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bobh
Jedi Warrior
Offline
I didn't make it to the Mitty last weekend. But I did complete a worth while improvement on the TR. I installed BPNW graphite impregnated poly bushings and ADDCO front and rear sway bars.
The new bushings replaced the original upper and lower fronts and the trailing arms. The internal part of the original bushings were like new. Only the flanged area that is outside of the pivot had cracked. The car has only 20K original miles so the bushings have not been through a lifetime of use.
I bought the sway bars from performancecenter.com. $272.18 delivered. In the past the ADDCO bars I've seen and used were cad or zinc plated. The typical yellow color. These are black, possibly powder coated. All bushings were red poly.
As "economy" sway bars they were a bit of a pain to install. On the front bar. the attachment plate between the lower A arm and the link is not quite as long as it should be. If the link is vertical, the heavy cupped washers that hold the bushings will interfere with the A arm. A slightly longer plate with a little more separation between the hole used to mount it to the A arm and the hole used to mount the link would allow for a vertical link and no interference.
In my case I mounted the bar further out on the skid plate to gain clearance. This put the links at a 3 or 4 degree angle off of vertical.
Drilling the skid plate was tough. I used a 1/8" bit, then a 1/4". On the first hole. When the 1/4" broke through the steel grabbed the bit and pulled the drill motor into the plate. This was quickly followed by a shower of coolant as the bit had penetrated the lower tank. (Dale, you are not alone)
The bright side of this is that removing the radiator gives you all the room in the world to work on the inside of the skid plate. Which turns out to be important for this installation. The bar mounts to the skid plate using 2 heavy duty U straps and 2 3/16" steel plates. The problem is these plates are flat while the skid plate has 2 slight bends. If you mount the plates on the outside, as the very paltry instructions implied, they would not seat flush on the skid plate. Having the radiator out allowed me to easily put the mounting plates in the inside of the skid plate. I was able to draw the plate into the skid plate with the mounting bolts. bending it to match the contour of the skid plate.
Oh yes! There is already a 3/8" hole in the skid plate on each side near the holes used to hold the factory swat bar U bolts. The instructions lead you to believe is to be used for mounting the bar. I found this hole to be of no use. It's location is totally wrong for use in mounting the bar. Even with properly sized A arm mounting plates this hole is of no use.
The rear bar presents it's own challenges. The mounting straps are held onto the frame using square U bolts. (I hope that describes them) The instructions, which again are a monument to uselessness, say to mark the frame, drill both holes for mounting the straps. Partially thread one of the locking nuts onto the U bolt. then push the other end into one of the holes and maneuver it around until you see it in the other hole and pull it through. I have heard of one individual who was successful in using this technique. Although I believe he mentioned having to elongate the hole to get the "other end" through. Keep in mind this is a fully boxed area of the frame. I tried for quite a while before taking the advice of another owner on another forum. I drilled through the top of the frame, went to Lowe's and bought 4 4" high grade bolts and bolted through the frame. I also used hardened washers under the nyloc nuts, which are on the top side of the frame. I plan to make up a pair of 1/4" thick plates to replace the washers.
Was it worth the effort? Without a doubt! The front bar is 7/8" the rear is 3/4" The handling in turns is great! Almost phenomenal compared to stock. Very little lean and well balanced. I still run the stock springs. The ride is still just as good as before. IMHO it did not increase noise or harshness. The wife's Miata still handles better than the TR, but all things considered this improvement closed the gap quite a bit.
If you're considering upgrading the front and adding a rear sway bar I recommend you do it. If you're on a budget go for the ADDCO bars. The cost for the pair was about half the cost for the popular premium bars.
The new bushings replaced the original upper and lower fronts and the trailing arms. The internal part of the original bushings were like new. Only the flanged area that is outside of the pivot had cracked. The car has only 20K original miles so the bushings have not been through a lifetime of use.
I bought the sway bars from performancecenter.com. $272.18 delivered. In the past the ADDCO bars I've seen and used were cad or zinc plated. The typical yellow color. These are black, possibly powder coated. All bushings were red poly.
As "economy" sway bars they were a bit of a pain to install. On the front bar. the attachment plate between the lower A arm and the link is not quite as long as it should be. If the link is vertical, the heavy cupped washers that hold the bushings will interfere with the A arm. A slightly longer plate with a little more separation between the hole used to mount it to the A arm and the hole used to mount the link would allow for a vertical link and no interference.
In my case I mounted the bar further out on the skid plate to gain clearance. This put the links at a 3 or 4 degree angle off of vertical.
Drilling the skid plate was tough. I used a 1/8" bit, then a 1/4". On the first hole. When the 1/4" broke through the steel grabbed the bit and pulled the drill motor into the plate. This was quickly followed by a shower of coolant as the bit had penetrated the lower tank. (Dale, you are not alone)
The bright side of this is that removing the radiator gives you all the room in the world to work on the inside of the skid plate. Which turns out to be important for this installation. The bar mounts to the skid plate using 2 heavy duty U straps and 2 3/16" steel plates. The problem is these plates are flat while the skid plate has 2 slight bends. If you mount the plates on the outside, as the very paltry instructions implied, they would not seat flush on the skid plate. Having the radiator out allowed me to easily put the mounting plates in the inside of the skid plate. I was able to draw the plate into the skid plate with the mounting bolts. bending it to match the contour of the skid plate.
Oh yes! There is already a 3/8" hole in the skid plate on each side near the holes used to hold the factory swat bar U bolts. The instructions lead you to believe is to be used for mounting the bar. I found this hole to be of no use. It's location is totally wrong for use in mounting the bar. Even with properly sized A arm mounting plates this hole is of no use.
The rear bar presents it's own challenges. The mounting straps are held onto the frame using square U bolts. (I hope that describes them) The instructions, which again are a monument to uselessness, say to mark the frame, drill both holes for mounting the straps. Partially thread one of the locking nuts onto the U bolt. then push the other end into one of the holes and maneuver it around until you see it in the other hole and pull it through. I have heard of one individual who was successful in using this technique. Although I believe he mentioned having to elongate the hole to get the "other end" through. Keep in mind this is a fully boxed area of the frame. I tried for quite a while before taking the advice of another owner on another forum. I drilled through the top of the frame, went to Lowe's and bought 4 4" high grade bolts and bolted through the frame. I also used hardened washers under the nyloc nuts, which are on the top side of the frame. I plan to make up a pair of 1/4" thick plates to replace the washers.
Was it worth the effort? Without a doubt! The front bar is 7/8" the rear is 3/4" The handling in turns is great! Almost phenomenal compared to stock. Very little lean and well balanced. I still run the stock springs. The ride is still just as good as before. IMHO it did not increase noise or harshness. The wife's Miata still handles better than the TR, but all things considered this improvement closed the gap quite a bit.
If you're considering upgrading the front and adding a rear sway bar I recommend you do it. If you're on a budget go for the ADDCO bars. The cost for the pair was about half the cost for the popular premium bars.
