Upgrading your sway bar drop links

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by funkdefino

Can you repost those pics?

I think I fixed the pics... are they loading now?

[mylamb]

They look very similar to Tarrett's - so that's a good price. How do you like them?

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by mylamb

They look very similar to Tarrett's - so that's a good price. How do you like them?

Love 'em. They've transformed my car. I think my 101K mile originals where completely shot (lot's of free play) and made the car feel unstable. It's now solidly planted to the road and very flat through the corners.

The DesignTech links do seem to be very good quality, but only time and miles will reveal their durability. If the heim joint ends do wear, I can always source replacements for just those parts.

At the price, these things are one of the few really good values in the Porsche parts world...

[Allen K. Littlefield]

...and will let you know how they work out. I was going to do this after I put the larger sway bars on but found them a bit pricey. These are reasonable. I have heard of some failures of the drop links and if you have a look at the stock ones you will see what is tantamount to a large "wire" tying the sway bar in. Looks flimsy as hell and I suppose it is from some reports. I also am experiencing the same 'sloppiness' in cornering and hope this clears it up.

AKL

[Brad Roberts]

They are NOT like the Tarret's.. and you will soon find out the difference. TRG tried to sell drop links with the same size heim you see in the pics above.. and it doesn't work. Your heims will break. It is just a matter of time. In the front of our cars (and 996's) you have to have X amount of movement in the heim. The heim's you have do not have enough for full lock to lock steering with a shock in full bump. It will snap off at the threads leading into the alum.

It requires a larger heim.. and.. you will learn that there is a HUGE difference in heim manufacturing. The cheap ones rattle and make noise after 100 miles. The expensive ones will never make noise.

Not sure where you got your Tarett pricing.. but.. Rears = $200 Fronts = $275 and with minor effort, he gives out *some* discounts.

Do not cheap out on your suspension. It ranks second behind safety equipment. Break a heim going into turn 9 at Willow Springs and you will be going off at 125mph across the dirt heading for the green monster. BTDT.


B

[Allen K. Littlefield]

Thanks for the heads up Brad.

AKL

[Brad Roberts]

This is what I keep saying to myself when I see cheap *solutions* to problems a lot of us solved 10+ years ago: "there is no free lunch"

I had someone call me the other day asking if I would buy his drop links with heims made in Mexico. I said sure, the machining of the alum is not the expensive part of the equation, it is the good heims and the two spacers on each side of the heim that allow the heim full range of motion. There is a lot of torque on the two spacers (64lbt-ft?) and most snap off the small lip needed to allow the heim full motion when torqued properly. By the time he went through all the numbers and material costs.. he was $20 cheaper than the Tarret's. Not worth it. Why saturate the market space when it is such a small space to begin with?


B

[Allen K. Littlefield]

Originally Posted by Brad Roberts

This is what I keep saying to myself when I see cheap *solutions* to problems a lot of us solved 10+ years ago: "there is no free lunch"

I had someone call me the other day asking if I would buy his drop links with heims made in Mexico. I said sure, the machining of the alum is not the expensive part of the equation, it is the good heims and the two spacers on each side of the heim that allow the heim full range of motion. There is a lot of torque on the two spacers (64lbt-ft?) and most snap off the small lip needed to allow the heim full motion when torqued properly. By the time he went through all the numbers and material costs.. he was $20 cheaper than the Tarret's. Not worth it. Why saturate the market space when it is such a small space to begin with?


B

Brad, I wonder why anybody would want to peddle an inferior product that may lead to injury and the following lawsuits? Seems like these links are quite a liability.

Thanks again,

AKL