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Re: Anti-roll bars, which are the best?

To: IEDXW%ASUACAD.BITNET@CC (Dennis)
Subject: Re: Anti-roll bars, which are the best?
From: phile@stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier)
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1993 17:29:03 -0600 (CST)
Dennis writes>
 
> Ok folks, which brand of anti-roll bars have you replaced the original one
> with to get more control?  And which do you recomend?
> 
> After inspection of the OE one on my 77 Midget, it looks useless.  The bar
> itself looks sturdy 

Nope.  It's two small.

> BUT the end-link which attach the bar to the A arms look
> very wimpy.  They appear to be steel ball structures with bubber bushes inside
> to allow some give (if you have seem them this will make sence).  So if I
> get a stiffer bar I will still have the same useless end-links right???  Or,
> does the new bar come with good diff end-links??

These links work pretty well, actually.  Until they break.  I suggest
replacing the lot.

How serious are you?  If you call up Winner's Circle, ask for the smaller
front bar in street length.  This is a serious bar with nylon bushings and
heim joints.  I would suggest you put in the smaller rear bar too.  The
rear one is adjustable.

If your are not that serious, then just pop in an ADDCO from JC Whitless.

> It seems that the bar should be attached to the A arm to allow ONLY up and
> down movement of the A arm with the only side-to-side movement caused by
> flexing of the arm itself.

Nope.  Suspension arm does it's thing, sway mar does it's thing.  They
operate in two different arcs.  The most efficient way to do this is with
Heim joints, (Rose joints for OFATP).  These are ball joints which
transmit the end force of the links while having little resistance to
rotation at each end.


Sources:
------------------------------------
Winner's Circle
19144 Detroit Road
Rocky River, OH  55116
(216) 333-4666

These guys supply go-fast stuff for Spridgets.  They also supply stock
parts.   The sway bars they sent me were first-class.  They also make a
special  gear-drive starter for A-series.  Full coil-over conversions or
Carrara tube-shock conversions (see WeRace for cheaper ones).  Hard
bushing kits for less than Performance Engineering.  They are fast, too. 
I ordered a swaybar  over the phone on a Monday afternoon and the thing
was delivered UPS (regular)  on Thursday (from Ohio to Minnesota).  - Phil
Ethier
------------------------------------
Whitney:
J C Whitney
Chicago, IL
(312) 431-6102

Also known as Warshawsky/Whitney.  An American institution.  Sells car
parts cheap for most cars including LBCs.  Massive buying power. Brainless
order takers.  You can call in the middle of the night for good
long-distance rates.  They historically would not tell you brand names,
and that is mostly still true, but some brand names are starting to creep
into their catalogs lately.  I use catalogs as a plural, as they print a
new one and mail it to you every time you turn around.  All the swaybars
used to be ADDCO, but it appears they have some other ones now.  I think
you can still call ADDCO for Whitney part numbers of ADDCO bars.  See also
ADDCO and Werace.  I have bought lots of stuff from them over many years.
The worst I got was gas struts for my Dodge that worked fine for a couple
of months.  Most everything else has been OK.  Check their catalogs.  They
cover the spectrum from tacky crap to truly neat stuff.  Everything from
autocross springs for a Midget to leather motorcycle vests to RV awnings.
- Phil Ethier
------------------------------------
ADDCO Industries
700 East St.
Lake Park, FL  33403
(800) 338-7015

World's largest maker of sway bars.  Ask "Myrtle" for the Whitney's stock 
number, then call Whitney and order for the lowest price.  Specialized
sway  bars (like the Winners Circle ones for Spridgets) are better for
racing, but  these are pretty good and nobody beats Whitney's prices.  Be
careful, many  bars you buy, even from England, are really ADDCOs at
inflated prices.   - Phil Ethier
------------------------------------



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