Installed the rear swaybar over the weekend...wow!

[JohnM]

Cal Cruiser - I agree with your handling analysis. I was prepared for the possiblity of more understeer with the addition of the [stock]rear bar and was pleasantly surprised that it is not an issue - like you say at 8 or 9/10's. I feel that with the rear bar, the handling is improved so much that you can push the car to the tires limits comfortably, whereas before the suspension was mushy on turn in and reduced predictability as to the limits.

Others will, and have, disagreed on the theory of more rear roll stiffness creating a bias toward understeer, but that's what makes the world go round.

JohnM

[kgdptblue]

Okay, I'm not ashamed to admit that this whole suspension thing has me confused as can be. So on my 03 GT I have the eiabach sport springs and I just orderd a set of Koni's now if I were to order the Eiabach sway bar kit say from Wycoff what else would I need for the sway bar kit to install? Also what setting on the Koni's? Don't want to firm on this daily driver..
Thanks! [8)]

[SteelBlueGT]

I would start out on the softest setting and see if that is OK for the shocks and struts. If you feel you can handle more stiffness tighten em up to next level and so on. In my youth I would start at the other extreeme and hardly ever change. Two things happened over the years, my tolerance for pain decreased and the new technologies made stiff very stiff.

[go-vair]

A friend and I installed rear swaybars on our GT's. Instead of using the oem bolt that holds the bar to the rear axle, use a 2" long stud, 3/8 dia.( its about .020 smaller the the oem bolt) and put the back nut on the stud and then inserting the bolt thru the bushing bracket and then put the outside nut on. Works slick, and if you have a hard time holding the nut inside the bracket that hold the assembly to the axle, the 2" in stud is long enough to put a pair of vice grips on the tip of the stud to hold while tighting the nut.

[go-vair]

Hey MCRUZ, if you don't understand what I meam, let me know, will try to explain better. This approach make it easy to install the bar, because you don't have to fight the hidden nut, which has been the big bugabo on putting the bar on the "03's and '04's. This makes the 3rd bar(oem)I have installed on the PT's, got smart after the first.

[Cal Cruzer]

quote:Originally posted by go-vair

A friend and I installed rear swaybars on our GT's. Instead of using the oem bolt that holds the bar to the rear axle, use a 2" long stud, 3/8 dia.( its about .020 smaller the the oem bolt) and put the back nut on the stud and then inserting the bolt thru the bushing bracket and then put the outside nut on. Works slick, and if you have a hard time holding the nut inside the bracket that hold the assembly to the axle, the 2" in stud is long enough to put a pair of vice grips on the tip of the stud to hold while tighting the nut.

Hey, good idea.

Has anyone been able to bet the clamshell bottom into that little slot it's supposed to be in? I couldn't get mine in there and still start the bolt. If I use a stud like this I should be able to. Thanks.

[PTGT Redman]

The bar retiner bolt is tough to work on, but do-able...just takes time to tighten it down. Issue is when the bolt is tightened down, keeping a wrench on the nut becomes a problem.
I've had my Eibach's on with the stock endlink setup for a few months and love the difference.
Koni's are in the future once the Tokico stocks burn out.

[kgdptblue]

Thanks Guys! Haven't been on in awhile so it's great to know you all are still out there!
[8D]

[go-vair]

I've heard the same thing about guys having trouble getting the bracket into the slot, I must have been lucky, because all of mine went in fine. Might help to put the two pieces together and flatten the bottom of bracket with a few hits with a hammer on a vice or such.

[ptgtcb]

quote:Originally posted by Cal Cruzer


Has anyone been able to bet the clamshell bottom into that little slot it's supposed to be in? I couldn't get mine in there and still start the bolt. If I use a stud like this I should be able to. Thanks.

I installed my eibach swaybars tonight after work and I have to say this is one of the best improvements I have made so far! I really felt uncomfortable pushing this car around corners, but not anymore, now I am ready for our pt club's hwy 49 cruise this weekend!

Chrysler is nuts when they say that the addition of a rear swaybar is dangerous, I think it should be the other way around! Did you know when you order the rear bar mounting parts it directs the parts guy to a TSB 02-004-02 through a global parts order processing service repair tips document, crazy [:0]!

If you do not install the bracket in the slot you are going to bend and break the brackets and the bar is not going to work like it should either!

I did not have any problem with the bracket. I installed the brackets into the slot with the forward bracket flipped down and then slid the bar/bushing in. I used a needle nose vise grip and clamped it closed. I just used a open end wrench to hold the nut behind the mounting bracket and just lined up the hole in the bracket with the nut. Took about 1 1/2 hour to install the front and rear bars.

It is very important that you tighten everything up when the vehicles weight is resting on the suspension! I have to admit, it is a lot easier when you have a lift and alignment rack at your disposal !