Addco Sway Bars: F-719 & R-488

[Franklinstower]

i got my Addco 719 on Saturday. Took two weeks from the factory, but a good price - $164 including shipping. Opened the hardware kit up and I didn't receive any nylocks for the bolts. Anyone know the size and pitch? I was going to buy nuts today, but forgot the bolt.

Paul
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'89 Westy - EJ25/22 Frank 4.44 5mt
'75 Miami Blue Sunroof FI Standard Bug

[Love My Westy]

I originally got my Addco sway bars in 1988 from JC Whitney. It looks like almost the same kit that I got back then, not much changed at all except the color of the bar (mine was silver) and some of the the bushings on the rear bolts. I think I paid $113 for both bars.

I have never heard any rattles from mine, and the only problem I ever had was once, down in Baja, I pulled off the road and there was a real drop to the shoulder and the van really rocked. After that it really handled badly. It turns out that the severe rocking was hard enough to drive the stabilizer link upper washer up the stabilizer link shaft effectively eliminating sway bar. It forced the washer up over the ridge in the stabilizer link. Needless to say, it was a long trip back to Salt Lake City without a front sway bar. When I got back I fixed it by replacing the washers with some really heavy duty Ford F150 washers and urathane grommets. Never had any problem since.

[vanagonjr]

[joet]

Finished the install of the front Addco swaybar, new Fastwagens endlinks, and Powerflex bushings. I upgraded the bar to frame hardware with grade 8 bolts, nylock nuts and even exchanged the addco supplied washers with grade 8 ones.

WOW, the van handles so much better than before. Usually a turn (any radius) at any speed resulted in considerable lean (the kids these days would call it dipping). Now the van is rock steady even on tight turns at speed--great news for my wife who was always scared the van would flip.
I also noticed that going over the large, wide speed bumps in my neighborhood, which previously caused the van to woomp over with a creaking noise up front toward the end of the shock compression, now the up/down motion is markedly reduced and the van is entirely silent. I can take the bumps at a more reasonable speed as well.

Picture of the bar and endlink. I'm still not sure that I tightened the large nylock nut to the right position when connecting the swaybar to the endlink eyelet. It seemed like any tighter and I was slightly deforming the bushing, but it certainly didn't feel like I had it at the recommended 45 ft/lbs torque as per addco directions??

Picture of the bar to frame connection. I used the existing hole and drilled a new one just inside the slot where the previous bracket connected to the frame. Pic taken before wiping off the excess silicone vacuum grease on the bushing.

Thanks to Loogy (T3Technique) for the Powerflex bushings and Darren (Fastwagens) for the new endlinks!
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2003 Eurovan Weekender
Previously: 1987 Westy Weekender

[Franklinstower]

JoeT, I am going to install my front addco this afternoon. I see you greased your bushings.

What type of grease did you use?

I thought I remember reading in the literature that grease was not necessary? But as long as it doesn't deteriorate the bushings, I think greasing is a good idea.

Paul
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'89 Westy - EJ25/22 Frank 4.44 5mt
'75 Miami Blue Sunroof FI Standard Bug

[levi]

[joet]

[Franklinstower]

I got my front addco installed, and as stated by JoeT, the angle of the endlink when tightened down to the sway bar is way more than what I would like to see. Is there any reason why I shouldn't add a 3/8 - to 1/2 spacer between the endlink and eye of the swaybar? This would cause the endlink to be more perpendicular and less stress on the endlink bushing. I think I will make spacers out of some black UHMW.

Paul
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'89 Westy - EJ25/22 Frank 4.44 5mt
'75 Miami Blue Sunroof FI Standard Bug

[insyncro]

[jetpoweredmonkey]

I just installed my front Addco bar and had the same issue with the end links being at a wonky angle to the swaybar. It seems like the bar needs to be about another 1" or 1.5" eye to eye. I stacked some more washers in between the link and the bar and it's better, but now the bolt threads are going to be riding in the eye of the swaybar, because the shank has been spaced to the outside. Not so good. I think a longer bolt, with a longer shank, might be the solution.
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1991 Westfalia 2WD

[Franklinstower]

[Wellington]

I discoved this same problem with the end link angle.
Also note the hole in the sway bar is larger then the bolt.
My solution was to add a nut instead of spacer. The nut acts as a spacer, then I locked the sway bay between the two nuts......no more front end bump noise.

[insyncro]

Nice addition!

[Californio]

I just installed my Addco sway bar on the front, and as others reported, the handling is much firmer, with not too much increase in ride harshness.

However, my sway bar end links look like originals (1987/345K miles) and are all rusted up at the bottom. I put them back in but would like to upgrade.

Rather than just replacing them, what about knocking off the washer and sleeve, then welding a piece of pipe to fit over the rod as a strengthener? It seems like that would give you more strength over the OEM. Then just add new washers/bushings to the bottom.

VC has the washers for Syncros in stock but I'm not sure they too couldn't be made from hardware store washers. Do they have to have that lip?

The sleeve could be fabricated without too much trouble too.

Kind of thinking out loud here but anybody done any of this?

[rotaecho]

Is there a new vendor recommendation for this sway-bar?

Looks like Shox doesn't carry Addco bars.

Thanks!
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-Will
1982 Westfalia mTDI (50deg) aka Betsy Bertha
http://www.tdivanagons.com

[j_dirge]

[rubbachicken]

so you addco sway bar owners out there, how are they holding up.
i'm currently fitting them to a customers van, i must say i am not impressed with the quality of the product or the fittings supplied with the kit.
i have contacted addco, and am awaiting their response on the matter.
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lucy our westy

lucy's BIG adventure

meet 'burni'


markswagen {mobile mechanic} san diego area all early VW's cared for.

619 201 0310 or 617 935 4182

[jetpoweredmonkey]

Mine works fine and provided a noticeable benefit to handling. There's nothing wrong with the bar itself. The mounting bushings are crummy as is the hardware to mount the end links.

If I remember right, I ended up replacing the provided bolts with a longer one. The end link bushing now rides on the shouldered area of the bolt. A jam nut on one side of the bar and nylock on the other secure the bolt to the bar, and those big washers make sure the end link stays on. Maybe not ideal having a bending force acting on the threaded part of the bolt - but so far so good. Recently I replaced the mount bushings and brackets with greasable urethane ones from ebay, those are working fine.

I have not seen the front bar setup from T3 Technique and probably won't buy one because the bar diameter is the same as my Addco. But if given the choice for someone who doesn't already have a bar, there's little doubt that the T3 bar is the one to get.

Here's what mine looks like.

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1991 Westfalia 2WD

[j_dirge]

[rubbachicken]

i bought an extra nut for either side, the angle it would sit at with it installed, nasty, i don't feel it's a decent option, at best it could push the bushing out of the end link.
today i found a set of bronze bushings with a lip on them, 3/4" id 7/8"od, and they have a lip, so there is a shoulder for the washers to sit against.
i've only added at most 3/16" to the overall width, and some of that will be taken up by the rubber bushing.

i'm going to trim down the bronze to make it all tighter on the rubber.