Anybody Have This 22mm Weltmeister Front Sway Bar?, Don't understand what keeps it centered Options

[Lucky9146]

This sway bar here



My driver side looks like this



And my passenger side looks like this



Seems to be some room on either side of the bushing cup totaling abut 1.75 in. for the bar to wander off to one side as mine did. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

You can weigh in here on go to my thread page 31 http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=261197

Thanks!
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[pete000]

I have that same bar but haven't had any issues with it drifting.

[Steve]

I used to have that Weltmeister bar. The bushing should look the same on both sides with about an 1/8” sticking out on both sides. You center the bar with the arms flush to the bushing on both sides. They do have a tendency to move side to side. Either dump the whole thing and buy a tarret bar or buy some clamps on the inside from McMaster Carr.

[Lucky9146]

I have that same bar but haven't had any issues with it drifting.

Good to know, thanks at least I know one person with one so far! Glad yours is working OK. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
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[Lucky9146]

I used to have that Weltmeister bar. The bushing should look the same on both sides with about an 1/8” sticking out on both sides. You center the bar with the arms flush to the bushing on both sides. They do have a tendency to move side to side. Either dump the whole thing and buy a tarret bar or buy some clamps on the inside from McMaster Carr.

Thanks Steve. What I was saying is there seems to be a lot more room to be able to have the arms flush up to the bushings if I can have one bushing hanging out that far currently.

Probably will try to run it for a while with some spacers of some sort between the bushing and the arms. Was hoping to not have to pull the tank for the millionth time to add clamps but it may come to that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Anybody else have one of these and their experience with it?
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[defianty]

I have the same bar Jim. Although I've never run with it yet I did purchase two shaft collars with grubs to alleviate any lateral movement. Plan is to install them on the inner wheel well next to the sway bar support plates. I also got some large nylon washers to stop any contact.

I'm sure I got this idea from someone on here so hopefully they'll be along soon.with pictures.

One problem I did have was finding a 19mm collar. In the end I got 18mm and had a friend machine them out to size.

[Luke M]

I have a brand new welt bar that I haven't installed yet. I do see the kit comes with 2 hose clamps which would clamp around the bar under the fuel tank. I would say this is to keep the bar from drifting left to right. I plan on replacing the clamps for collars when I do install it.

[Lucky9146]

I have the same bar Jim. Although I've never run with it yet I did purchase two shaft collars with grubs to alleviate any lateral movement. Plan is to install them on the inner wheel well next to the sway bar support plates. I also got some large nylon washers to stop any contact.

I'm sure I got this idea from someone on here so hopefully they'll be along soon.with pictures.

One problem I did have was finding a 19mm collar. In the end I got 18mm and had a friend machine them out to size.

Thanks, I guess I forgot to mention mine is a 22 mm bar. Hoping 22 is not too much got to get this thing on the road again and find out. I have a friend who may be able to help with collars / washers.
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[jcd914]

I have dealt with this in a few ways.

First push the bushing all the way in to the bush cup mounted to the inner fended, they should only stick a short distance.
Then loosen the arms on the bar and work them in as far as they will go.
The arms clamp on the square end of the bar and can move around if loose or may not have been install pushed on to the bar as far as possible.

Now you will know how much gap you have to deal with.
I have had some where there was very little gap and the bar could only move back and forth a few mm.

If you have enough gap your bar will move side to side much, there are different ways to fill the gap.

However you deal with the gap you want to end up with the arms equally spaced on each side of the car in order to keep the geometry of the swaybar arms, drop links and A-arms the same.

The hose clamp the some kits come with is functional but I don't like it.
Clamp on collars work much better but you then might have metal rubbing against metal depending on where you install them.
I have always put them on the outside, between the swaybar arm and the bushing. It means you don't have to remove the fuel tank if you want to take the bar out or if a collar worked loose and needs to be tightened.

I have had spacers made of plastic bushing material (turcite), basically a pair of large plastic washers that fit over the bar and go between the arm and the bushing end or the bushing cup.

I have had wider bushing made up that have a step so the push into the bushing cup and stop against the outer edge and have a larger surface for the swaybar arm to rub against.

I have also (in a pinch) taken a PVC pipe fitting that fit over the bar and cut it into spacers to fit between the sway bar arm and the bushing to fill the gap.
Note: I did not do this on a customers car, not a real professional solution but it worked.

You just want the bar centered and set up with very little play to move side to side.

Jim

[jcd914]

Here is an example of a 19mm bar and the extra room there may be to move your swaybar arms in against the bushings or closer.

Jim

[Lucky9146]

I have dealt with this in a few ways.

First push the bushing all the way in to the bush cup mounted to the inner fended, they should only stick a short distance.
Then loosen the arms on the bar and work them in as far as they will go.
The arms clamp on the square end of the bar and can move around if loose or may not have been install pushed on to the bar as far as possible.

Now you will know how much gap you have to deal with.
I have had some where there was very little gap and the bar could only move back and forth a few mm.

If you have enough gap your bar will move side to side much, there are different ways to fill the gap.

However you deal with the gap you want to end up with the arms equally spaced on each side of the car in order to keep the geometry of the swaybar arms, drop links and A-arms the same.

The hose clamp the some kits come with is functional but I don't like it.
Clamp on collars work much better but you then might have metal rubbing against metal depending on where you install them.
I have always put them on the outside, between the swaybar arm and the bushing. It means you don't have to remove the fuel tank if you want to take the bar out or if a collar worked loose and needs to be tightened.

I have had spacers made of plastic bushing material (turcite), basically a pair of large plastic washers that fit over the bar and go between the arm and the bushing end or the bushing cup.

I have had wider bushing made up that have a step so the push into the bushing cup and stop against the outer edge and have a larger surface for the swaybar arm to rub against.

I have also (in a pinch) taken a PVC pipe fitting that fit over the bar and cut it into spacers to fit between the sway bar arm and the bushing to fill the gap.
Note: I did not do this on a customers car, not a real professional solution but it worked.

You just want the bar centered and set up with very little play to move side to side.

Jim

Jim
Thanks this was very helpful and I appreciate the picture too. This is the kind of stuff I was was looking for! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
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[wysri9]

I took a good look at mine and although this is only a test build things seem to to snug up nicely. I could detect no play between the bushings. here are some pics:-

[Lucky9146]

I took a good look at mine and although this is only a test build things seem to to snug up nicely. I could detect no play between the bushings. here are some pics:-

Looks great and thanks for the pics. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Your picture shows very well the large space from the arm to the cotter pin.

I have my issue figured out. When the car came to me I thought it was set up as I had been told the car had seen 145 mph clocked at a track with a big 4. I should have checked it and did not. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)
It appears that the arms either were not tight or had walked outboard toward the cotter pin. I plan to put some type of spacer between the arm and the cotter pin just to ensure it does stay in place. Thanks again
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[Lucky9146]

Finally came to the realization that the drop links on mine are incorrect and way too short. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
This can be seen from the picture sent by wysri9 here. At the time this photo was posted I was more concerned with the slider arm and all the extra space to the cotter pin to digest this now obvious fact. It wasn't until I tried to reassemble that things just did not make sense.



Spoke with Jason at Paragon Products in Corpus Christie TX and he confirmed it. The drop link should be 6 7/8" long and mine is only 4 7/8' long.
Explains a lot. The front suspension was so pre-loaded and the A arms actually hung on the sway bar arms as opposed to the struts. Now I understand why it was so hard to get it apart. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)
A full 2" too short? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
Keep in mind I barely have this thing on the road, still sorting out the bugs and break the engine in, so very few miles yet to guage anything.

Parts on order.
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[wysri9]

Glad the photos helped - sorry about the wonky allen bolt......It will be properly installed and torqued next time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[jcd914]

Finally came to the realization that the drop links on mine are incorrect and way too short. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
This can be seen from the picture sent by wysri9 here. At the time this photo was posted I was more concerned with the slider arm and all the extra space to the cotter pin to digest this now obvious fact. It wasn't until I tried to reassemble that things just did not make sense.

Spoke with Jason at Paragon Products in Corpus Christie TX and he confirmed it. The drop link should be 6 7/8" long and mine is only 4 7/8' long.
Explains a lot. The front suspension was so pre-loaded and the A arms actually hung on the sway bar arms as opposed to the struts. Now I understand why it was so hard to get it apart. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)
A full 2" too short? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
Keep in mind I barely have this thing on the road, still sorting out the bugs and break the engine in, so very few miles yet to guage anything.

Parts on order.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/white914.jpg)

The correct length for your drop link is dependent on the ride height of your car.
Ideally the sway bar arm should be parallel to the ground when the car is settled on its suspension. So the length of the drop link would be different depending on your ride height. I have shortened many sets of drop links to match them to teh car they are going on.

I think the Weltmeister drop links are too long to begin with except for car sitting at full height.

I would wait to change the drop links until you can get the car on the ground and settled and see where the are is.

Jim

[914forme]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Only issue I would see is if it is so short it is causing a binding issue the joints due to extreme angles.

If it is hitting the tops of the fenders it is to long. Don't forget you have to run it up and down through its entire arch. Pop the torsion bar end cap and run it up and down. You can also see how your bumps steer is measure shock travel and do a lot of other things that you don't know until you get it all together.

BTW, I don't get how the arms hung off the sway bars unless in full drop the sway bar did not go into full drop on both sides. The bar should not have any preload on it from side to side, unless you only have one side of the car in the air. Then the bar is doing what it is supposed to do.

[Lucky9146]

Finally came to the realization that the drop links on mine are incorrect and way too short. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
This can be seen from the picture sent by wysri9 here. At the time this photo was posted I was more concerned with the slider arm and all the extra space to the cotter pin to digest this now obvious fact. It wasn't until I tried to reassemble that things just did not make sense.

Spoke with Jason at Paragon Products in Corpus Christie TX and he confirmed it. The drop link should be 6 7/8" long and mine is only 4 7/8' long.
Explains a lot. The front suspension was so pre-loaded and the A arms actually hung on the sway bar arms as opposed to the struts. Now I understand why it was so hard to get it apart. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)
A full 2" too short? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
Keep in mind I barely have this thing on the road, still sorting out the bugs and break the engine in, so very few miles yet to guage anything.

Parts on order.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/white914.jpg)

The correct length for your drop link is dependent on the ride height of your car.
Ideally the sway bar arm should be parallel to the ground when the car is settled on its suspension. So the length of the drop link would be different depending on your ride height. I have shortened many sets of drop links to match them to teh car they are going on.

I think the Weltmeister drop links are too long to begin with except for car sitting at full height.

I would wait to change the drop links until you can get the car on the ground and settled and see where the are is.

Jim

This is an excellent point you make about ride height. My car is very low so maybe they were correct? I will check it out more. Thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/white914.jpg)

[Lucky9146]

Finally came to the realization that the drop links on mine are incorrect and way too short. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
This can be seen from the picture sent by wysri9 here. At the time this photo was posted I was more concerned with the slider arm and all the extra space to the cotter pin to digest this now obvious fact. It wasn't until I tried to reassemble that things just did not make sense.

Spoke with Jason at Paragon Products in Corpus Christie TX and he confirmed it. The drop link should be 6 7/8" long and mine is only 4 7/8' long.
Explains a lot. The front suspension was so pre-loaded and the A arms actually hung on the sway bar arms as opposed to the struts. Now I understand why it was so hard to get it apart. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)
A full 2" too short? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
Keep in mind I barely have this thing on the road, still sorting out the bugs and break the engine in, so very few miles yet to guage anything.

Parts on order.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/white914.jpg)

The correct length for your drop link is dependent on the ride height of your car.
Ideally the sway bar arm should be parallel to the ground when the car is settled on its suspension. So the length of the drop link would be different depending on your ride height. I have shortened many sets of drop links to match them to teh car they are going on.

I think the Weltmeister drop links are too long to begin with except for car sitting at full height.

I would wait to change the drop links until you can get the car on the ground and settled and see where the are is.

Jim

jcd914 is correct that the drop link is dependent on the ride height. My car is low.
I set the car on the suspension with the sway bar arms horizontal to the ground and the 4 7/8" drop links that I had fit perfectly!
Personally, I think the Weltmeister instructions suck. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)
Thank you jcd914 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) This is a great site!
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[914Subaru]

Lots of good information in this post. I finally got around to install a used Weltmeister sway bar that I purchased on ebay 10 years ago. It came with these u-bolt that I don't know what they are for other than I don't think I need them. Any thoughts?