Sway bar question

[spindlecone]

Nothing wrong with experimenting if you have the time i guess, but it's pretty clear (to me anyway) that the bar isn't going to function any differently if mounted upside down. It's still preventing side to side axle movement.

Correct me if I am wrong, but swaybars have nothing to do with axle movement.
They have everything to do with body roll.
To experiment with what I consider a critical componant of a highway driven vehical is just downright dangerous.
Chassis design is automotive engineering science, is a reason for mounting the bar as intended.

 

[Hartman]

OK is mounting the bar upside down going to create a **significant** difference in body roll? I doubt it. It's still a solid bar attached to the axle with end links attached to the frame.

 

[spindlecone]

OK is mounting the bar upside down going to create a **significant** difference in body roll? I doubt it. It's still a solid bar attached to the axle with end links attached to the frame.

I doubt anyone on this forum knows for sure but why even try?
Suspension geometry is a science.
People can say:I doubt it would make a diff, but make an evasive move at 70 MPH, and end upside down, than you might be saying: I wonder if that was contributory.
You can run your shocks mounted upside down, they will work fine, my question is, Why.
Just because you can, in no way makes it right, until an expert can chime in, do some actual testing on a track, measure body roll etc.
To do something in the guise of an experiment, could be very dangerous.

 

[aldive]

I doubt anyone on this forum knows for sure but why even try?
Suspension geometry is a science.
People can say:I doubt it would make a diff, but make an evasive move at 70 MPH, and end upside down, than you might be saying: I wonder if that was contributory.
You can run your shocks mounted upside down, they will work fine, my question is, Why.
Just because you can, in no way makes it right, until an expert can chime in, do some actual testing on a track, measure body roll etc.
To do something in the guise of an experiment, could be very dangerous.

Do you ever learn when to stop making trouble?

 

[Turdle]

Spindle,c'mon
You know as well as I that flipping a bar doesn't affect it's twist resistance.
Now your hose experiment, well I think you are on to something. Maybe you ought to spend some more time on it.

 

[spindlecone]

Do you ever learn when to stop making trouble?

Mr Franklin
I am not making trouble, you do not tolorate being questioned.
Your experiment could be off the wall dangerous Al, thats all I am saying.
I will always wonder and ask questions.
If my questions anger you, than don't read them.
Every time I question any of your posts, it is me making trouble, thats BS.
I questioned your great acetone experiment because people on other forums started having problems with corrosion and seal failure, you took great umbarrage at my questions, they were questions Al. was not starting trouble.
Alot of what you post is very usefull, educational info.
Some is off the wall IMO, and those I will question.

 

[Hartman]

I agree that the bar should be installed the right way, there's no reason to install it upside down. Pretty obvious that you're not going to gain anything by flipping it. I am saying, though, that if someone mounted the bar upside down, this is not going to be a direct cause of an accident.

You're overthinking this.

 

[Turdle]

Well I'm going to install 2 swaybars 1 upside down.
Then I'll have anti - anti- roll

 

[spindlecone]

I agree that the bar should be installed the right way, there's no reason to install it upside down. Pretty obvious that you're not going to gain anything by flipping it. I am saying, though, that if someone mounted the bar upside down, this is not going to be a direct cause of an accident.

You're overthinking this.

Your a smart Guy Hartman, and I would assume that the swaybar orientation would make no diff (is an assumption)
My bro was killed in a highspeed accident a few yrs back, he had no rear swaybar as he was an offroad type, dumb on his part granted.
And yes i do overthink most things

 

[aldive]

A trip to North Florida as well as one to Tampa with the bar upside down showed absolutely no difference in handling or ride quality.

After about 800 miles with the bar inverted, this morning I reinstalled the bar in the correct position.

 

[gijoecam]

Well I'm going to install 2 swaybars 1 upside down.
Then I'll have anti - anti- roll

Well, if a double-negative makes it a positive (from math class) then mathematically speaking, an anti-anti-sway bar setup *should* cause the vehicle to invert itself, no?



The whole question is ridiculous. No, mounting it upside down has ZERO effect on the spring rate of the torsion bar. It *can*, on some vehicles, affect the spring rate if the angle between the link and the bar changes when mounted upside-down. The force the bar puts out is strictly a function of the angle of twist applied to it.

Now, with that in mind, Can it affect the performance?? Sure, it CAN. Does it? Depends. There is no blanket statement for that one that covers all the answers.

Al, if it's not too late, can you snap a few pics of the end links in both positions?

-Joe

 

[Hartman]

gijoe, i think al was specifically concerned with the rear bar, not the front. but i agree with you.

 

[aldive]

Al, if it's not too late, can you snap a few pics of the end links in both positions?

-Joe

Joe,

Its too late for the picture in the inverted position. However, if memory serve me, the link position did not change in either position.

 

[FROADER]

Why do you continue to attempt to stir up trouble? There are some who do and some who only want to cause trouble.

Mr Franklin
I am not making trouble, you do not tolorate being questioned.
Your experiment could be off the wall dangerous Al, thats all I am saying.
I will always wonder and ask questions.
If my questions anger you, than don't read them.
Every time I question any of your posts, it is me making trouble, thats BS.
I questioned your great acetone experiment because people on other forums started having problems with corrosion and seal failure, you took great umbarrage at my questions, they were questions Al. was not starting trouble.
Alot of what you post is very usefull, educational info.
Some is off the wall IMO, and those I will question.

 

[Timmeh]

.

 

[spindlecone]

Thank god i am younger than Al and just have half ALzheimers

 

[Hartman]

oh my...

 

[Blee1099]

Nice wheels Al

 

['97 V8]

Well look at the bright side to this, it now seems a whole lot easier to change the diff fluid.

 

[kythri]

Do not in any way mean to hijack the thread, but my wifes gardening group asked me to run an experiment today, I think similar to the swaybar study.
We took a 50 ft rubber hose.
We cut off the female end, and the male end, I transposed the female end to what was orig. the male end, and connected the male end of the hose to the female end.
We saw differance in water flow.

Sounds like operator error.