924Board.org

Min · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:32 am Post subject:

I can make you something ideola, I got permission from lizard to replicate his snailshell shifter also, so I could make you those if you were interested.

Min
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Custom means it didn't come from a box.
1980 n/a with EDIS and Megasquirt II Injection. 7 different colors and counting.

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

Min · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:57 am Post subject:

okay, just let me know if you want me to make you anything. I just need dimensions, tolerances, and material and I can pretty much make anything you want.

I just won a batch of 2 inch delrin rod bits off ebay, so I'll probably be making some delrin bushings soon also.

Min
_________________
Custom means it didn't come from a box.
1980 n/a with EDIS and Megasquirt II Injection. 7 different colors and counting.

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

It would be cool if someone could figure out a way to make delrin bushing for the late 944-style drop link bushings on the front sway bar. The problem is, there's no way to retain the bushing if you go with a split style, and delrin can't be pressed in like the rubber ones, so some ingenuity is required without having to resort to redesigning the drop link itself.
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erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

Min · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:30 pm Post subject:

I can practically guarantee you that I can come up with a way to retain them. Post some pictures of the bushings you need and I will ponder it. Could be something as simple as a retaining clip on one side, slide the bushing in, install the clip. I've got a few other idea's floating in my mind also.

Min
_________________
Custom means it didn't come from a box.
1980 n/a with EDIS and Megasquirt II Injection. 7 different colors and counting.

RC · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 2637 Location: Australia

Suggest checking out the geometry before considering delrin for the front sway droplinks. Is similar to the early 924 setup and the angle varies with movement. Rubber and poly have some "give" but harder materials like delrin would likely bend the rod or some other unwanted result.

Min · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:10 pm Post subject:

I don't think it will bend the drop link. On the early 924 if you machine the angled face on the bushing, it will slide around on that rather than bending the rod.

Min
_________________
Custom means it didn't come from a box.
1980 n/a with EDIS and Megasquirt II Injection. 7 different colors and counting.

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

It's the two bushings at the center bottom of the above photo (click to enlarge), and the drop links are directly above them. The bushings are not retained with bolts, they squeeze into the drop link and the "ears" on the bushing keep them in place. The ends of the sway bars are simply inserted into the center of the rubber bushing. Once the entire sway bar assembly is in place, there's no way for the ends to come out or the bushings, or for the bushings to escape.

I hadn't thought about the varying angle issue that Roger brought up. However, Racer's Edge makes these bushings, but ONLY for the 30mm bars:

Looking at the Racer's Edge items, you can see they only have the "ear" on the one side. After looking at this, I realized that the sway bar has a "step down" at each end where the ends insert into the bushing, which you should be able to see in the following photo...look at the ends of the sway bar in the lower left and lower right (click to enlarge):

When installing the R.E. delrin bushing, by putting the ear on the inside of the drop link, the transition on the sway bar will prevent the bushing from wandering out of the drop link. Seems like these should be pretty easy to make after all, I'll take some measurements when I get home.
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erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

RC · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 2637 Location: Australia

Am simply suggesting to check it out yourselves. Hopefully it won`t be a problem with the different angle of the later bars. RE delrin ones may be fine for heavily sprung track cars, don`t know about on potholed roads though.

It is on the early bars though. Both my original drop links were bent symmetrically, can`t recall which way but both in or out. Thought they were supposed to be angled until I got another sway bar that came with near new straight links.

Uploaded a pic to illustrate. Now that is with the suspension hanging so should never get that bad if you drive slowly on perfect tarmac.

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

The later style are just a bit further inboard and mounted directly on the A-arm body as opposed to the early tab style. Also, both the drop link itself and the sway bar extension are shorter than the early style, so perhaps a bit less prone to bending? Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of such a setup installed.

I can run with the rubber bushings, no problem...but I figured if R.E. made 'em for the 30mm bars, it should be OK to run them on the same style but smaller 25.5mm bar that I have. But you do bring up a good point about heavily sprung setups and potholes!

Min, let me know what you think you can make these for price-wise, as that will determine if it's worth it to me to have a set and try 'em both out.
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

RC · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 2637 Location: Australia

Dan, think maybe theres only 1 size? The larger bars are reduced at the ends, whereas the smaller ones are not. Any dimensions in PET? Paragon?

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

Hmmm...that could be...however, I think the 30mm bars are only aftermarket and may be different than the factory items? According to PET, the only front bars offered on the late suspension setup were 21.5mm, 25.5mm, and 26.8mm (there were, of course, solid bars available in 20mm, 23mm and 24mm as well). There are two end bushing parts listed in PET, one for the 20-24mm bars and one for the 25.5 & 26.8mm bars. Further, the Racer's Edge website states that the MC-4300 bushing is ONLY for 30mm bars. So I think it's probably safest to make up a part based on the OEM rubber bushing, which apparently should work for both 25.5 & 26.8 bars. Min could end up with a nice little product to resell to the 944/951 crowd...I haven't found anyone else making these for the 25.5 and 26.8 bars. I'm happy to be the guinea pig, provided the cost is <= to the R.E. pricing.
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

Min · Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:48 am Post subject:

Well, its going to depend on how much the delrin I just bought ends up costing me by the time it arrives. But I'd say it will cost around 40 dollars or so to make those bushings.

Min
_________________
Custom means it didn't come from a box.
1980 n/a with EDIS and Megasquirt II Injection. 7 different colors and counting.

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

The I.D. of the drop link is 29.68mm
The width of the drop link is 30.05mm

The O.D. of the rubber bushing is 30.34mm
The width of the rubber bushing between the "ears" is 29.95mm
The total width of the rubber bushing is 40.40mm
Each of the ears is ~5.22mm wide
The O.D. of the "ear" is 35.00mm
The I.D. of the bushing is 17.64mm
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

Min · Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:35 am Post subject:

If you want them similarly designed to the racer's edge part you will need to measure from the edge of were the bushing sits on the bar to the shoulder on the sway bar also.

Min
_________________
Custom means it didn't come from a box.
1980 n/a with EDIS and Megasquirt II Injection. 7 different colors and counting.