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Sway Bar Locators

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10musketeer

10musketeer

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I'm trying to piece together the P.O.'s front sway bar situation, and am curious. Do the locators go outside of the bushings or inside? The diagrams don't seem to be very specific. What exactly do they do? They don't look strong enough to prevent very much movement.
 
Good topic - I'm gonne fit my '63 with a sway bar & wil have the same type questions!
 
Best I can do right now, it's freezing in the garage.
Does this help? If not, let me know and I can take a more specific pic if you need me to.
2996bb3aac2a8fb59c77ccbc74e0181d0_large.jpg
 
The locators go on the outside of the bushing. (See pic.)Even hoseclamps will work very well and will not slide. Remember, however, the bar must be able to slip around in order to transfer the weight from one side to the other; not side to side. The Delrin bushings need very little lube; plain rubber needs lots. Rubber grease is good for that.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]the bar must be able to slip around in order to transfer the weight from one side to the other; not side to side.[/QUOTE]
I thought there was supposed to be locators (Moss #263-778) right next to the bushings to keep it from sliding from side to side....I would think sliding keeps it from doing what its supposed to & negates even having it?
 
I thought a sway bar's main function was to keep a relative up and down movement between the two tires--keeping the two sides in sync.
 
healeyboz said:
I thought a sway bar's main function was to keep a relative up and down movement between the two tires--keeping the two sides in sync.
Click to expand...
...& I thought that, while sway bars do control body roll, their real purpose is to control the other end of the car and maintain traction. As an example, a front sway bar reduces oversteer because it is reducing body roll which improves the (inner) rear wheels traction. And it can only do that if it doesn't slide from side to side.

But I've been wrong before.
 
sway bars and panard bars work on the end they are attached to.

spring height is different, lower the right front corner raise the left rear.

Took me two months at the circle tracks to figure that out.
 
Absolutely true but they do transfer some action to the rear much as hitting the front left, let's say, in an accident, and the right rear may/will show a buckle. Rear sway bars are sometimes overkill. I use a 1 1/4 on the front of the Healey for autocrossing. Stressproof Steel, (copyright), Chicago. Heat it over and over and it will not lose its temper (and you won't either) Stiffer springs help but choose wisely. It took me several years to 'discover' the right combination of bars and springs. Recommend Fred Puhn's book, "How to Make Your Car Handle." I understand a new edition is out.
 
But I still don't think they're supposed to "slip around".
 
Not so sure I think they do slip from side to side. If so it would be very small like an eigth of an inch or so.
 
All true, but doesn't doesn't the transfer come from controlling the suspension? I mean, it is transferring weight/gravity/force. The sway is a by product--isn't it?
 
I think the only 'movement' laterally - if there is any - would be at the ball joints of the sway bar links, not the bar itself!
 
It keeps the wheels the same mostly. On hard cornering it does not allow the outside wheel to rise by trying to rise the inside wheel to match it. Thus both stay the same. In theory of course as there is still movement, just not as much.
 
But if the bar itself isn't locked down at the bushing point where its attached to the body - you might as well not have a bar, IMHO!
 
Right, the sway bar limits the lateral difference between the right and left side to transfer weight and reduce body roll. This in turn affects the rear as well--pushing and loose through turns.

Every action, equal and opposite.......

Like I said, I could be way off in my thinking here, just thought that was the way it worked and for many years. Please don't take this as a contradiction or a disagreement. I love learning how things really work. Happens all the time. Teach me otherwise great pumpkin! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
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