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Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?

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Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#1
cmfisher4 Avatar
cmfisher4 Gold Member Chris Fisher
Mystic, CT, USA   USA
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1964 Triumph Spitfire 4 (MkI)
1964 Triumph TR4
1966 Triumph Spitfire MkII "Dorothy"
I decided to clean up the anti-roll bar from the '64 today in preparation for painting and when I put it on a level surface, I noticed that it was bent a bit. The side opposite the one in the picture sits essentially flat on my bench (yes, it's level). While this may be a sign that it was smacked at one point during its life, do I care that it is not straight? Won't it perform its function, at least good enough, event if it is bent in this way?

Thanks,
Chris


I learn something new every day...especially if I am working on my LBC!
Please visit my blog and website at http://www.roundtailrestoration.com
and my YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8LASST0WuNG0-po4hK0Maw


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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#2
quikrx Ralph Hansen
Antioch, IL, USA   USA
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1962 Triumph Herald 1200
1969 Triumph GT6+ (MkII)
1969 Triumph Spitfire MkIII "Gloria"
1987 Mazda RX-7 "Mistress"    & more
it will work some bent, the real question is will it really be effective at all, and will it work the same in both directions, the answer is probably not, but if you only putt around you could take it off and never notice, spirited driving you'll feel the difference
I've got a few of those early, small bars, you can have one for the price of shipping

Ralph

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#3
cmfisher4 Avatar
cmfisher4 Gold Member Chris Fisher
Mystic, CT, USA   USA
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1964 Triumph Spitfire 4 (MkI)
1964 Triumph TR4
1966 Triumph Spitfire MkII "Dorothy"
Ralph,
Thanks. I have one on my '66 that I can pull off to see if it's messed up like this one. If that is, too, I'll take you up on the offer. Wonder if I should put it in a vice and gronk on it to see if I can straighten it out some. Can't hurt any worse than it is, I supposed.

Thanks,
Chris


I learn something new every day...especially if I am working on my LBC!
Please visit my blog and website at http://www.roundtailrestoration.com
and my YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8LASST0WuNG0-po4hK0Maw

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#4
spitfire50 Avatar
spitfire50 Paul Mugford
Rochester, N.H., USA   USA
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1966 Triumph Spitfire MkII
Chris,
You will probably move the bench before you permanently deform the anti-roll bar. Put a pipe over one end and park a pick up truck on it and you will more likely bend the pipe. Spring steel, tough stuff.
All the best,
Paul

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#5
Tonyfixit Avatar
Tonyfixit Tony M
Duncan, BC, Canada   CAN
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1974 Triumph Spitfire 1500
Such 'Bent' AR bars are very common on our cars. I once remember a serious descussion about If they were bent at the factory to give the car an even stance. Or To compensate for the weight of the driver, if there was no passernger (which is how our cars were normally driven)

I all honesty. I don't know. The AR on my car was bent, it probably still is.

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#6
zinteck Avatar
zinteck Silver Member David Zinteck
Syracuse, NY, USA   USA
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1966 Chevrolet Corvair "Yenko Stinger"
1972 Triumph GT6 MkIII
2003 Volkswagen Jetta
I would replace the bar. I wouldn't use it until I knew why it was bent. How about other suspension parts? This bar as is will interject preload into the suspension

You should be able to get one on ebay. or better yet hit the Buy,sell and trade list

Its not worth the effort in trying to straighten it out.

Paul is correct.

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#7
Wolfcreek Steve Steve P
Central, WI, USA   USA
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1937 Dodge Magnum "The Dodge"
1947 Unknown Unknown "My Autocar"
1980 Triumph Spitfire 1500 "Vicki's Little Red Car"
As is, it will preload the suspension, but you might be able to "fix it" be shimming your frame mounts to remove that preload. I wouldn't worry about it failing from that small amount of bend.


Remember gentlemen, there is a reason why they are not called "The Friendly Suggestions of Physics."

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#8
rampant racing Avatar
rampant racing gary fraser
sarnia, ont., Canada   CAN
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1969 Triumph Spitfire "King Henry V 8TH"
my brand new addco roll bar that is one inch in dia is the same way. I thought I screwed up a mount when I built the front suspension but no it is in fact the bar.

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#9
Wolfcreek Steve Steve P
Central, WI, USA   USA
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1937 Dodge Magnum "The Dodge"
1947 Unknown Unknown "My Autocar"
1980 Triumph Spitfire 1500 "Vicki's Little Red Car"
In reply to # 1357037 by rampant racing my brand new addco roll bar that is one inch in dia is the same way. I thought I screwed up a mount when I built the front suspension but no it is in fact the bar.

I just got 6" of snow, so I don't want to go out and look, are they formed in such a way that one side up they preload the drivers side, flipped other side up they preload the passenger side? (drivers side in UK and Oz)


Remember gentlemen, there is a reason why they are not called "The Friendly Suggestions of Physics."

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#10
TinDrum Herald Ma
cologne, NRW, Germany   DEU
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Flipping it over doesn't make any difference.
If it was intended to balance the Driver, there should be one ARB for LHD and one for RHD Spitfire.

Herald

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#11
zinteck Avatar
zinteck Silver Member David Zinteck
Syracuse, NY, USA   USA
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1966 Chevrolet Corvair "Yenko Stinger"
1972 Triumph GT6 MkIII
2003 Volkswagen Jetta
Nope, there is a problem with the bars. To compensate for driver weight you adjust the spring. Unless your doing something special the bar is to be straight or nearly straight. Adjustment is done though the vertical link or indexing the bar

My spitfire, and TR3 did not and now my GT6 does not have a bent or twisted sway bar.

The bar should be replaced.

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#12
14GPDJENGINEERING Avatar
14GPDJENGINEERING Dennis P
Silver Spring, MD, USA   USA
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1964 Triumph Spitfire 4 (MkI)
1965 Triumph Spitfire MkII
1968 Triumph Spitfire MkIII
2003 Ford Ranger Pickup
Bent sway bars are common.

I suggest trying to straighten the bar,
or get adjustable links,
or see (if it does make a difference) used it to favor left or right hand turns (ala NASCAR).


Dennis smiling smiley
Robert is my father's brother -- so Bob's my uncle.
RIP WWII veteran Robert C. P. 11/09/1924 -- 02/14/2021



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-03-24 12:48 PM by 14GPDJENGINEERING.

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#13
Spit1 Mike G
NZ, Waitakere, New Zealand   NZL
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1970 Triumph Herald 13/60
1972 Triumph Spitfire MkIV
I have four anti sway bars,, all bent the same way. I did wonder if they were designed to be like this? Both my cars handle really well.


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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#14
MTBer Adrian Tayne
Grants Pass, OR, USA   USA
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1970 Triumph GT6+ (MkII) "Chloe"
The bar on my '70 GT6 was the same. I searched and found most people found the same thing. The GT6 has an assymetric spring setup with a spacer on the driver's side to compensate for the weight of the driver. This may be another design choice with the same goal in mind or may be a set taken by the bar due to the assymetric loading. Either way, I decided it was worth trying it and easily swapping it out if it causes me grief when I start driving it.

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Re: Anti-Sway Bar Bent. Do I Care?
#15
clshore Gold Member Carter Shore
Beverly Hills, FL, USA   USA
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In reply to # 1357075 by TinDrum Flipping it over doesn't make any difference.
If it was intended to balance the Driver, there should be one ARB for LHD and one for RHD Spitfire.

Herald

^^this
Use a bent paperclip to prove it to youself.

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