Suspension hell (kinda long)

[nealtovsen@yahoo.com (Neal Tovsen)]

> 2. 16v rear sway bar can't be put on (maybe with
> heavy mods) due to bolts
> holes in wrong places (not by much, but enough) and
> the metal angle part
> connecting the cross member part to the arms being
> too long to put the big
> end sway bar brackets on.

This should bolt right up. I know plenty of people
have used the stock 16v swaybar on an 8v. I just saw
one in the junkyard this weekend. Which bolt holes are
misaligned? If the reinforcement triangles are in the
way, it sounds like you might be trying to put it in
the wrong place...?


> 3. Also realized that stock sway bars due jack s*&!t
> since they don't come
> out to the axle area itself ans stop before the bend
> occures in the arms.

This isn't the case at all. Think of it this way: the
entire rear beam is nothing more than a gigantic
swaybar with wheels attached to the ends! Thus, to
increase the roll stiffness, all you actually have to
do is stiffen the crossmember of the beam. A number of
VW racing/tuning shops (such as Shine) build swaybars
that are simply straight bars bolted into the
crossmember. I believe the factory A2 swaybar is like
this as well.

> Are the cables supposed to be 2 different lengths? 

It's been three years since I ordered mine, so I'm not
sure, but I think they are different...

> Top it all off with as soon as I went to
> test the one cable that
> was working, the little metal piece that holds the
> bracket for the 2 lines
> bent down and broke off so there is no way to keep
> tension on the cables as
> it just slipps off. (I could almost shoot the car
> right now) 

Been there, done that! That stupid e-brake handle
combined with the crappy e-brake mechanism on the
calipers are IMHO the most annoying and weak parts of
the car. You can either weld a new little hook onto
the e-brake handle, or get another handle out of the
junkyard.

I know your frustration, trust me! Just think of how
good the car will handle when it's all done. And it
WILL handle on rails!

Neal

=====
~Neal

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