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Love My Westy
Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007
Posts: 1837
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 Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:24 pm Post subject: How Many Have Upgraded Their Sway Bars? |
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I was just going through the Favorite Mods thread and found one I posted in 2007 about replacing my sway bars with heavy duty ones. It's a mod I did in 1987 after I was about blown off the road by a sudden gust of wind. I didn't redo my spings and bushings until many years later, but the addition of those sway bars, bigger tires and better shocks made such a difference in the way my van handled that I think everyone should have done that mod by now, if not replaced thier old springs and bushings.
My bars (front and rear) are ADCO, but I don't believe the rear bars are available anymore. T3 Techniques makes an excellent front bar that I would recommend.
Like I said, I think everyone should have one. I am in no way connected to T3 other than I met Chris at Syncro Solstice.
Last edited by Love My Westy on Thu Feb 04, 2021 7:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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charleslabri
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2019
Posts: 615
Location: Nashville/Yosemite
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hdenter
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008
Posts: 2753
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:32 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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I added a White Line rear sway bar to my work van years ago. It made a huge difference! T3 has been promising a rear bar for years...☹️☹️
Hans
_________________
'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7916
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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🙋♀️
T3 Technique's
_________________
~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:55 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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Addco rear bars are still available.
_________________
Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7756
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:58 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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| kamzcab86 wrote: |
🙋♀️
T3 Technique's |
Sorry Kam...no idea what this means...??? <shrug>
- Dave
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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11BC2
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2017
Posts: 495
Location: Cool, California
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 7:23 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
| Addco rear bars are still available. |
Thanks for that...I just ordered two! |
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Love My Westy
Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007
Posts: 1837
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 7:31 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
| Addco rear bars are still available. |
I didn't find them with a quick search. Good to hear though.
I did find a post somewhere about them cutting ground clearance and I have to say that has not been a problem with mine and I've been to all the Syncro Solstices plus years of driving around Southern Utah. The only problem I've had is one time, while driving the Hole in the Rock Road in So Utah I managed to lift one rear wheel off the ground to the point where the tire just spun. I had to get some help pushing the van back to where all four wheels were on the ground. I have thought that a disconnecting endlink might solve that problem, but all it is in reality is a long 4 or 5 inch bolt. |
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Californio
Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2007
Posts: 1305
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 7:52 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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| I put in an Addco on the front 10 years ago. Big difference in the twisties. But it did lose some of that Vanagon feel that I liked before. |
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bobhill8
Samba Member
Joined: June 09, 2017
Posts: 736
Location: MA
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6829
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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vanagonjr
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010
Posts: 3431
Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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Love My Westy
Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007
Posts: 1837
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 8:56 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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| vanagonjr wrote: |
| Love My Westy wrote: |
| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
| Addco rear bars are still available. |
I didn't find them with a quick search. Good to hear though.
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Go to https://www.addco.net/ |
Thanks. I don't need them because mine are still good. It looks like they're about $463 now for the pair. I bought mine from a JC Whitney Catalog for a total of $113.00 for both. That would be $266.42 at todays rate. 'Looks like I made a good investment as the price has gone up almost $200 more than inflation. |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7916
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:03 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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| dhaavers wrote: |
| kamzcab86 wrote: |
🙋♀️
T3 Technique's |
Sorry Kam...no idea what this means...??? <shrug>
- Dave |
Sorry, quickly answered the title question in short-hand.
Translation:
*raised hand*
T3 Technique's beefy front anti-sway bar.
_________________
~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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shagginwagon83
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2016
Posts: 3795
Location: VA/TN
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| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:05 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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Woah!! I've heard of this rear sway bar a couple of times but never seen a link!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3913461
_________________
Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan |
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Microbusdeluxe 
Samba Member
Joined: July 26, 2003
Posts: 980
Location: Bellingham, WA
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| Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 12:31 am Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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My front bar and end links just arrived from Chris. Waiting for the @#%*$ rain to stop so I can put it on. Since I have a factory Westy hightop syncro I'm really hoping it will mitigate some of the side wind sway I get now.
_________________
'69 Squareback RIP
'65 21 window deluxe sold before the price spike, damn it.
'70 rhd bay now a taxi in South Sudan
'81 Westy sold
'89 hightop Westy Joker syncro 16" now with Bostig! |
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:07 am Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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| Microbusdeluxe wrote: |
| My front bar and end links just arrived from Chris. Waiting for the @#%*$ rain to stop so I can put it on. Since I have a factory Westy hightop syncro I'm really hoping it will mitigate some of the side wind sway I get now. |
It's life-changing. Along with T3's steering rack bushings, one of the best instant gratification upgrades I've ever done.
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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livethevanlife
Samba Member
Joined: May 18, 2015
Posts: 191
Location: La Paz, Baja California Sur
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| Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:35 am Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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| Will the Addco rear sway bars fit a syncro? |
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vwhammer
Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2006
Posts: 998
Location: Boulder CO.
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| Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:15 am Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Your Sway Bars? |
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I am also running an Addco front bar with some end links I whipped up.
For the record, if you are handy, you can use a stock front bar for a rear bar.
I kept my stock front bar in anticipation of using it in the rear. |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 1:23 pm Post subject: Re: How Many Have Upgraded Their Sway Bars? |
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Sheesh, I've seen that pic before, but wasn't aware it was just a repurposed front bar. Damn. That's so much cleaner than this funky Addco bar. Since I've lifted the van, I really need to upgrade the swaybars front and rear.
BTW: How does Addco expect you to connect the front bar to the end links? Their kit doesn't appear to provide any sort of equipment for this part of the install.
_________________
Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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