Driving Impressions: Lower Stress Bar

[roadracer311]

So, I was thinking about doing this mod, and it occurred to me that aftermarket tie rods are probably everywhere. Turns out that they are.

You can buy threaded tubes of just about any length (reverse threaded on one end and forward on the other end), and heim joints here:
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/m/105_Rod-Ends-Heim-Joints-Sleeves.html

If you buy the good stuff, it looks like it would cost about $45 + shipping.

Now that I look at it again, I'm not sure they have the right combinations of shanks and holes in the heim joints. I'm going to spend more time on it later. I'm sure someone makes something that just screws together out of standard parts and fits.

[edevlin]

"You can buy threaded tubes of just about any length (reverse threaded on one end and forward on the other end), and heim joints here:
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/m/105...ts-Sleeves.html

If you buy the good stuff, it looks like it would cost about $45 + shipping."

Hey, that is a great site, does anyone know what size parts (tube and ends) we need to get for our cars?

Ed

[roadracer311]

Originally Posted by edevlin

Hey, that is a great site, does anyone know what size parts (tube and ends) we need to get for our cars?

Ed

From earlier posts, it sounds like the center to center measurement for the holes needs to be 22.25 inches and the bolts that hold the plate to the bottom of the car are 3/8" in diameter (roughly, since the original ones on the car are metric).

The web site says that the heim joints add 1.5 inches to each end of the rod, so it sounds like a 19" long rod + a total of 3 inches of heim joint would be 22" (the adjustability would take car of the last 1/4 inch.

Now there's the question of which diameter rod to use, which heim joints. And then, jam nuts will also be needed to keep the thing from adjusting itself after it's installed. The one dimension I don't know is how long the new bolts need to be (the ones that bolt the heim joint to the car).

Given the amount of time involved in figuring all of this out and then not knowing for sure it's going to fit I can see the value in the Canadian-sourced one. Then again... it's sort of fun to figure out.

[rick3000]

^
According what I have read, the bar can be 3/4" or 1" thick. The bar should be 24" long with 22 1/4" between the two 3/8" holes. The end 2" of each side should be shaved down until flat. What we do not know is the length of the 3/8" bolts.

[Kirk]

You are correct, either a 3/4" or 1" bar will fit. I bought both sizes of bar stock and went with the bigger 1" just because it would fit. I did have to take off one rear anti sway bar mount and the lower stress plate to fit the 1" bar though. It doesn't just slide up there without making some room first.

Honestly I can't recall what length of 3/8" bolts I used. I bought a couple different sizes. I think the 1" long bolts were just a hair too short with the 1" bar AND the other "Bristol bars" that I installed. So I'm pretty sure I used a 1.5" bolt that was too long, but the extra sticking up at the top doesn't hurt anything. I wouldn't lose any sleep over what length of bolts to use. You can pick them up for a couple bucks at any hardware store...

The length of 22 1/4" between holes is about what I measured too. I did make my bar about 25.5" long though, which may be why I had to remove some stuff to fit it. I was following the "longer is better" stigma though and so maxed out the bar for what would fit.

Kirk

[rick3000]

Thanks for the clarification. I would probably make it as short as possible so it has less of a chance of interfering with anything and adding unneeded weight.
Are there alread holes under the car for this sort of modification?
Do you pictures of where they are?
Thanks!

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by rick3000

Thanks for the clarification. I would probably make it as short as possible so it has less of a chance of interfering with anything and adding unneeded weight.
Are there alread holes under the car for this sort of modification?
Do you pictures of where they are?
Thanks!

With the aluminum bars weight isn't much of an issue. Take a look back at the pictures earlier in this post to see where the lower stress bar bolts on. One of the first photos from Insite has two red arrows pointing up to the mounting location. At first there are not "holes" where you mount this. Instead there are two, down-facing studs that you simply hammer out (not as scary as it sounds), thus making a hole, and then you replace those down-facing studs with up-facing bolts and bolt the lower stress bar on top.

[Franco]

Hi Bob, a 3/4 or 7/8 hexagon bar will do just fine, I used a 3/4 diameter bar because that was the easiest thing i could find

[Franco]

Originally Posted by rick3000

^
According what I have read, the bar can be 3/4" or 1" thick. The bar should be 24" long with 22 1/4" between the two 3/8" holes. The end 2" of each side should be shaved down until flat. What we do not know is the length of the 3/8" bolts.

Hope this helps

To fabricate the bar is a joke, i used a 3/4 diameter aluminum bar, used a file to make 2 flats at each end to facilitate drilling 7/16 holes where the 3/8" diameter X 2" long screws and lock washers need to sit (on a flat surface), then i removed the existing metric screws on the triangular plate and installed the bar over it.