Dual Swaybars
Dual Swaybars
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=9587
I'm thinking of trying out duals on the rear. It would help in getting the car to not understeer as much, and I don't think the difference would be enough to send it into oversteer. Seems like some threaded rod, some pipe (spacers) and simple adapters at the ends would be enough to set it up.
For comparison's sake, is there an aftermarket swaybar option for our cars? Cost? I'm thinking that stock 240D rear swaybars can't be commanding a premium price. I figure this mod could be done for maybe forty bucks and on a Saturday. Possibly less.
The front I think will be left alone until I decide to rent a spring compressor and fire up the grinder. I think the cut springs in front and duals in the back with fresh shocks should be a decent setup. Possibly 2 coils in front with one in back. I'll have to see.
There is no aftermarket. We talked about metal zip tying some sways together for the lemons race and never got around to it. You *can* get a customer sway bar made for probably around $300 from a local spring shop.
Are there any differences on the stiffness of the sway bars between a 240d 300d or 300td???? would be nice to just upgrade to a better stock one!
Nope. Only option was the 15mm used on SLS vehciles with the extra heavy duty option and all of those are NLA after a rash of sales after I purchased mine.
(09-30-2009, 06:41 PM)willbhere4u Are there any differences on the stiffness of the sway bars between a 240d 300d or 300td???? would be nice to just upgrade to a better stock one!
(09-30-2009, 06:41 PM)willbhere4u Are there any differences on the stiffness of the sway bars between a 240d 300d or 300td???? would be nice to just upgrade to a better stock one!
(10-02-2009, 06:31 PM)DeliveryValve(09-30-2009, 06:41 PM)willbhere4u Are there any differences on the stiffness of the sway bars between a 240d 300d or 300td???? would be nice to just upgrade to a better stock one!
Is there any objections to narrowing a W126 17mm rear sway bar? The plan.. I am going to cut out a section in the middle of the w126 swaybar. Then slide a 4 inch sleeve on, weld back the sway bar together, then slide the sleeve over the welded area and then seal the sleeve with a bead of weld. Hopefully I won't F-up the metallurgy of the bar and have it crack during hard corning.
(10-02-2009, 06:31 PM)DeliveryValve(09-30-2009, 06:41 PM)willbhere4u Are there any differences on the stiffness of the sway bars between a 240d 300d or 300td???? would be nice to just upgrade to a better stock one!
Is there any objections to narrowing a W126 17mm rear sway bar? The plan.. I am going to cut out a section in the middle of the w126 swaybar. Then slide a 4 inch sleeve on, weld back the sway bar together, then slide the sleeve over the welded area and then seal the sleeve with a bead of weld. Hopefully I won't F-up the metallurgy of the bar and have it crack during hard corning.
(10-02-2009, 06:31 PM)DeliveryValve ...
Is there any objections to narrowing a W126 17mm rear sway bar? ....
.
(10-02-2009, 06:31 PM)DeliveryValve ...
Is there any objections to narrowing a W126 17mm rear sway bar? ....
.
Cool, DV, let us know how this goes...
I'm debating whether to do this first or get shocks first. My shocks suck. However, I think I'd be able to do this mod 4 or 5 times over before I reached the cost of a new set of HDs.
Now that I've gotten to drive the car in a semi normal mode (working PS and axles that don't have to turn 90 degrees before catching), the understeer is less of a problem than I at first thought, but it's still there. I'm wondering how this thing will be pegged on the highway with a stiffer bar...however there's plenty of places to test where I live and I might have it set up to be 'adjustable', ie you can connect or disconnect the rear bar without much trouble. Should be easy, some anti seize and wingnuts should do the job, and a way to make sure the bar doesn't dip and catch on something.
Speaking of adjustment, you might have room on that bar to add a couple of holes for adjustment positions on that 116 bar - toward the pivot point should be stiffer.
Don't forget that Moog makes steel replacement end links for our rear swaybars. About 30 bucks a pair.
(10-10-2009, 05:20 PM)winmutt BTDT I'll be interested to see if you have diff results. 17mm 126 bars are found on SEC and SLS.
(10-10-2009, 05:21 PM)CID Vicious ...
Speaking of adjustment, you might have room on that bar to add a couple of holes for adjustment positions on that 116 bar - toward the pivot point should be stiffer.
Don't forget that Moog makes steel replacement end links for our rear swaybars. About 30 bucks a pair.
(10-10-2009, 05:20 PM)winmutt BTDT I'll be interested to see if you have diff results. 17mm 126 bars are found on SEC and SLS.
(10-10-2009, 05:21 PM)CID Vicious ...
Speaking of adjustment, you might have room on that bar to add a couple of holes for adjustment positions on that 116 bar - toward the pivot point should be stiffer.
Don't forget that Moog makes steel replacement end links for our rear swaybars. About 30 bucks a pair.
Well I measured the bar on the 85 500SEl Euro with SLS, and it shows about 17.25mm.
right behind it was another 85 500SEL but U.S. spect. that bar measures 14.25mm.
these two looked like twins, blk on blk.
I now own a larger sway bar. where the W116 is curved, the W126 is straight,
Charlie
(10-11-2009, 08:03 PM)charmalu Well I measured the bar on the 85 500SEl Euro with SLS, and it shows about 17.25mm.
right behind it was another 85 500SEL but U.S. spect. that bar measures 14.25mm.
these two looked like twins, blk on blk.
I now own a larger sway bar. where the W116 is curved, the W126 is straight,
Charlie
(10-11-2009, 08:03 PM)charmalu Well I measured the bar on the 85 500SEl Euro with SLS, and it shows about 17.25mm.
right behind it was another 85 500SEL but U.S. spect. that bar measures 14.25mm.
these two looked like twins, blk on blk.
I now own a larger sway bar. where the W116 is curved, the W126 is straight,
Charlie
(10-11-2009, 04:57 PM)Kiwibacon If you want to stiffen up a swaybar, simply shorten the side arms. Shift the mount point further back so the bar has more leverage.
(10-11-2009, 04:57 PM)Kiwibacon If you want to stiffen up a swaybar, simply shorten the side arms. Shift the mount point further back so the bar has more leverage.
(10-12-2009, 12:38 AM)Kiwibacon Have you guys approached custom spring makers?
Afterall, a sway bar is just a double ended torsion spring. They should have suitable material and forming gear to custom make them.
(10-12-2009, 12:38 AM)Kiwibacon Have you guys approached custom spring makers?
Afterall, a sway bar is just a double ended torsion spring. They should have suitable material and forming gear to custom make them.
We could get a group buy going and that would bring the price down, but you're still talking 200 bucks, I would think, and we'd likely have to get other enthusiasts (Benz Forum?) to chip in, as I can't see more than maybe 10 folks from here ponying up that for a new bar.
Unfortunately, our cars are so niche and a rare choice for tuning, so the economies of scale don't apply so much. The potential market is huge - how many 123s did they make? - but the car doesn't get looked at in the same way as, say, a Camaro, or another car with a huge following that people buy because they like to drive.
Sadly, if people were to get wise to these cars, they'd probably become more expensive to buy. Might be great for some of y'all with 2 or 3 kicking around, though...
What does a stock W123 sway bar measure?
How much bigger is the W126 bar?
Is that 2cm too wide at the ends or the actual bar length?
Could the ends be bent in by 1 cm each to fit?
Man...thats some pathetic rear sway diameters. I might have to try and fab one up.
Racetech magazine (November 2008 issue) had an article on fabbing your own swaybars. Materials they suggest was either EN8 (that is the UK name) or hydraulic tubing.
I made some 18mm rear bars for a 123 chassis before, so it can be done.
I think I made 4 or 5 and sold every one of them for $400 ish if I remember right.
The material was expensive and the tool I made to bend them up was a lot of work. A CNC bender would be the ticket, but to get the cost down you would have to order quite a few of them. Most CNC bending shops have a computerized measurement machine that can measure your stock bar and duplicate it with the larger material.
How did the 18mm rear sway bars make the 123 handle?
After having my 280E on the track last weekend, I've realised that it needs the rear bar stiffening up.
(05-28-2012, 05:38 PM)fha772 How did the 18mm rear sway bars make the 123 handle?Before the front end always bounded and hopped. after smooth as butter. This was on 13 vs 15mm. Did you do the front end yet?
After having my 280E on the track last weekend, I've realised that it needs the rear bar stiffening up.
(05-28-2012, 05:38 PM)fha772 How did the 18mm rear sway bars make the 123 handle?Before the front end always bounded and hopped. after smooth as butter. This was on 13 vs 15mm. Did you do the front end yet?
After having my 280E on the track last weekend, I've realised that it needs the rear bar stiffening up.
the dinky rear bar and plastic links were one of the first things i noticed under my 126 . i looked and looked boo hoo. its good to see that some body has gone and banged a couple custom bars out . i tried to solve it in my head with basic equipment and thought why not use a straight torque tube with some flat 1/4-1/2" plate ends , of length to the sway links ? either key the ends of the rod/tube to the plate or weld the plates on .size of tube and material would dictate sway/stiff and if you had the plate jetted or what not add a few sway mount holes .
im just plagiarizing a set up ive seen on muscle cars , so there may be a kit out there already ? havent looked into that yet .
although i did work at a spring shop years ago maybe ill pop in to STS with my old Hefe
Would it be considered to be in bad taste to chime in and mention that I've got sway bars for sale from my '81 300TD with SLS?
That would make the rear a 17mm, correct?
hop this helps im not to savy with pics and stuff but i went on summit racing and the picture at the top of the sway bars section has a design like i was speaking of. although it looks like the arms are dampened ? any ways , there are a few designs they all look pretty rugged like track bars but this one looks interesting , Currie Enterprises CE9900 - Currie Enterprises Anti-Rock Sway Bar Kits,http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CUR-CE9900/?rtype=10, i dont know if that will work to link there or what not , here is summits part number CUR-CE9900. you can see its a solid rod . it also looks like its not very wide .
(10-03-2012, 12:06 PM)CRD4x4 Would it be considered to be in bad taste to chime in and mention that I've got sway bars for sale from my '81 300TD with SLS?
That would make the rear a 17mm, correct?
(10-03-2012, 11:44 AM)lpumb3 the dinky rear bar and plastic links were one of the first things i noticed under my 126 . i looked.....
(10-03-2012, 12:06 PM)CRD4x4 Would it be considered to be in bad taste to chime in and mention that I've got sway bars for sale from my '81 300TD with SLS?
That would make the rear a 17mm, correct?
(10-03-2012, 11:44 AM)lpumb3 the dinky rear bar and plastic links were one of the first things i noticed under my 126 . i looked.....