Rear Swaybar Endlinks Upgrade?
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- BraveUlysses
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Here's a question...
Fully adjustable end links are nice and all, but can someone help me grasp what the actual effects of adjusting them are? In other words, what affect does this have if you shorten the link? And what if you lengthen it? Will it make a significant difference in handling? Stiffness? Torque on the sway bar?
Fully adjustable end links are nice and all, but can someone help me grasp what the actual effects of adjusting them are? In other words, what affect does this have if you shorten the link? And what if you lengthen it? Will it make a significant difference in handling? Stiffness? Torque on the sway bar?
1988 ST165
1994 ST205 WRC
1994 ST205 WRC
- ChrisD
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If you change the length of the rods it shouldnt really* have any effect on the stiffness/strength of the swaybar.
The swaybars pivot at the bushings mounted to the car, no matter what you do with the endlink it doesnt change the pivot point. When you use shofter or longer links your changing the angle of where the bar sits. The angle the swaybar is at has no effect on its resistance to bending, when you grab both ends and push them in different directions (twisting the bar) it doesnt matter where its oriented.
That is as long as their's no interference with your other syspenion stuff/body.
If you adjust them differently from eachother you will preload the swaybar, basically making your car want to lean to one side.. Not sure why you would want to do this unless you were driving circle track or something.
The swaybars pivot at the bushings mounted to the car, no matter what you do with the endlink it doesnt change the pivot point. When you use shofter or longer links your changing the angle of where the bar sits. The angle the swaybar is at has no effect on its resistance to bending, when you grab both ends and push them in different directions (twisting the bar) it doesnt matter where its oriented.
That is as long as their's no interference with your other syspenion stuff/body.
If you adjust them differently from eachother you will preload the swaybar, basically making your car want to lean to one side.. Not sure why you would want to do this unless you were driving circle track or something.
Last edited by jprine01 on Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- jprine01
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shortening the sway bar endlinks will increase the torque on the sway bar and as such make the ride stiffer. It might also cause the rear to sit a fraction of an inch lower. Adjusting from side to side further enhances tuning the suspension to help with weight bias and roll tendancies. Usually, it is recommended that you adjust both end links to the same length unless you have a good feel for the effects and a track to test on. Remember, adjusting the swaybar links doesn't affect weight distribution, mearly the way the suspension responds to the weight as it shifts latterally.
- Glenn653
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shortening the sway bar endlinks will increase the torque on the sway bar and as such make the ride stiffer.
Can you explain how you came up with this?
Assuming your endlinks arnt bending at all.. If you move the strut (your tire) one inch upward, the endlink is pulling the swaybar up one inch.. Doesnt matter if your endlink is a half inch long or six inches long its only going to move one inch..
Oh and I dont belive the changing the ride height thing.

- jprine01
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The adjustability of the endlinks is nice because you don't have to try to fit OEM Mercedes links (which apparently don't make the cut).
In general, adjustable endlinks are useful for preloading the swaybar, if it has certain undesireable charataristics on hard launches. Pre-loading the swaybar has been an old trick for musclecar draggers to help with their off-the-line launches.
It won't do fuckall about ride height, at least in a useful sense.
In general, adjustable endlinks are useful for preloading the swaybar, if it has certain undesireable charataristics on hard launches. Pre-loading the swaybar has been an old trick for musclecar draggers to help with their off-the-line launches.
It won't do fuckall about ride height, at least in a useful sense.
- BraveUlysses
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Not sure on pre-loading the sway bar...it just pivots on the chassis...?
But yeah, my Mercedes ones are now toast on the first hard drive. The balls popped out of the joints. FYI, the car is rides like ass without the sway bar connected!

But yeah, my Mercedes ones are now toast on the first hard drive. The balls popped out of the joints. FYI, the car is rides like ass without the sway bar connected!


1988 ST165
1994 ST205 WRC
1994 ST205 WRC
- ChrisD
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- Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:30 am
- Location: Calgary AB Canada
Which year and set of Racing Beat end links should I order???
There are 3 options
Sway Bar End Links
90-97 (Front & Rear)
Sway Bar End Links
99-05 (Front)
Sway Bar End Links
99-05 (Rear)
Don't want to order the wrong ones, someone please help!
There are 3 options
Sway Bar End Links
90-97 (Front & Rear)
Sway Bar End Links
99-05 (Front)
Sway Bar End Links
99-05 (Rear)
Don't want to order the wrong ones, someone please help!

1988 ST165
1994 ST205 WRC
1994 ST205 WRC
- ChrisD
- Established Member
- Posts: 1628
- Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:30 am
- Location: Calgary AB Canada
- ChrisD
- Established Member
- Posts: 1628
- Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:30 am
- Location: Calgary AB Canada
chris_dittrick wrote:Here's a question...
Fully adjustable end links are nice and all, but can someone help me grasp what the actual effects of adjusting them are? In other words, what affect does this have if you shorten the link? And what if you lengthen it? Will it make a significant difference in handling? Stiffness? Torque on the sway bar?
Assuming you have had your car corner balanced on scales, your car will probably not sit flat. If this is the case, the sway bar will automatically be preloaded on one side. This will produce inconsistent handling anomalies. In other words, the car might turn better to the right, than the left. The adjustable links allow you to "fix the glitch." Mcmaster.com sells a spherical rod ends for a good price that can be used to make end links.
Adrian Avgerinos
90 Celica GT-V6
90 Celica GT-V6
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SBCelicaGT - Club Member
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chris_dittrick wrote:Which year and set of Racing Beat end links should I order???
There are 3 options
Sway Bar End Links
90-97 (Front & Rear)
Sway Bar End Links
99-05 (Front)
Sway Bar End Links
99-05 (Rear)
Don't want to order the wrong ones, someone please help!
Posted earlier in this thread (pg 2):
http://www.racingbeat.com/resultset.asp ... mber=54200
- BraveUlysses
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Thanks, received 'em yesterday. They look very nice and will work great. I only asked because nowhere did anyone state specifically that the 90-97's were the ones to get. By the looks of the instructions, I think you get a different washer set...minor difference I guess.


1988 ST165
1994 ST205 WRC
1994 ST205 WRC
- ChrisD
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- Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:30 am
- Location: Calgary AB Canada
Here are the endlinks I'll be using on the rear sway bar:
Teflon lined plastic (carbon fiber I think) races so I shouldn't need to worry about lube. Zinc coated so they shouldn't rust. The center section and the rest of the hardware came from Mazdaspeed Miata endlinks.

Teflon lined plastic (carbon fiber I think) races so I shouldn't need to worry about lube. Zinc coated so they shouldn't rust. The center section and the rest of the hardware came from Mazdaspeed Miata endlinks.
Adrian Avgerinos
90 Celica GT-V6
90 Celica GT-V6
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SBCelicaGT - Club Member
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BraveUlysses wrote:SBCelicaGT wrote:Here are the endlinks I'll be using on the rear sway bar:
[.img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/sbcelicagt/Celica%20V6/endlinks_compare.jpg[/img]
Teflon lined plastic (carbon fiber I think) races so I shouldn't need to worry about lube. Zinc coated so they shouldn't rust. The center section and the rest of the hardware came from Mazdaspeed Miata endlinks.
Doubtful that its carbon fiber in there, but they do look good.
Nope, they are. Look up part 2458K341 from McMaster-Carr:
Zinc-Plated Steel Housing and Ball, PTFE-Lubricated Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Race
It's not the bling bling woven carbon fiber you are thinking of. It's more like a graphite composite.
Adrian Avgerinos
90 Celica GT-V6
90 Celica GT-V6
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SBCelicaGT - Club Member
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- Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2004 8:36 pm
- Location: San Diego, CA
For those who went with the Racing Beat Miata endlinks, did the kit come with the nuts and bolts you now need to install them because the endlinks don't have a built-in stud like the stock ones?
Vincent
'90 ST185
'90 ST185
- b00staholic
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