[S_Cal968]

[Re-Post from 968.net]



For those that have installed the KLA sway-bar supports - did it bolt right in or did you have to modify it?? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/huh.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

I attempted to install the supports and the double hole pattern at the s/bar end was off by .150"[?!]. Either that or the bracket was .125" to long{?}. I ended up sloting the holes in order to get the bolts back in.



I thought KLA products were fairly good quality, but after this I wonder if the fabricator has a quality issue{?}. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Also, the supports don't come with the torque spec for the cross-member bolt which is important. BTW, the cross-member bolt should be re-assembled to 85nm [65 ft/lbs.]. I suggested they add this to their online instructions. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/cool.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[josephsc]

I installed mine two months ago (but on a 944 chassis) and it was a little off. But not so much that a little elbow grease wouldn't cure it.



But then my sway bar brackets failed yesterday (or maybe two days ago). The darn things just sheared right off! I wonder if the bolt pattern being slightly off had something to do with it.... It also didn't help that in the last two days, I put the car through 4+ hours of track time plus an additional 2+ hours b/c I let a friend drive the car after his car broke down....

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[mike]

I had problems in my first attempt to install the KLA supports. It was just before a DE that I was planning to do and I was under the gun to get everything done in the remaining evening hours that I had to work on the car prior to the event. I finally gave <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/mad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> up and decided that I would need a new strategy. When I was under less pressure I made a second attempt and was finally successful. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> I did this about a year ago and I can't remember if I installed the cross-member bolt first or just wedged the support in place. But I do remember fighting to get the sway bar bushing bracket holes lined up with the KLA support holes. I pinched the whole assembly together with some vice grips and used a screwdriver to line up one set of holes which allowed me to stick the bolt through the other set of holes. I was then able to remove the screwdriver and get the other bolt through the holes. I struggled on my back under the car for awhile before the first side was done. The other side went easier since I had gotten all my practice on the first side. They can be installed without slotting the holes as long as you remove all the children (or anyone with sensitive ears) from the area before you start. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Good luck,

mike

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[S_Cal968]

Generally the main support should be in a relaxed position when installing a re-enforcement bracket. If you need pre-load or force the main bracket forward to get the bolts in, the geometry may not be correct and apply forces that the main bracket wasn't designed for. Also moving everything forward reduces the engagement at the bar end where it attaches to the a-arm. It goes w/o saying, under extreme condtions - the more engagement the better.

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[968bill]

I installed these about 10 days ago at the same time I upgraded to the M030 bars. While it wasn't easy I was able to get the bolts in using a long punch in the other hole to line it up. I had the car on the scissor lift so I was able to sit under the car and move around, can't imagine how tough it would have been lying down with the car only a few inches above you.



Thanks for the info on torque for the cross member bolt but I think I got mine plenty snug.

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[bibbetson]

The picture of Joe's broken bracket raises a question that I had. If you look at the photo, you will see that his installation has the bracket outside the bushing bracket. When I first installed my delrin bushings, I installed it this way as well. After one race, I noticed that KLA bracket was bent! Upon disassembly I found that installing the delrin bushings in that order causes the bushing bracket to bind the bushing to the bar (see the gap at the bushing in the photo), causing the bar to bind and not move smoothly, even with grease. The result was a bent KLA bracket.



I disassembled the whole thing and reassembled it so the hanging bracket was sandwiched by the bushing bracket. This allowed me to snug it up really tight and still allowed free movement of the bar. Delrin bushings are supposed to act very similar to a bearing, which means the bar should move very freely, but with zero slop. My installation now works that way, possibly the bushing binding caused the braket to fail.

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[josephsc]

Bill, I think that's exactly what happened to me (we analyzed the failure over on Rennlist) -- having the sway bar holder sandwich the bracket is important with Delrin bushings to prevent excessive binding. It might not matter on for street, but it sure did on the track.

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[rustech]

So this could never happen with M030s and rubber bushings? What's the best way to mount in this case, normal way?

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[flash]

i let the components sort of line themselves up - i ended up with both brackets sandwiched between the bushing clamp

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[josephsc]

I can't imagine it happening with rubber bushings -- but I'd still avoid it, just in case. The proper install is to have something sandwiched in between (KLA website just has the one original bracket sandwiched).



But the difficulty is in getting it installed correctly because the holes didn't quite line up (which was the point of this thread). Lesson learned: not having anything sandwiched in between the sway holder with Delrin is a bad solution to the "holes not lining up" problem.

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[S_Cal968]

If you look at the pic in the install notes, [on the KLA website], the support is *not* sandwiched in the bracket. Also, it appears the s/bar bracket is installed backwards in the KLA instructions[??]. I'm guessing that's a 944[?].



For those that have the delrin and have sandwiched the supports; perhaps this is the reason your bar is walking. The delrin probably isn't designed with the support in mind.

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[flash]

nope - had it on the outside before - the walking was the nature of the bushing - even the rubber walks a bit - that's why the M030 bars come with clips on the end



on ron's it wouldn't clamp down right - the next time i was under my car, i moved it to the inside - admitedly, i was in a hurry - i plan to be under there again next week - i'm going to check it again to see if it can go back on the outside and still grab nicely

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[Eric_K]

The bar should rotate relatively easy in the mount. You want to be transferring load to other side of the car, not into the brackets. It looks from Joe's picture that it was binding and putting a lot of energy into the bracket. The effective rate of his bar was probably much reduced. No matter how it is installed you should check that the bar rotates and doesn't bind. A tarret engineering bar solves all these problems and is adjustable, but of course its not cheap.

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[S_Cal968]

Bob: I wasn't referring to your specific set up.

If the support is secured inside the bracket, the delrin would have a looser fit on the bar and possibly exacerbate the walk issue. Just food for thought...



After driving 2 weeks with the supports, I haven't noticed much if any benefit to the handling. I suppose I'll have get the delrin bushings to feel the full effect...

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[flash]

i was thinking the same thing - no worries - that's why i am going to check it - i am sure i did a fit check when i assembled it, but no harm in looking again



you won't really notice the benefits unless you are at nearly a .8g turn, or you hit a bump in the middle of a fairly hard turn



the big thing is that you won't break the flimsy little bracket

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[S_Cal968]

"you won't really notice the benefits unless you are at nearly a .8g turn, or you hit a bump in the middle of a fairly hard turn"



I hit that almost everytime I'm out - why do think my tires look the way they do... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[rustech]

I just installed these on my car a few days ago. The KLA braces did not want to line up properly unless it was sandwiched along side the vertical mount. It wasn't the spacing or location of the holes in the KLA bracket, but the angle that is determined by the mounting order/location that created complications.

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[S_Cal968]

Hmm, that's intersting, I didn't have an issue with the angle...



So what did you end up doing to get them installed?



I wish I had access to a 944 - I wonder if these were originally designed for the 944[?].

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[josephsc]

The car I mounted my KLA brackets is a 944 -- same issues.

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[rustech]

So what did you end up doing to get them installed?

It went something like this:



I first took all the bolts out (bushing bolts & both crossmember bolts). Loosen the bolts at the end of the swaybar. I then fitted the slotted end of the KLA unit to the crossmember, and left the bolts protruding .5 inch so they had plenty of play. I first tried to install the bracket to the inner side of the bushing bracket but had difficulty passing any bolts through. Then I attempted lining up the angle of the brackets so that they would run as parallel as possible (which happens to be both brackets sandwiched), and passed the lower bolt through, hand twist the first 4 threads, wrench it to bring it all together (don't final tighten), pass the upper bolt through and final tighten. Final tighten the lower bolt. Do the same on the other side. Final tighten the crossmember bolts. Final tighten the swaybar ends.

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