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Caddy/Rabbit front sway bar..
by
wolf_walker
on 17 Aug, 2013 12:53
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So I've never had one, in all these years, and I'd like to try one.
Searching around hasn't found me a list of sizes and what they came on, GTI, Cabriolet, etc, or
what is a good front only bar for a Caddy. I suspect something not to big to keep understeer
down. I don't drive hard but a little less body role is the goal. I'm not screwing with, or paying for, a
rear bar on a Caddy at the moment. Thoughts?
Central California if anyone has one for sale too...
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#1
by
CRSMP5
on 17 Aug, 2013 13:52
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year? westy bunny/caddy, in either 82 or 83 moved the brake and fuel lines... where are yours? if they run behind the control arem they all need moved... 83-84 were like germans and run them on the other side of te floor suport to open up the area the sway bar goes..
id keep it small likt gti/gli... cabby may be slightly bigger along with rocco.. but i honestly think stock all same... you do not have a rear bar... jettas/cabbies come stock with them, then sportier, gli/wolfsburg got fronts.. aka 1.8 vs 1.7.. and no diesels.. so to put a large front on with no rear.. i would not.. stick to stock..
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#2
by
745 turbogreasel
on 17 Aug, 2013 16:58
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Just get one off a GTI or other car that has one, drill 2 holes in each control arm to bolt it on. IIRC, my Caddy was an 82, and I never rerouted anything, and did it on a couple cars.
IMO a lower tie bar is almost as much improvement again. I happened to find a Neuspeed one, but EMT conduit with the ends smashed and drilled works just as well.
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#3
by
wolf_walker
on 18 Aug, 2013 02:13
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82, I hadn't heard about the brake lines moving, interesting.
I have a hefty piece of angle to attach the forward LCA points together, was thinking about a K bar.
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#4
by
mystery3
on 18 Aug, 2013 03:00
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On my '81 the fuel lines would have interfered. I'd suggest the four-point lower tie bar. Ever make it up to the bay area?
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#5
by
wolf_walker
on 18 Aug, 2013 03:25
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On my '81 the fuel lines would have interfered. I'd suggest the four-point lower tie bar. Ever make it up to the bay area?
Gas/diesel, same?
Not yet, just did an east of LA mountains camping trip, trying to recover now.
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#6
by
CRSMP5
on 18 Aug, 2013 09:08
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if you got angle.. same as k bar...
i knew 81 they in way.. just not sure on if they moved them in 82 or 83 on the westy bunny... but look at them.. then decide.. if in the way.. i doubt it is worth the effort.. if not.. go for it.. but i hear of lots removing fronts for better steering..
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#7
by
8v-of-fury
on 18 Aug, 2013 22:34
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I agree the lower 4-point is the best thing to add to the front-end.
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#8
by
wolf_walker
on 18 Aug, 2013 22:41
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I could do that, is it really going to improve my casual-cornering feel though?
I've had good luck with chassis braces on BMW's and older Volvo's but I tended to
drive them harder.
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#9
by
8v-of-fury
on 18 Aug, 2013 22:56
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Any cornering stresses the horrible mk1 platform and its horrible chassis design. LOL, plain and simple.
My brothers car and mine have had identical suspension at one point in time, and his had an upper strut bar as well as the loiwer K.. WAY better for all types of driving.
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#10
by
wolf_walker
on 18 Aug, 2013 23:25
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Well the last half million miles haven't been all that horrible, but it'd be nice if she'd sway a little less in corners.
I've had stiffer springs and shocks in the past and lower profile tires that accomplished just that, but this setup
currently actually rides pretty well so I'm loathe to change it. But relatively subtle curves introduce a predictable,
but what I'd call objectonable, bit of body roll. I'll stick my L channel between the LCA forward mounts and see if I can
find a sway bar I guess.
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#11
by
vwzzuk
on 04 Jan, 2014 21:23
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I have an 82 rabbit diesel pickup that rolled a lot with a load in the back. I lifted it 2 inches so my center of gravity is higher. Because of that, I decided to put a bar on the front to see if it made much difference with roll. I found a front sway bar on a Cabrolet at my local wrecking yard. All I had to do was to drill out a hole in each control arm as previously stated. It made a huge difference with roll and its probably the easiest mod with a return in performance. I didn't think it would do much since the bar is so small, compared to other bars on different vehicles I've used, but I was very happy with the results.
Don't forget to get the rear control arm brackets for the bar. My brackets had just enough room that I could leave the steel lines where they were. There was barely enough space/room to bolt them on without modification.
Love the results.
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#12
by
wolf_walker
on 05 Jan, 2014 01:18
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Yeah... 5 months of driving once every two weeks later and I still haven't gotten to it. Or the chassis brace I made last year, or the motor mounts.
I can't remember last time I filled the tank up. Kinda sad.
What I really want, is a Scirocco body to put this motor in.
Or another W114/115 Mercedes.
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#13
by
745 turbogreasel
on 05 Jan, 2014 17:20
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I have an 82 rabbit diesel pickup that rolled a lot with a load in the back. I lifted it 2 inches so my center of gravity is higher. Because of that,
Get a bit of square tube, and space your rear bumpstops 2-3 inches down from the frame. Helped a lot with the 30 gal tank in my caddy. Yeah, it went far between fillups.
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#14
by
wolf_walker
on 08 Apr, 2014 19:05
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Well I finally bought a cabby sway bar with the hardware from a fellow, and a scirocco lower K bar and some sort of upper strut bar.
We'll see how that feels, Addco seems to still have a rear bar but I'm going to drive it some first and see whats what.