turbo swaybar w/GC endlinks on my NA BF

[90LegAWD]

i picked up an OEM turbo wagon rear swaybar from a legacycentral member, and installed it today.

instead of swapping over new lateral links and using crappy drop links, i converted it over to the GC/WRX style "C" style endlinks. i welded on 4 "tabs" to the NA lateral links, and positioned them appropriately.

it's not the best pic, but you get the idea:
(link if pic doesn't work -> click)



the OEM plastic C links are pretty flexy, and it would be a good idea if you do this mod to upgrade them to something like this:



or if you want, pick up a set of adjustable endlinks to change preloading

but for now, it's working great. it was well worth it for the $100 i spent on everything

[jamal]

I have no rear swaybar, and that's what I was thinking of doing, but I was just going to find some of the newer lateral links with those tabs. I'm interested in seeing the pictures, but it says that you're stealing bandwidth. If you need somewhere to host them you can upload them to imageshack.us or send them to me.

How much do you think it matters for them to be welded on correctly? I've see those endlinks that attach to the hub, and wonder if finding some of them would be easier than changing the lateral links.



Oh, here we go, like these

Kind of looks to me like you're leeching that other pic on there, too.

[90LegAWD]

i have never seen where the hub mounted endlink brackets bolt to, so i'm not sure if they'd work on BFs

[jamal]

I think between the hub and the lateral link.

[90LegAWD]

well, if they'll work, then that'd be sweet. no welding, and you have adjustable endlinks.

$169 is a bit pricy tho

[professor]

you should not forget the benefits of much fresher bushings, should you get the lateral links from a newer wrecked gc impreza.

I paid only $35 for them. I frankly wouldn't know what to do with adjustable lateral links, except pay the man $100 for a four-wheel alignment, in addition to the $169 I already paid. I know there are benefits if you are lowered a lot or running really wide rubber, but if not you'll just end up with them adjusted to the same length as the stockers.

The job is not hard but arm yourself with a good breaker bar, 17, 19, and 22mm sockets and 17 and 19mm open ends, and soak the relevant bolts and nuts with penetrant for a week, once a day. It took me about 4 hours to do the job, but that includes replacing the rear struts as well.

[90LegAWD]

i'm not referring to adjustble lateral links, i'm referring to adjustable swaybar endlinks. the $169 is for the adjustable swaybar endlinks ONLY.

it's like $850 i think for the lateral links and endlinks.

the bushings on my OEM lateral links still look great anyway. i've only got ~115k on the chassis

[professor]

I don't really see where adjusting the length of the endlinks does any good, anyway. It would only tend to put the resting angle of the bar at something other than parallel to the ground. I can't really see any advantage in that. And you'd probably start hitting stuff pretty soon if far diferent than stock position.

You'd never want the length of one different than the other side unless circle track racing.

[90LegAWD]

oh yeah, it's beneficial.... preloading!

you can actually compensate for the weight of the driver/battery/equipment/etc and perfectly balance the car by adjusting the endlinks on the swaybars

[jamal]

You could probably adjust the camber and the toe in more with them, too. I don't know much about alignment, though.


I hear that about taking off the lateral links. I went to a u-pull-it and couldn't get the lateral links off. I wasn't sure if they'd fit at the time so I didn't want to pay the guy to do it. They're probably still there. I should stop by when I'm home for break in a week or so.