Sway Bar Link Adjustment Help

[ZimmyBRZ]

I’ve got Whiteline front and rear end links on my sway bars. Adjustable ones because of my BC coilovers, it’s probably a 1.5-75” drop. After lowering the car, how exactly are you supposed to adjust the front end links length wise? I know they are supposed to be even in length on both sides, but how long?

I adjusted the preload via a youtube video, it seemed pretty straightforward. I just need to know if there is anything I’m missing. It seems like the only criteria is that they don’t clunk with the chassis or control arms, and have no preload. Please tell me if there’s a specific way to do it.


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[Ohio Enthusiast]

Adjustable endlinks give you two things - being able to remove preload when the ride height is not the same left/right (such as after corner balancing the car on height adjustable coilovers) and being able to put the sway bars in the right orientation (parallel to the ground as static ride height). This makes the sway bar as linear as possible, as otherwise the angle will change the effective spring rate on it. This will also typically solve any interference problems that might happen with lowered cars.

To your case, you'll want to shorten the endlinks until the ends of the sway bar are parallel to the ground. If that causes issues of rubbing/contact between suspension parts, lengthen them until it stops.

If you are not corner balancing the car and keep ride height the same left/right, the endlinks would end up being the same length left/right (to avoid pre-loading the sway bar).

[ZimmyBRZ]

Originally Posted by Ohio Enthusiast

Adjustable endlinks give you two things - being able to remove preload when the ride height is not the same left/right (such as after corner balancing the car on height adjustable coilovers) and being able to put the sway bars in the right orientation (parallel to the ground as static ride height). This makes the sway bar as linear as possible, as otherwise the angle will change the effective spring rate on it. This will also typically solve any interference problems that might happen with lowered cars.

To your case, you'll want to shorten the endlinks until the ends of the sway bar are parallel to the ground. If that causes issues of rubbing/contact between suspension parts, lengthen them until it stops.

If you are not corner balancing the car and keep ride height the same left/right, the endlinks would end up being the same length left/right (to avoid pre-loading the sway bar).

Thanks!


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[cmiovino]

Originally Posted by ZimmyBRZ

Thanks!

I'll also give my 2 cents since I just went through this. In the past, I just tossed on the stock endlinks in the front, but they were contacting the control arm slightly and clunking. Bought adjustable endlinks and tossed them on, just adjusting them equally off the car, but shorter. The swaybar started contacting the chassis. Yay.

I also autocross, so I know about preload, but never thought it made a big difference. I do think it does now that I properly adjusted them.

I got two large blocks and put them under the front tires so I could have the car resting on the ground, but still squeeze under. It was a tight fit. I think adjusted the links to fit in the swaybar holes with the bar sitting generally as it naturally sits. To my shock I had to lift the car to get the links out they were so tight.

The end result from some finagling was one side was a good 10mm or more different than the other side. That's just how the car sits. It's not corner balanced, but the ride height adjustments weren't perfectly equal either. Point is, they're adjustable for a reason and the car won't sit 100% equal on each side.

The performance result was I could notice the car was just "better" at autocross. Sort of like I wasn't fighting the front of the car as much. I think they were binding up and making the effective swaybar rate much higher than the bar was rated for.

TDLR: Set the car on blocks, adjust to just slide them in the swaybar holes. Don't expect them to be equal.

[Ohio Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by cmiovino

I got two large blocks and put them under the front tires so I could have the car resting on the ground, but still squeeze under. It was a tight fit. I think adjusted the links to fit in the swaybar holes with the bar sitting generally as it naturally sits. To my shock I had to lift the car to get the links out they were so tight.

Did you put the driver's weight in the seat? I wonder how much that makes a difference for endlinks length.

[cmiovino]

Originally Posted by Ohio Enthusiast

Did you put the driver's weight in the seat? I wonder how much that makes a difference for endlinks length.

That I didn't do. I can confirm it didn't make a difference in setting the coilover ride height when I did that prior. I only weigh 145lbs, so maybe that's why