Re: Sway Bar

[Toby Erkson <Toby_Erkson@mail.intel.com>]

Depends on how you drive; how do you drive?

If you like taking corners faster than most people then you would benefit from 
an after-market front anti-sway bar and stiffer rear torsion bars.  Since the 
torsion bar replacement isn't an easy task the best would be to get a front sway
bar.  I found mine in JC Whitney and they are 19mm.  Remember, the T3 came with 
a sway bar built in to the front torsion housing -- it's located in the upper 
tube.

The anti-sway bar helps to keep the body from rolling when you turn the car.  
Other items to consider to improve handling are:  Wider tires, low profile 
tires, stickier tires, firmer torsion bars, firmer shocks, lower center of 
gravity (lower the car), and rack and pinion steering (sorry, it's just a 
conversion I'm thinking of :)

We are lucky (?) in that the engine is over the rear power wheels so we get 
excellent weight transfer and maximum traction for cornering, much like our 
Porsche 911 and 912 cousins (but we can *really* hold four people comfortably!).
 Of course, once the tires break traction that tail will really swing...(been 
there, hated that :(  )

    Toby Erkson
    air_cooled_nut@pobox.com  <-- Please use this address for email responses
    '72 VW Squareback 1.6L bored and stroked to 2.0L
    '75 Porsche 914 1.8L, ORPCA member
    Portland, Oregon, http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/8501/

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Sway Bar
Author:  type-3-errors@umich.edu at SMTPGATE_MIME
Date:    2/9/98 9:00 PM

How can I tell if a sway bar would improve my handling?  Will it no 
matter what?  What signs means I might need one?

charles
'69 fastback