Garage Storage Organization and Garage Cabinets

**crazymadbastard** · 11-23-2006, 11:50 AM

Hey Steve, I have a 92, 2.5t1 that I am modding as time and $ allows too. Suspension is a definate for me in the spring. Our convertibles have a metal plate that goes from each rear quarter in the trunk. I think maybe reinforcing with braces might help out.

**crazymadbastard** · 11-23-2006, 11:53 AM

This sounds like a nice project:

[quote=GLHNSLHT2]Or get the front sway bar hiem jointed at the ends. It's about $60 in parts but by allowing the bar to move easily through it's range of travel it won't bind and lift that inside tire. I did it to mine and it's an awesome improvement. The car no longer needs a limited slip differential it's that good. I've been able to increase cornering speeds by 20-25MPH on some of the high speed sweeping on-ramps I normally take.
QUOTE]

Do you have a link on a how to?

Dodgeboy77 · 11-24-2006, 09:58 AM

GLHNSLHT2 - Like crazymadbastard, I was curious about your Heim joint trick, too. I can't visualize it but it sounds like a great mod. Details? There are all kinds of geometry conflicts in that control arm/sway bar system. Thanks,
Bill

GLHNSLHT2 · 11-24-2006, 11:38 AM

well no how too really. Let's see if this link works. http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF...8429&PMCTLG=00
I got the part #35398809. It's a 1/2-20 female thread and a 1/2-20 stud sticking out of the hiem joint. Basically it looks like a little tie rod end with a hiem joint. I cut the ends of the sway bar off so the female threads will line up with one of the factory holes in my 89-90 control arms and the stud screwed into the end of the sway bar that I've drilled and tapped. I think I took like an 1 1/2 off the ends of the sway bar.

To connect the female end to the control arms I just get a 1/2-20 bolt with poly bushings on each side of the control arms. A washer goes between the bolt head and the poly bushing obviously then on the bottom I have a nother washer and a jam nut. Once I get the bolts started into the ends of the heims I crank the jam nuts down and then turn the bolt so they suck all the way into the female end of the heim. You kinda have to go from side to side and work them up but it's not too bad.

I'm still working on some of it. I'd like to get a bit thinner poly bushing so I can add another jam nut so I can jam against the female end since I was stupid and didn't use a pilot drill on the sway bar and one hole is a bit higher than the other. But it doesn't seem to affect performance at all, I just don't want the bolt and hiem twisting on one side like they do.

If someone can post a pic here I can send them a pic I took with my phone that makes it a bit easier to see, but at the moment I don't have any place to host pics to link to.

**crazymadbastard** · 11-24-2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLHNSLHT2

If someone can post a pic here I can send them a pic I took with my phone that makes it a bit easier to see, but at the moment I don't have any place to host pics to link to.

I can put it up at photobucket. if you want you can text it to my cell at 203-231-2112. Or email it to winortega At excite dot com.

thanks!

GLHNSLHT2 · 11-24-2006, 02:39 PM

should be in your email box now

**crazymadbastard** · **here are the goods :**

Thanks

Travis_k · 11-24-2006, 10:51 PM

Hmm, i like that idea, i think i will be doing that on my car.

I think i will try to make the adjustable though, if there is enough room.

GLHNSLHT2 · 11-24-2006, 11:18 PM

what do you mean "adjustable"??

**crazymadbastard** · 11-25-2006, 08:22 AM

Do you think the threaded collar could be cut so it does not stick down as much?

Travis_k · 11-25-2006, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLHNSLHT2

what do you mean "adjustable"??

So you can adjust the distance between the a-arm and the end of the swaybar.

**crazymadbastard** · 11-25-2006, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis_k

So you can adjust the distance between the a-arm and the end of the swaybar.

Maybe cut the collar and have a threaded rod tig welded on.

GLHNSLHT2 · 11-25-2006, 11:52 AM

well 1st off, I have no problems with it being as low as it is. The pics make it look lower I think. It's right at the centerline of the tire so you'd really have to do something stupid to hit it. 2nd you could get a shorter poly bushing and suck it up another 1/2" with a shorter bolt but for now and what I had lying around it works great. It's adjustable in that if you want to preload one side you can very easily. But I have it set at nuetral right now and don't have any plans on preloading a side. I can spin both fronts totally equal for as long as I can keep them spinning. It doesn't matter if the road is rough or crowned. Although on a big crowned road it's a bit scary cause the front starts sliding towards the ditch pretty quick

Ya know now that I think about it you don't have to get a female heim joint. You can get one with a male end and just do that. I don't know why I didn't go that route. I guess I was just thinking I needed a bolt to hook them up. Oh well, live and learn

At least it works great.

Travis_k · 11-25-2006, 12:37 PM

Did you need a special drill or tap to cut the swaybar meterial? Or will a normal one work.

**crazymadbastard** · 11-25-2006, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis_k

Did you need a special drill or tap to cut the swaybar meterial? Or will a normal one work.

Yeah, was it a biatch to drill that bar. By the way the questions are just that, not critiques. Thanks to you we have more options.