here are some pics of the rear sway bar...

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6051/brokenboltjg6.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=brokenboltjg6.jpg)
first, the stupid bolt that broke

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9609/rightlinkageqb9.th.jpg (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rightlinkageqb9.jpg)
here's the front view of the left lower control arm mount and linkage

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1691/leftlinkagetd0.th.jpg (http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=leftlinkagetd0.jpg)
and here's the right one

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1962/exhaustclearancexr8.th.jpg (http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=exhaustclearancexr8.jpg)
here's the left chassis mount (that's my exhaust pipe!!)

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3410/rightsideqh0.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rightsideqh0.jpg)
and a picture of the right side, with the chassis mount and lower control arm mount visible

installation is pretty simple... using a 17mm spanner or socket, undo the rear (there's two) axle chassis mount nut, and attach the provided chassis mount. you need to do both sides. I suggest one at a time!

then, using that same 17mm spanner, undo the nut on the lower control arm. attach the lower control arm mount, and use the u-bolt to secure it to the lower control arm.

once you've done both sides, you're ready to prepare the bar for mounting. liberally apply lithium grease to the bushes, and attach them to the bar. there are mounting plates and u-bolts to attach the bar to the chassis mount. get someone to help you at this stage, as it's really hard to hold the bar and tighten nuts at the same time.

once you've got the bar attached to the chassis mounts, attach the linkages to the lower control arm mount. then it's a simple matter of lining it it up, selecting the setting you want, and bolting the bar to the linkages. don't overtighten (like I did!!), because you will snap a bolt! I highly recommend heading down to your local auto parts store and picking up some high tensile bolts.

now you're ready to enjoy improved handling and hardly any understeer!

I hope this is understandable enough.

cheers,
.wook

Thanks a lot for putting this up mate. :thumbsup:
Will come in handy later this year when I get around to installing mine.

Thanks for the pics, now that Ive seen it I believe that I would be able to install it without too much dramas.

Thx Mate.

Thanks for the info, do you have a part number for the bar as I'd like to put one on?
I just bought a whiteline front bar from autobarn $189.00 (strut tower brace part number KSB592)

cheers for the step by step mate. always good when someone does these. gives you a little more confidence to start "doing stuff"

Good work. Put this in the faq (if it still exists).

Vote 1 to sticky this thread.

That snapped bolt doesn't look like a high tensile bolt - it just looks like a mild-steel bolt, so I'm not surprised it snapped when it was over-tightened.

I would have expected a swaybar kit to include high tensile bolts - after all, the forces acting on the mounting bolts would be rather large when you're throwing the car around a corner...

Cheers,
Martin.

That snapped bolt doesn't look like a high tensile bolt - it just looks like a mild-steel bolt, so I'm not surprised it snapped when it was over-tightened.

I would have expected a swaybar kit to include high tensile bolts - after all, the forces acting on the mounting bolts would be rather large when you're throwing the car around a corner...

Cheers,
Martin.

They should be 8.8 high tensile bolts. Either it was faulty, or it was done up way tooooooo tight. Never let a Wookie work on your magnalenium falcon. :bowrofl:

P.S - Good work. It's a great sense of achievement to do it yourself. Now do the front swaybar. And then upgrade your hyperdrive. (Sorry)

They should be 8.8 high tensile bolts. Either it was faulty, or it was done up way tooooooo tight. Never let a Wookie work on your magnalenium falcon. :bowrofl:

P.S - Good work. It's a great sense of achievement to do it yourself. Now do the front swaybar. And then upgrade your hyperdrive. (Sorry)

yeah, pulled out the 3 other bolts over the weekend and one was stretched close to breaking. replaced with high tensile bolts.

cheers! I'm a bit concerned about doing the front sway bar, but will give it a go this week sometime.

on a side note, the read sway bar does have some clearance issues. it appears to be fouling on the lower axle control arm under load. I know someone mentioned this earlier, but it only started happening about a week after I installed it...

hmmm, maybe some longer linkages are needed?

cheers,
.wook

Update:

after talking to Whiteline and sending some pics of where the sway was hitting the control arm, they are sending me out some longer linkages. the original links were 110mm centre to centre, while these ones are 140mm.

they should be here today or tomorrow!

cheers,
.wook

Looking nice!

Just out of my own ignorance, a sway bar balances the springs more or less when you corner yeah? So the car stays more level, but only on instances where there is greater force on one side then the other?

What happens when you go over a speed bump or a hole where only one side is affected does it do strange things?

Or am I so far from the point of having sway bars that I'm confusing a sway bar with a place I get my drinks?

-Dave

Looking nice!
cheers!

Just out of my own ignorance, a sway bar balances the springs more or less when you corner yeah? So the car stays more level, but only on instances where there is greater force on one side then the other?
yes, the bar connects both sides of the suspension so that the forces are shared across the car. it is mostly for cornering, where body roll is drastically reduced because the whole suspension system is working as opposed to just one spring/damper.

What happens when you go over a speed bump or a hole where only one side is affected does it do strange things?
not really, at least not anything that you notice. if you hit a hole or bump while cornering hard you might get a little sideways. if it's just normal driving, you probably won't notice any difference.

Or am I so far from the point of having sway bars that I'm confusing a sway bar with a place I get my drinks?

-Dave
to me, the best aspect of the rear sway bar is that understeer is pretty much gone. I can corner much faster without losing grip at the front.

cheers,
.wook

^^Just to add to wookiee's excellent explanation, the sway bar will negate allot of the independence of the suspension (i.e IRS), but it is hardly noticeable in day to day driving, after a while your so used to it, it feels normal.

And I too can vouch for the understeer reduction of an upgraded rear sway bar. Very happy with this mod.

wookiee, what setting do you have your rear bar set on?
I'm currently on the softest of the three settings, but I think moving to the mid position would yield the best results for my setup.

ok, so I've finally got it all sorted (I hope).

first of all, big thumbs up to Whiteline for excellent customer service.

the longer linkages didn't fix the clearance problem. the bar was still hitting the trailing control arm. so Whiteline sent out a whole new bar. it arrived yesterday and was fitted by about 6pm.

then I threw 3 x 20kg bags of cement in the boot (the fuel tank was only 1/4 full) and went for a bit of a spirited drive. the bar used to hit as I went down my driveway onto the road (the soft kerb) and over the speed hump that's in my street. this time, nothing. so a few fast roundabouts and some heavy acceleration and braking (both used to cause hits) and still nothing.

the only difference I could discern between the old bar and the new one was that the last bend on both ends was significantly more acute. I have attached a (crappy) drawing of the bar for reference.

cheers,
.wook

ok, so I've finally got it all sorted (I hope).

first of all, big thumbs up to Whiteline for excellent customer service.

the longer linkages didn't fix the clearance problem. the bar was still hitting the trailing control arm. so Whiteline sent out a whole new bar. it arrived yesterday and was fitted by about 6pm.

then I threw 3 x 20kg bags of cement in the boot (the fuel tank was only 1/4 full) and went for a bit of a spirited drive. the bar used to hit as I went down my driveway onto the road (the soft kerb) and over the speed hump that's in my street. this time, nothing. so a few fast roundabouts and some heavy acceleration and braking (both used to cause hits) and still nothing.

the only difference I could discern between the old bar and the new one was that the last bend on both ends was significantly more acute. I have attached a (crappy) drawing of the bar for reference.

cheers,
.wook

What setting of the possible three (3), are you running yours on?

What setting of the possible three (3), are you running yours on?
the hardest setting. :badgrin:

the hardest setting. :badgrin:

Hehehe nice. Have you found any cercumstances where the car gets too tailly, or rather unexpected oversteer. I'd be worried about this in the wet.

Hehehe nice. Have you found any cercumstances where the car gets too tailly, or rather unexpected oversteer. I'd be worried about this in the wet.
not yet... it never rains here anyway! but I have had all four wheels break traction around a fast-ish corner. brought a huge smile to my face. much better than the straight line understeer that I used to get.

thanks! now i actually know wat one is....

i was too embaressed to ask hehe

not yet... it never rains here anyway! but I have had all four wheels break traction around a fast-ish corner. brought a huge smile to my face. much better than the straight line understeer that I used to get.

Hahah yeah I know what you mean. I'm pretty happy with mine on the softest of settings (compared to standard), but think that next level up would be good.

I just want a bit of lift-off oversteer (which I only currently get on off-camber corners), without it being too taily. I'll see how I go and report back.

Thanks for the feedback. :D

Here is an excerpt from the Whiteline Catalog

4/96-04 TE,TF,TH,TJ sedan FWD without OE rear swaybar BMF43 R 24 B BMR69 K 20 B
BMR69Z A K 20 D
BMR69XZ A K 22 D
4/96-04 TE,TF,TH,TJ sedan FWD with OE rear swaybar incl VRX Sports BMF43 R 24 B BMR70 R 22 B
BMR70Z A R 22 C
4/96-04 TE,TF,TH,TJ wagon FWD with 5 link rear end BMF43 R 24 B BMR67 K 22 B

1: Which ones came with Rear OEM Swaybar and which ones didn't?
2: Has anyone here done the rear swaybar on the Wagon? If so, why is it listed as a Kit? Is there any welding or such required?

On my corolla, to do the rear swaybar requries you to drop the fuel tank. U Magnaboyz should be happy you don't need to do that.

1: Which ones came with Rear OEM Swaybar and which ones didn't?
I know for sure that executive and advance models DON'T have an OEM rear sway bar.
it's possible that Sports have one (although less likely).
I would assume that VR-X and Ralliart come with one.
the only Verada that I would think likely to have one would be the GTVi.


2: Has anyone here done the rear swaybar on the Wagon? If so, why is it listed as a Kit? Is there any welding or such required?
I would say that none of the wagons came with OEM rear sway bars. there were only Exec, Advance and Sports versions of the wagons, which leads me to think that the Sports didn't come with one at all. there's no welding or cutting involved in the sedan installation, and I wouldn't think the wagon installation would be much different. just undo a couple of bolts, mount the mounting brackets, and attach the bar. seriously about 1 - 1.5 hrs work.


On my corolla, to do the rear swaybar requries you to drop the fuel tank. U Magnaboyz should be happy you don't need to do that.
try changing the front sway bar on a magna!!! that's not so much fun either.

cheers,
.wook

I it's possible that Sports have one (although less likely).


I can comfirm that the sports (TJ at least) did indeed come with a OEM swaybar.

my Verada GTVi has a rear oem bar but not sure if that is a std factory fit cause they put ralliart suspension in mine.
Hay Wookiee got any tips for the front bar?

Hay Wookiee got any tips for the front bar?

I have heard several different ways, but Shawn at Philcomm recommended loosening the engine mounts and jacking up the engine a little to give a bit more room. I haven't actually done my front one yet (I'm scared!!).

the official way to do it is to undo the engine pipe.

aside from that, I actually did try to take the OEM one off and had no joy undoing the nuts. they're on pretty tight!!

I might try again when I'm upgrading the brakes.

cheers,
.wook

sports and vrx are the same car (+/- bodykit)... so have the same sway bar....
is there a whiteline swaybar kit for AWD's yet tho?

AWD swaybar kit -- YES!! was available in 2005 as i bought the front and rear bars.

Did it in 2005 midyear. Bigger front bar and 18 mm adjustable rear bar.

The front bar is a pig to fit as the driveline has to be undone as well as the exhaust. Allow a day to do it yourself.

Rear is very easy. say 1 to 2 hours. Drop out old one, drop in new one.

IMHO the rear bar is too small. With standard AWD wheels and tyres it is OK, however with 17's or bigger there is still a bit too much weight transfer.
I suspect that a 20 mm bar would be just right.

I also did a camber kit and strut brace. The strut brace is really a waste of money, I suspect that it would be better spent on a pair of castor bushes instead.

If you are tight for money I recommend that you do the rear bar first, start on the centre setting, then wheels and tyres. I have just put new Dunlop Maxx's on - fantastic.
Then front bar, camber and castor kit together as well as a re-alignment.
My car has now done 60,000k's and definitely needs new shocks and springs. My thoughts are to go to Lows only as I do not want to compromise the front suspension travel. The tricky choice is the shock absorbers- SHMBO is giving me hell about this, however I suspect that my pay package will spring for a set of Koni Sport yellows.
Gerry

Hey, great guide.
I've got the right side lower control arm on then cracked the sads when I got to the chassis mount plus it was getting dark.

How on Earth do you stop the chassis mount from turning as you tighten the nut to 88nm ?

Hehehe nice. Have you found any cercumstances where the car gets too tailly, or rather unexpected oversteer. I'd be worried about this in the wet.

IMO no chance in hell with the kind of springrates your running, up the bar to the stiffest "setting" :) You want as much rear roll resistance as possible with a relatively under-sprung setup.

The setup I have now likes to oversteer in the wet, but that's with a setup that's set up that way - e.g 350lbs rear springs (about double the rate of King Lows). When I had King Lows (similar rates to your peddars I imagine) and the swaybar maxed out, oversteer was non-existent.



I just want a bit of lift-off oversteer (which I only currently get on off-camber corners), without it being too taily. I'll see how I go and report back.



You won't get proper lift-off oversteer behaviour in a magna without dramaticaly upping the rear spring rates (think along the lines of double what you have now). But then you introduce drawbacks such as a much harsher ride and far less predicatability (if you aren't used to it).

Your comment confuses me, as as far as I can tell off-camber corners promote more understeer in magnas.

when madmagna and i fitted my swaybar to my verada - the chasis mounting bolts were too short and did not protrude from the nut - so i took it off again. is this normal? how did you get around the problem?

Just out of my own ignorance, a sway bar balances the springs more or less when you corner yeah? So the car stays more level, but only on instances where there is greater force on one side then the other?



Yes the stiffer the swaybar, the more of the IRS behaviour you lose - but it's really not that noticeable with the Whiteline bar IMO.

Yes a swaybar reduces body roll, but in a way that is inherently flawed, which is why you can't just slap on an enormous swaybar and give your street car race-car handling. A swaybar actually exerts lifting force on the inside wheel under corners, and therefore you are very limited to how stiff you can go before your dramatically decrease grip at that end.

Also swaybars act as an undamped spring.

But for a street-car upsizing the swaybar is a good compromise to get some extra roll-resistance in, as its cheap, and doesn't affect ride quality as much as a stiffer spring does.

can someone put some pictures or drawings up, to show where exactly the bar attatches to the car, and runs (under the car) on a 3rd gen (executive), so i can design one :hmm:

this would be really helpfull.

Sorry for the threadmine, but this thread was incredibly useful when I was installing my swaybar today, thanks Wook!

what about how to install one on a car without an OEM rear swaybar...?

what about how to install one on a car without an OEM rear swaybar...?
ummm thats what this thread is about
judging by the pics it looks nothing like one replacing the factory one

ummm thats what this thread is about
judging by the pics it looks nothing like one replacing the factory one

Spot on mate. This thread is about the complete aftermarket swaybar kit.

to be honest you are better off doing what i did and get the back end from a sports or vrx with the factory bar

these whiteline ones cause too many issues

these whiteline ones cause too many issues

Like what? Yet to have any issues myself...

like what, the dodgy bunning brackets that do not allow your rear member bolts to tighten up to a sufficient thread depth for a start not to mention the poor mounting to the arm as well

lol now you mention it those U brackets are a little bit dodge, but it seems to have held up well so far

quick question to those of you that have it installed on possibly the stock magna or vrx springs..

after prolonged usage and heavy cornering (i'm aware of a couple of members tracking fairly stock vrx's so mainly from you guys), have you suffered any subframe damage?

subframe damage? What exactly? The bar is likely to warp before anything else

or the welds on the sway bar link breaking off the control arm..... not once..... 2 twice.... (2nd time the welds crack, didn't break off, first time the entire link broke off)

or the welds on the sway bar link breaking off the control arm..... not once..... 2 twice.... (2nd time the welds crack, didn't break off, first time the entire link broke off)

Damn... guess those stock bar brackets are a lot better lol :P

or the welds on the sway bar link breaking off the control arm..... not once..... 2 twice.... (2nd time the welds crack, didn't break off, first time the entire link broke off)

jeeezeus!

or the welds on the sway bar link breaking off the control arm..... not once..... 2 twice.... (2nd time the welds crack, didn't break off, first time the entire link broke off)

Did that happen on the TL or another car?

Did that happen on the TL or another car?

the TL.... the 2nd time was whilst in SA.... happened on the Wednesday night meet... when i turned into the car park, all i can hear and feel in the car is a CRUNCH!

here is my story....

Had bar fitted by myself... all seem good, one day poked head under car to adjust when i dropped the bar, the link came along with it... hmm odd...

had link rewelded and sway bar refitted all seems alright

was in SA on steve's dyno, he noticed the bar wasn't fitted properly so we had a fiddle, had it refitted thats when I could hear a CRUNCH ever time i turn up a drive way, had a check under the car and spotted the welds were cracking, had it rewelded whilst in SA but came back to fit the bar myself, so far nothing yet, which is always good.

Sorry for the threadmine, but this thread was incredibly useful when I was installing my swaybar today, thanks Wook!
Yes, I also found this thread invaluable when I fitted mine two weeks ago. Photo's speak a thousand words.

I replaced all bolts except the U bolts with high tensile and used new nylocks everywhere.
Nothings fallen off or broken yet. It does clunk on occasion however which I need to investigate.

subframe damage? What exactly? The bar is likely to warp before anything else


The tyres will give out before you can get remotely close to twisting subframes from lateral G forces.


or the welds on the sway bar link breaking off the control arm..... not once..... 2 twice.... (2nd time the welds crack, didn't break off, first time the entire link broke off)

Can this be confirmed though?

I know of 2 chassis that whiteline didn't do proper testing on and had to refund customers and pay for the repair bill. Where the D-links bolted onto the subframe, the bolts tore through the subframe... this specific vehicle required a subframe brace in addition which the swaybar had to bolt onto.

Just want to be 100%, i promised myself i wouldn't do up this car (as well as have to fix anything that breaks as a result of modding) but the results and testimonials from this forum for the magna sound good but i won't be replacing the vrx springs is all. I've had a quick look underneath, does look quite solid.

The next up upgrade from whiteline is an adjustable 22mm right? is this solid or hollow? and how thick is the stock series1 vrx and is it solid/hollow?

Thanks

Mine had the factory swaybar, and I upgrade it to...Swaybar-h/duty Blade adjustable (22mm) - BMR70Z
The original factory ones are 18mm from what I can tell, their both solid...

I also have heard of the stock bar mounts cracking. Cummins has re-welded his at least once.

but I guess the stock ones are better... :nuts:

I also have heard of the stock bar mounts cracking. Cummins has re-welded his at least once.

but I guess the stock ones are better... :nuts:
looks like i'm not the only one. I can't possibily be driving my car as hard as Cummins.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g35/z0mgluke/_MG_6461.jpg

Here's my Selby's kit that I installed :)

How much for this one?? ^^^^^^

And where from? Mail order or Repco, Autobarn etc?

How much for this one?? ^^^^^^

And where from? Mail order or Repco, Autobarn etc?

You can order directly from Selbys. $250 + GST + freight for a non OEM swaybar kit.

http://www.selbys.com.au/

Schweeeet......will look into it. Might make towing the trailer a nicer experience!

Everyone here is harping on about the subframe damage on a car which has a stiff bar installed on and also if this is anything like others I have heard about was not the proper shape yet again thanks to White Line

Yes Wook, the std mounts ARE better as your subframe is at least still bolted in with more than about 3 turns of the nuts holding them in. If Whilteline had at least stepped the brackets to fit into the bush then perhaps it may have been better

Boozer, I would be interested in having a look under the back of your car next time I see you mate and see if I can determine why this may have happened, if my suspicions are correct the fault again sits with a badly designed bar.

I have a non-OEM Whiteline Bar fitted to my KJ Verada, came supplied with stuff-all fitting instructions (and nil instructions specific to a Magna/Verada). Supplied lacking the large-ish flat washers which the instructions said should be fitted outside the link bushes. Supplied with backing plates for the U-bolts which did not match the U-bolts.

Wasted a couple of valuable hours on Bathurst race day last year figuring how to fit the bar, but eventually got it right. Made our own backing plates for the U-bolts, found washers for the bushes in dad's shed.

Bar gave noice result, but clashed on the toe-control arms on both sides of the car.

Initially I got all sorts of fobbing-off and run-around and basically deliberate lies from White-line - in the interim since Wookie's experience, WhiteLine have been taken-over by RedRanger - I was ringing the RedRanger office near Gosford NSW. Wookie very kindly gave me a message in here explaining his experience with the bar, and how a new bar was supplied. Whiteline wanted me to go to my local Peddars to check that I had installed it correctly. Local Peddars guys were very helpful, took about 3.5hours (that didn't suit me, but they were dedicated to my cause), they took digital photos of mine, got digital photos e-mailed from Whiteline lots of phone calls etc - didn't cost me a cent. My bar installed correctly, problem not fixed. Rang Whiteline (again), to be told that the Pedders guys only checked that bar was installed correctly, and did not check that the bar was actually touching the toe-control arm how I had described. WTF?? So I took digital photos showing the wear on the bar and the wear on each toe-control arm. Was still getting run-around from the Whiteline bloke and losing patience I mentioned Office of Fair Trading and the "fitness for purppose" and "merchantable quality" provisions of the NSW Sale of Goods Act........ Whiteline bloke erupted into a complete hissy-fit and I responded with a tantrum to match. FINALLY he admitted that the office in Ourimbah (near Gosford, and which I had driven past several times with this problem on the car) DID have a fitting bay and engineers who could look over it. So I drove the several hundred Kms and "Lo, and Behold!!" the bar they had sold me bore only a passing resemblence to their "master bar" - obviously manufacturing tolerances are a bit slap-dash (remember all the missing and mis-fitting install gear too?).
They re-bent my bar on-the-spot, and after last Xmas New Yr break they eventually sent me a replacement bar which hasn't had a problem to speak of.
They wanted me to send back the re-bent bar - but that hasn't happened.

The technical/hands-on guys were brilliant. The office guy who (mis)handled my problem from the get-go was all matey on the day I fronted up, but another office Johnny made a snide remark when I arrived and had to wait for my nemesis to get off the phone. When I bought this "non-OEM rear sway bar kit" I also bought 2 front strut braces - after my after-sales experience, I would be reluctant to buy from Whiteline or RedRanger again (just check who it is that makes Selby, Peddars etc - it could be RedRanger). Without Wookies documented evidence that he had a problem which Whiteline had rectified, I really think they would have tried to wipe me at the outset. Thanks again Wook!!

I understand Mal's criticism of how the after-market chassis brackets limit the thread-depth, but we did not notice it as a particular issue on our car. One day I may get under the car again and pull one of those bolts to see what exactly is the reality on my car - a stepped/cupped bracket would have been a much better idea, but based on my experience I would not trust Whiteline to reliably manufacture it.

Having said that, the revised bar performs beautifully and helps my Verada to handle a bit more like my TJ Sports (which has the standard OEM rear sway bar, and no cracks to mounts).

nice write-up Phil. Sounds like you had one hell of a bad experience with Whiteline. Do you suspect there is some form of snobbery involved because it was a verada and not a commondore/falcon?

Thanks cyber - and here was I thinking I had 'typing-diarrhoea' again.

One ******* answering the phone, or possibly its always his job to have that role, ruined my experience. On my initial phone call I asked if I could bring the car in for them to look at, and he denied that they had any facility for that to occur. Outright lie. They have a single width entrance with at least one four-post hoist, a few lathes, maybe a milling machine, and the oxy gear etc they used to instantly fix my original bar to conform to spec. The bulk of the building is warehouse and distribution out the back I think. Engineering/drafting and Office upstairs. This is the "R&D" centre, whilst the factory remains near Cambelltown.

Don't think there was Red Lion/Blue Oval snobbery - just commercial reality that I was a pleb who spent about $700- on 3 of their mass-market products, and not a race or rally team who wanted a top-quality solution (and able to pay big bucks accordingly). There was an absolutely beautiful strut-brace hanging in the trial-fit bay - dual polished alloy brace bars, little polished cross braces between the two alloy braces...... it really looked so shit-hot I immediately thought of TUFFTR (and that's a compliment Paul).

The guy who gave me the grief just insisted that they made "top quality, race-bed, performance-enhance-yada-yada-yawn" and couldn't possibly have been flogging poorly made crap. Not having model-specific instructions is shoddy, the fitting kit is shoddy. No doubt cutting these corners allows a lower price (or else a bigger margin).

Just had a peek at the Selby site - it give the Minto address for Contact Us (which rings a bell as what I thought was the Whiteline factory), and it betrays no link to RedRanger..... however the Selby catalogue has a very familiar numbering scheme and description of the bars and kits - it must be the same stuff painted a different colour.

My local suspension mechanic actually kicked off his sway bar business years and years ago, and Whiteline bought him out which I presume would be the patent on a particular swaybar design. He fitted all my current suspension gear and did a fantastic job, however he was unhappy with the already-fitted swaybar and commented on the subframe bolts not being long enough and also the D brackets looking like they had come straight from bunnings (in fact, one was from Bunnings lol).

Funnily enough Phil, if my memory serves me correctly, Selby's have been making the Whiteline/Redranger swaybar products for a while now. Even my fitting kit had pictures of the whiteline bar! Hence why I posted up the picture of the powdercoated black bar (although the Selby's sticker isn't visible) because people might not have known what a proper one looks like. The guy I spoke to a few times at Selby's (Wayne) is very helpful, especially when two brackets didn't arrive with the fitting kit, they were shipped out that day via express post so all was good :)

So yeah, I can't comment on Whiteline's service (although it seems to be pretty shocking by most people's accounts) but I'll definitely say that Selby's is pretty damn good.

Boozer, I would be interested in having a look under the back of your car next time I see you mate and see if I can determine why this may have happened, if my suspicions are correct the fault again sits with a badly designed bar.

it is a badly designed bar.....

I had good customer service from the Whiteline Minto office.

my bar was mis-bent, and they replaced it after I visited the office and showed them how it was fouling on the lower control arm.

EDIT: from memory, the words they used when bending my replacement bar were something like "and follow the template this time."

So how much is a pipe bender, oxy torch and a few meters of 20 or 22mm diameter steel bar ???
I reckon with the knowledge & skills some of the people on these forums have, they could churn them out for the rest of us :)
It wouldn't be too hard to copy the shape of a stock bar.

Been driving spiritedly this weekend, why didn't I install this swaybar sooner!?! Best investment ever :hmm:

Been driving spiritedly this weekend, why didn't I install this swaybar sooner!?! Best investment ever :hmm:

Amazing the difference they make hey!!

Amazing the difference they make hey!!

agreed! Freaking drive back from SA without one wasn't enjoyable in some corners.

hi guys, can i bother you and ask the brand and part number or sizes of the high tensile bolts and where you purchased them?

dont really wanna undo some bolts then go for a drive to size them.

Thanks!

wow just got it done... i now have a wound on my head after hitting the muffler heatshield... *********** huntsman spider came out from somewhere in the subframe

thanks for the Selby link Lucifer!

Whiteline/RedRanger don't carry the wagon rear sway bar anymore, but Selbys do!! woot!

thanks for the Selby link Lucifer!

Whiteline/RedRanger don't carry the wagon rear sway bar anymore, but Selbys do!! woot!

Having a wagon, this would interest me, where was that link Wook

For the guys who have the sedan ones, I took a Whiteline Bracket to an engineer I know and showed him on a sedan how it mounts, he was very shocked at how these are done and simply commented that he would not in his wildest dreams fit these brackets.

His suggestion was to have the bracket recessed where the bracket bolts to the rear frame to have more thread used and to also utilise the locking part of the nut. Apparently this would not be all that hard to do

http://www.selbys.com.au/

it's part number SMR67

also found martybugs install guide http://martybugs.net/magna/swaybar.cgi

cheers,
.wook

EDIT: I've also thought about modding the mounts on the sedan... apparently they're fairly easy to bend if you track the car regularly.

great guide. i fitted my rear sway bar tonight and this thread helped alot. i think for the money this quick mod is well worth doing and im happy with the improvement its made.



when madmagna and i fitted my swaybar to my verada - the chasis mounting bolts were too short and did not protrude from the nut - so i took it off again. is this normal? how did you get around the problem?

good question. i discovered this tonight and thought how im going to get around this. i think there is enough grab on the bolt but i want to see if anyone has overcome this somehow.

I understand Mal's concern about the mounting bracket - but when fitting mine, I didn't think the reduced amount of thread in my case was enough to be worried about. Hasn't been a problem so far. Having that bracket machined with a recess, or even stamped to make a recess would be much better.

I think Whiteline's fitting hardware supplied is poor, and instructions for fitting abysmal. Some fitting parts supplied to me just didn't fit the u-bolts they included - luckily we were able to fabricate our own parts to suit. I got really "nil" instructions for placing the bar on the car.

Had problems with the sway bar bashing on my rear toe-control arms - after a hassle with Whiteline they re-made a bar that suited my vehicle better..... it still "clunks" but much less than the original one did. However, I am soon to fit new springs and think this might help that issue a fair bit (so maybe sagged Verada rear springs were the source of that problem...... altho the bar originally sent to me was way off the "reference" bar at Whiteline's R&D place near Gosford).

I understand Mal's concern about the mounting bracket - but when fitting mine, I didn't think the reduced amount of thread in my case was enough to be worried about. Hasn't been a problem so far. Having that bracket machined with a recess, or even stamped to make a recess would be much better.

I think Whiteline's fitting hardware supplied is poor, and instructions for fitting abysmal. Some fitting parts supplied to me just didn't fit the u-bolts they included - luckily we were able to fabricate our own parts to suit. I got really "nil" instructions for placing the bar on the car.

Had problems with the sway bar bashing on my rear toe-control arms - after a hassle with Whiteline they re-made a bar that suited my vehicle better..... it still "clunks" but much less than the original one did. However, I am soon to fit new springs and think this might help that issue a fair bit (so maybe sagged Verada rear springs were the source of that problem...... altho the bar originally sent to me was way off the "reference" bar at Whiteline's R&D place near Gosford).


i agree with you there. i think the way the linkage mounts to the lower control arm is poor. i also had u-bolts that didnt fit that great into the brackets.
im having problems with the sway bar hitting the lower control arm so i called whiteline today and they are sending me out longer linkages free of charge.

i agree with you there. i think the way the linkage mounts to the lower control arm is poor. i also had u-bolts that didnt fit that great into the brackets.
im having problems with the sway bar hitting the lower control arm so i called whiteline today and they are sending me out longer linkages free of charge.

they sent me longer linkages too... it didn't help me. the only thing that really helped was changing struts.

even though I got a new sway bar bent up, it still hit occasionally. the Koni yellows stopped it for the most part, and then the coilovers stopped it completely.

good luck though.

What are the size differences between the original linkages and the new extended linkages?

In what way did the strut make a difference to the sway bar hitting the lower control arm? Pics?

linkages were about 25mm longer. I have no idea why the struts made any difference at all. I can only guess that the coilover spring rate has made more of a difference than the struts.

no pics.

i got my longer linkages today (only rang them yesterday arvo) and have fitted them, drove home with no knocking, so i went in hunt of some bumpy roads which is where i was having problems and its now fine. the new linkages i received where 35mm longer.

Same problem when I had a Whiteline rear sway bar fitted to my TJ exec and lowered springs at the same time. The sway bar fouled the lower control arm when going over bumps giving a clunking noise. Took it back to RPW who did the work and Robbie made up a pair of longer links. Was fine from then on.
The Whiteline may be ok for a standard height sedan but when lowered there is much less clearance in there.

mine clunks like a mofo with King Lows and people in the back.

I've got a Selby's on mine and it doesn't clunk.

Massive thread mine but it's a good one.

Question for anyone that knows, is the only difference between a factory swaybar Whiteline kit and the non-factory kit mounting equipment?

I've got a swaybar that was on a Magna that didn't have a factory swaybar and I'll be installing a sports rear axle to take it,
it should fit right?

Dingers = I think the answe to your question is "No". The Whiteline swaybar for cars that had no factory swaybar, is shaped differently and attaches differently to the OEM bars.

Damn does anyone have confirmation of this?

How do people find an aftermarket rear swaybar compared to a factory sports rear end one?

Dingers = I think the answe to your question is "No". The Whiteline swaybar for cars that had no factory swaybar, is shaped differently and attaches differently to the OEM bars.


Damn does anyone have confirmation of this?

Anyone confirm this?

If you are installing an OEM replacement bar then it will be fine but if its a bar for models that didn't come with one from factory then it will need all the brackets and such to fit.

Replacement for a car with a rear sway bar.
Thicker bar and 2 new mount bushes. Hole through the bushes is sized for the new bar diameter.
Quaick and very easy to change. If your car isn't too low just slide in from the rear, undo 4 bolts through the crossmember mounts and 2 nuts on the sway bar links. Put new bushes, lubricated, on the new bar. Hold in place and get the crossmember bolts back in loosely. fit to the sway bar links. Adjust laterally until centralised and then tighten the 4 crossmember bolts. Say 30 minutes.

New bar for a car that DID not have an original bar.
Obviously the bar has to be mounted and terminated to the moving part of the suspension somewhere.
1) Mounts between the bar and the trailing arms and
2) Mounts between the bar and the suspension crossmember are required.

Have you tried looking on the Whiteline site. A bit of a search may still find the fitting instructions or photographs of what is in the kit.

Gerry

Ah the question was is the bar itself from Whiteline for cars with OEM swaybars and those without the same?

There the same as I've had both!

I have one of these! Whiteline sway bar. Works as advertised, but those brackets are pretty cheap and nasty. Having said that, I'm yet to break one. In the meantime I've worked out a (hopefully) better replacement. Still on the drawing board as I'll be fitting lowered springs soon... after I get my vibrating brakes fixed. Once the shocks/springs are in I'll re-measure and re-think before fabricating my own brackets.

Thanks Brendan.

Skapper the best way is to put in a sports or vrx rear axle in.

Skapper the best way is to put in a sports or vrx rear axle in.

Okay, I'm listening... How much for the parts roughly, and what sort of job is it to fit said parts? I went to the local wreckers and couldn't find any Magna's fitted with a standard sway bar. From what I can tell - let me know if I'm wrong - I'd need a whole K-frame and the trailing arms along with the sway bar.

In the end the Whiteline was an inexpensive option at $240. And, I fitted it in an hour - one handed... with the help of my one year old daughter.

I would LIKE to have the standard equipment though, with a heavier bar maybe. I'm not complaining about the whiteline - I have a working swaybar which is better than none.