Front sway bar links with KW-based coilovers

[Tokay444]

I needed SPL short endlinks with Tarmac 2s and TRD bar. Links JUST kiss the back of the strut at full lock.

[Ruben_86_]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

I guess we need to take different sway bars into account. I have the Perrin adjustable on the softest mounting point. Moving the mounting point may have also caused an issue.

Sure, we're talking about OEM bars

[dreamwonder]

I used a endlink made for Kia (215mm ish). Length and shaft thickness clears shock body (kw 1 way), control arm and all chassis common contact spots...up to about -4.2 camber before endlink cap starts making contact with wall. (max on crash bolt and top hat) on trd 21mm and perrin 22mm (forgot position used).

[Racecomp Engineering]

Definitely recommend adjustable endlinks with adjustable swaybars or if you're corner balancing the car.

- Andrew

[KiK]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Definitely recommend adjustable endlinks with adjustable swaybars or if you're corner balancing the car.

- Andrew

Could you elaborate please?
As you may remember from the other thread, I will be running corner balanced V3s with a 20mm drop on stock sway bar and end links.

Is that an order for me to spend more money? (I don't take those lightly [have already ordered the 60-170 at your indirect direction ])

[RedReplicant]

Originally Posted by KiK

Could you elaborate please?
As you may remember from the other thread, I will be running corner balanced V3s with a 20mm drop on stock sway bar and end links.

Is that an order for me to spend more money? (I don't take those lightly [have already ordered the 60-170 at your indirect direction ])

When you're corner balancing it is somewhat unlikely that your corners will be the same weight side to side, so the shock bodies (and therefore sway bar mount tabs) will sit at different distances relative to the sway bar pickup points. You need to corner balance with the bars disconnected, connect one corner at the proper length to prevent contact / binding, and then adjust the other so it slips into the sway bar with zero force.

Make sure you also index your end link rod ends / ball joints so that they don't bind.

It seems like it is extremely easy to get into end link issues with these cars in a way that causes binding or contact, a lot of manufs on both sides (coilovers and endlinks) seem to get it wrong. Length is important too. I've seen contact in the following ways, I'm sure there are more:
1. Sway bar to LCA
2. Endlink to chassis behind coilover
3. Endlink to bottom of strut when turning the steering wheel

This can cause weird stuff like power steering cut out, sudden understeer under certain situations, broken endlinks, etc.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by KiK

Could you elaborate please?
As you may remember from the other thread, I will be running corner balanced V3s with a 20mm drop on stock sway bar and end links.

Is that an order for me to spend more money? (I don't take those lightly [have already ordered the 60-170 at your indirect direction ])

You will most likely be fine with the stock swaybar, endlinks, and 20mm drop.

With adjustable swaybars which have different mounting holes, it helps to have adjustable endlinks to make sure you don't have rubbing issues.

And to do a perfect corner balance, you need adjustable swaybars to make sure there's no preload on the swaybar.

- Andrew

[J95]

Originally Posted by KiK

Could you elaborate please?
As you may remember from the other thread, I will be running corner balanced V3s with a 20mm drop on stock sway bar and end links.

Is that an order for me to spend more money? (I don't take those lightly [have already ordered the 60-170 at your indirect direction ])

We will run the same setup, even same springs as I also ordered 60-170 for the rear. Will be curious to find if you finally needed the adjustable end links

[KiK]

Originally Posted by J95

We will run the same setup, even same springs as I also ordered 60-170 for the rear. Will be curious to find if you finally needed the adjustable end links

No, I'm curious to find if *YOU* need the adjustable end links

[J95]

Originally Posted by KiK

No, I'm curious to find if *YOU* need the adjustable end links

haha I have to wait 1 month or so to install it

but FYI some guys from Germany told me that it should work with OEM links with a drop of up to ~40mm. More than that you would need longer links in the front, not shorter

[cmiovino]

Reviving this thread for 2025... in frustration.

I have RCE SS-1's and a Perrin 19mm front bar. The Perrin bar works great at stock height, but in the recommended range for the SS-1's, the Perrin bar just contacts the control arm slightly with the OEM endlinks.

I actually had the Perrin endlinks with the stock struts, but with 4 degrees of camber, they didn't fit between the strut and chassis because the bushing are too fat and they marred the chassis up.

I bought some adjustable endlinks and set them up about 1.0-1.5" shorter than stock. Installed them and had a hell of a time due to various reasons. Lower the car and now there's tons of clearance between there and the control arm, but between the bar and the chassis at the top like some pictured there's likely less than 1" from what I can feel with my finger. I'm betting the first time I pull it out of the garage or do any hard cornering with it it's going to bend the shit out of the chassis there now too... probably worse contact than the slight dings I hear with the control arm.

I really think it's the design of the Perrin at the curve and with the way the positioning holes are as I'm seeing a lot of people have issues here. I also found at full lock in the soft position hole the end link gets twisted and contacts the strut body... so you can't run it on soft at all apparently with coilovers. So again, frustrations with the Perrin design all together.

[cmiovino]

Update on this.

Watched a bunch of Youtube videos and this one guy that tracks his black gen 2 was installing a Karcepts bar and basically tried getting the endlink as long as possible, BUT keeping it above the control arm at full droop (aka, wheel off, in the air when installing). Basically if yours is below or parallel with the control arm, which it moves, it can likely still contact the control arm slightly.

On the flip side, if you put it way above the control arm to get around that issue, you'll likely end up contacting the chassis where the bar curves like someone pictured in this thread.

They key is keeping it right above the control arm at full droop by about 1/2", but also keeping it low enough to give you room at the top. This should fix any contact issues when working with any coilovers and ride heights if you follow that general advice. I was sort of thinking shorter is better, right? Well when you put the car on the ground, you gain a ton of space between the control arm and control arm, so you really don't need loads of space there. Just "enough".

Mine has about 1/2" at the control arm at full droop and about 1" at the top between the bar and chassis with the wheel on and at rest. Driving around and hitting some bumps and dips, it's not contacting at the top and I don't appear to be hitting at the bottom anymore.

The endlink was set 1" shorter than stock to achieve this with a KW based coilover (again, just general advice).

Also, don't work on your car at 10pm at night after a work day. You'll just get frustrated at stupid stuff.

Hope it helps!

[2.2Lude]

@cmiovino For an additional data point, my findings were the same on my set up when troubleshooting the OEM endlinks contacting the FLCA's. Apologies for the out of focus pictures.

Not a KW based coil over but still relevant IMO.

[Racecomp Engineering]

I can't speak to the Perrin swaybar in particular, but "as long as possible without hitting the LCA" is my general recommendation.

We actually now have our own RCE endlinks available. I've been working on these for a looooong time lol. Trying different components and rod ends and lengths etc.
https://www.racecompengineering.com/...-brz-fr-s-gr86



- Andrew