I was sent a sway bar and bushings from Vintage. I have a message into them as well, but does this pic look right? They sent me a 1/2 in bar with 3/4 inch bushings. They said they are sending me smaller bushings but I have looked onlkne everywhere and dont see where anyone even makes 1/2 in bushings for this??? Thoughts? The pic shows one at Vintage, but there is obviously a HUGE gap between the bushing and the sway bar the bushings are holding.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I have a 3/4" sway bar (Add-Co or Sway-a-Way?) and bushings fit pretty tightly. I like the stainless adjusters on the VS shown. That one will need the bumper mounting bolt cut off before its let down from lift. Picture is of mine before I modified the front bumper brackets. If one goes with a 3/4" it is recommended to add one to the rear too (I did).
Yeah, it looks like you'll have to do several things before that is a safe installation:
1. turn the bumper bracket bolts around (put the head on the front end) to gain clearance for the sway bar.
2. Cut a clearance notch into the bumper bracket about 3" tall and big enough front-to-back to allow the sway bar to clear when the wheels (and trailing arms) drop down (making the front end of the bar go up) and;
3. Get the proper bushings from whomever. You have 3/4" bushings with a 3/8"-1/2" bar in them - nothing much holding it in and it will probably fall out once underway and you don't want THAT, do you? Looks like poor quality control in the shipping dept. I think anyone on here with a front sway bar will tell you that it fits very snugly into the bushings - no extra clearance at all. And don't forget to lubricate the bushings and bar. They tell you to use "special" urethane grease (which looks suspiciously like plain, old silicon grease) but I have found CV joint grease to work better and is quieter ( less creaking), longer.
Other than those things, your installation looks OK.
I have never heard the recommendation that "if you have a front 3/4" bar then you'll need a corresponding rear 3/4" bar". Will it be better? Maybe, depending on how hard you drive it. Will it make your car ride harder? Definitely. Do you abolutely need a rear bar with a front one? No.
No, it does not look right. Bushings need to be snug. Ditto on the long bolt.
That is not my car just a picture they sent me to show what they do...exacsent why I put this on there...even I am too smart for that!
Believe I read Frt and Rear guidence in the VW Beetle Performance Book by Seume - but can't locate book now.
Here's what AirCooled Tech says -
Stock VWs came with only a front sway bar – no sway control in the rear. If you want to improve your handling by upgrading your sway bars, upgrade the one in front first, or do front and rear together. But never add one ONLY to the rear without simultaneously upgrading the front. If you put a Rear Sway Bar on a car with no sway bar up front, or one with a stock sized front bar, the handling will be unpredictable, and it’s not recommended. If you only have the money to add just ONE bar, make sure to upgrade the front! You can then upgrade the rear at a later time without issue!
