Rear sway bar

With a swing axle rear suspension you should use a camber compensator rather than a sway bar.  Carey Hines generally recommends the CB Performance one.

The sump won't get in the way. The bar mounts off of the trans horns and the bottom ends of the shocks. I have one that I'm not using pm me if you are interested.

Ted

I thought about the camber compensator but thought that the 1.5 engine sump would get in the way, that is why I considered the sway bar.

 

Thank you.

Gary

The sump won't get in the way of the camber compensator, it runs in-line with the axles under the trans. You do want to be using a camber compensator with a swing-axle, not an anti-roll bar.

The compensator resists the jacking forces that can cause rear wheel tuck which will result in a spin or rollover. An anti-roll bar will make the jacking effect occur faster and can make things worse when used with a swing axle.

Get one with the straps over the axles.

I also have the one from CB Performance on my Beck...works great!

http://www.cbperformance.com/P...asp?ProductCode=2819

 

Dan, is your Beck lowered in the rear and if so, did you experience any lifting of the rear after installing the CB compensator?  Several members say the CB type compensator raised the rear of the car 1" or so.  The EMPI saddle type compensator does not experience this lifting effect.  

I have the CB compensator and it didn't raise my car.

Yes, one with straps over the axles could raise the ride height of a lowered car as it will try to pull the axles down. One without straps can't do that, but they are also less effective. You could always reindex the torsion bars to get the height back down.

I wonder could a cc with straps over the axles pulling them down cause (some) positive camber??

Sure, depending on the unloaded shape of the transverse spring and where it mounts to the transaxle/frame.  If it is a flat or curved slightly down bar and mounted far enough below the centerline of the axles, it will tend to pull down on the axles forcing the camber to go positive (this is called "pre-load").  The original 356 Super 90 pre-load bar looked like the one sold by 356 Enterprises (scroll down a bit here:  http://www.356enterprises.com/...ensionAndBrakes.html), attached to the lower shock mounts and easily had the capability to pre-load the axles by screwing the Heim ends up or down, if that's what you wanted for your application.

 

In VW sedan and dune buggy racing, I have seen camber compensators (at least three different styles), a "Z-Bar" and an anti-roll bar used, all on swing axle cars and each for a different application and/or effect.  IIRC, MUSBJIM had an anti-roll bar on his white, swing-arm Speedster, too.

 

On my swing-arm autocross buggy, I had a full rear anti-sway bar that was mounted to the rear torsion tube and the ends mounted to the lower shock mounts with adjustable dog bones.  THAT worked the best.  Then I went to a Deserter buggy with IRS and that was a whole different world.

Gordon:  I asked the cc question as my rear wheels, at rest, have a bit of positive camber and I wouldn't mind a bit of negative camber.  I'm not sure my cc was correctly installed or is a good one.

Well, I believe it would be a cost wash between buying a rear camber compensator to drag your rear end down (maybe something Kim Kardashian could use, too) or paying someone to adjust your rear torsion bars downward a bit to the body height (and subsequent neutral to negative camber) that you want.

 

Personally, and since I've done this operation a lot and don't think it's a big deal, I would just figure out how much you want to drop the rear end height and just adjust the rear torsion bars/spring plates to give you the height and negative camber you want.  Any decent VW guy can do it - even easier if you follow my article in the Knowledge section (or give a copy to your wrench) since I've done the math for ya....

Gordon, actually I have adjustable spring plates and can raise and lower fairly easily.  I guess I don't really understand the camber adjustment process on a swing axle car like mine.

BTW........

 

A "camber compensator" is to be used AFTER you have set the rear end of the car to the desired height, based, I suppose for this forum, on how it 'looks'.  That has nothing to do with how it might handle (although, with a swing-arm car, lowering it can improve corner handling).  

 

Once the car is at the desired rear-end height and the camber compensator is installed properly (in a neutral (no load in either up or down direction) position), the CC will try to keep the inside wheel from moving down (negative) in very hard cornering while attempting to keep the car body flat with respect to the axle line of the car.  At the same time, it will attempt to keep the outside wheel from going up from cornering forces.  These two things, combined, try to keep the car body relatively flat in hard cornering, making it go through corners faster NOT because it limits body lean, but because it minimizes (as best it can) the tires from rolling up onto their sidewalls.

 

If all you want is a particular "look" and ride height for your rear end, just lower the rear of the car by adjusting the torsion bars.  Once you get it there and if you want it to handle better in the curves, install a camber compensator that can not only pull down the outside wheel by way of a strap over the axle tubes, but also push up the inside wheel by sliding along the bottom of the axle tube.  If that function happens with an anti-sway bar connected to the lower shock mounts by dog bones to hold the axles to the same plane (as best they can), just as good.

When I added my CB camber comp. it raised the rear about 1" and gave me some positive camber, which also reduced the wheel well clearance a bit. I removed it to pull the engine and do some other work, trans mounts etc. It was not replaced when the other work was done, and I saw no significant difference in handling or ride, so I left it off. I don't auto cross or push it really hard so your mileage may vary.

I thought about this also Al.  I don't want the positive camber and it wore one of my tires too much on the outside as a result.

If you want a camber compensator that will not increase ride height, get the EMPI saddle type compensator.  No strap to pull the axels down and does a similar job of protecting against rear wheel tuck.  They have been making this product for a long time.