimate grip likely even higher. I'd suggest a little toe in on the rear to start with bearings, then when used to them go to neutral, then perhaps to a little toe out.

034 makes rear bearings, might be worth checking with them to see if they have any plans for the fronts.
 

the bruce

Go Kart Champion
Location
land
Car(s)
Golf GTI Mk.V 2008
All they were doing was sticking a pipe in the receiver on the control arm locking it in place with snap rings and then a bearing would fit into the pipe. You could make your own fairly easily. You'd just need a machine shop to mill the pipe. It's not like this was a welded tubular aluminum control arm with heim joints. It's much easier than that.

Right, not a too complicated job.

For those who don't know them:












Bildon sell (or sold) another variant:






Another kind of "solid bushing" APR uses in their race cars:

 

GodSquadMandrake

Radioactive Rotary Rocket
Location
Minneapolis
Another kind of "solid bushing" APR uses in their race cars:


I suppose you could make that at home too. You can order the poly compounds from McMaster Carr and pour it youself. Then you'd just have to drill it out to the size of your sleeve and done! It might be even easier than the spherical bearing type but I really doubt it would last as long!
 

ViRtUaLheretic

╭∩╮(︶__︶&#6
Location
KC MO
Car(s)
2009 VW GTI
I suppose you could make that at home too. You can order the poly compounds from McMaster Carr and pour it youself. Then you'd just have to drill it out to the size of your sleeve and done! It might be even easier than the spherical bearing type but I really doubt it would last as long!

The APR insert shown above looks like a delrin bushing with a metal sleeve?
eurocars is having some delrin dogbone bushings made, I might see if he can get some delrin control arm bushings made....

btw i checked the Bildon site and they don't list any suspension products other than their wheel stud conversions and spacers :(
 

Autobahn

Autocross Champion
Location
Huntington Beach, CA
Car(s)
'18 Golf R




Well, I've decided to finally move forward with installing the front/rear Whiteline sway bars I won. So far I've done 3 events on 245/40/18 Pirelli Slicks and at the limit it feels like I could use more rear grip. I'm going to run my plan by Lang Racing which does my alignments but I'm thinking of removing a little rear camber -2.5 to -2.25 and then add the front and rear bars so I can fine tune at the track. I'll have them fine tune the sway bar preload as well.

Here's a couple pics from Auto club Speedway on the 7th.

Depending how these changes go I might switch to rear shpherical bearings but the above will be enough changes for my next event @Buttonwillow in October. I'm trying not to make too many changes...
 
Yeah you look like you could use some more antisway there. Is that some 3 wheel motion I see in the 1st pic?

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes
 

Autobahn

Autocross Champion
Location
Huntington Beach, CA
Car(s)
'18 Golf R
I shouldn't, I'm still on stock sways with kw clubsports but I haven't seen any pics of the inner rear tire on tight turns since I switched to the Pirelli slicks. The only other track I have used these tires on was Willow Springs which is all high speed sweepers 80-120mph+.

I think it looks like it because I have high rear camber (-2.5). I can see the outer wheel standing up in tight turns but I felt like I had more rear stability when I was only running -1.5. The -1.5 wasn't enough for my Hankooks C214's or these Pirellis so I need to dial that in a bit more.

Front grip and turn-in is great, the haldex helps induce oversteer when you experience understeer, feels good when you feel the car rotate mid-corner and it pulls you back on line. I just need a tad more rear grip to balance the car...
 

telaio

Ready to race!
Location
Italy
I have stock springs but putting the H&R sways both on hard made the car feel great on the street. Hopefully I'll have a chance to track the car again soon - I'm expecting to get some more grip due to flatter cornering.

Techno getting adjustable aftermarket sways would be a good next step for your car...

edit: I'd also highly recommend the Unibrace XB - it does good things to the rear of the car in all turns.
 

Autobahn

Autocross Champion
Location
Huntington Beach, CA
Car(s)
'18 Golf R
telaio, my friend has the H&R's with KW V3's and HPA Turbo, I was able to get a few laps in on his car and it felt very balanced.

I have had the XB for a bit, one of the best mods I've done :thumbup:
 

vegasGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Vegas

vegasGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Vegas
Still have a wm expansion setup with stock washer tank I'm working on lol.
 
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