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Sway Bar

 
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bmcsheehy



Joined: 22 Jan 2005
Posts: 991
Location: Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:02 pm    Post subject: Sway Bar Reply with quote

In my opinion, a sway bar is the most bang for your buck that you can add to any sidecar vehicle to add performance. It doesn't need to be that complicated expensive, or labor intensive. Utilizing simple manufacturing processes. I built my sway bar from a piece of 5/8 diameter 4140 that I bought at McMaster Carr, you can use either 4140 or 4130, the difference being 4130 you can weld to. You don't need separate arms for your sway bar. Bend the ends of material to create the rod arms, so its one piece. Using an arbor press and a v block this eliminates the use of brute force. Use a piece of 1 inch diameter material between the press and sway bar, so you get a nice smooth bend. You can bend this material without any heat, so you won't become all hot and sweaty. My rod arms, if you will are 12" long. Use two automotive sway bar bushings, I used urethane, as the pivot for the sway bar, you can buy at an auto store or performance shop. Fabricate two flat plates that the bushings will mount to, these will need to be welded to the sidecar frame. Place them as far apart as possible. On mine one is welded to the frame of the sidecar and the other one is welded to one of the mounts close to the bike. The location I put mine on is 10" forward from the center of each wheel, so the sway bar is actually on an angle. Use the material to keep them in line while being welded in place. Keep the arms of the sway bar parallel to the swing arms and the same length as each other, so in theory the sidecar wheel and bike wheel will travel the same amount. You also need two sets of 5/8 rod ends also from McMaster Carr, use these as your link rods. I used two rod ends on each side of the sway bar with the eyes 90 degrees apart so it will pivot front to back on one end and side to side on the other. And four 5/8 split collars from McMaster Carr, these will hold the rod ends in place on the ends of you sway bar. You will then have to fabricate something to attach the other end of the rod ends to the swing arms. Before you bend the material make a template of what you will need. Then have the bent material heat treated to RC65 and tempered to RC45. The sway bar will distort during the heat treat process, but that's OK because you have the rod ends for any adjustment needed.

Cost
Material $15.00
Sway bar bushings $35.00
Rod ends $60.00
Split collars $20.00
Heat treat $50-$100
Total $180-$230

Also see:
http://hometown.aol.com/sidebike00/Page31.html

Bill McSheehy
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Bill
High Performance Sidecaring... ...There is nothing "HACKED" about it.
2006 ZX-14 / HANNIGAN HP.
2011 Concourse / California Friendship III.
2016 Suzuki Bandit 1250s
1936 Ford Fordoor Humpback
www.Yankee-Engineering.com
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swaybar2002



Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 380
Location: Central Pa.

PostPosted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bill wrote:
>>In my opinion, a sway bar is the most bang for your buck that you can add to any sidecar vehicle to add performance. <<

From my experience with swaybars I agree 100%. Almost ANY rig can indeed benefit from the installation of a swaybar (really an anti-swaybar)with flatter cornering, less effects from road camber changes, less effect from weight distribution on a loaded rig, side winds are not near the factor they once were and so on.
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Claude Stanley

Founder: Internet Sidecar Owners Klub
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCT/

2007
I.S.O.K Sidecar RON-DEE-VOO III ..
First full weekend in August!! Thursday through Sunday!!
Weikert, Pa ..more details coming
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docmike



Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 630
Location: Eastern NC

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just wanted to say I agree with both Bill and Claude, adding a sway bar to my K11 rig made a huge difference in how it corners, with no down side that I can see
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Mike Currin
93 BMW K1100RS / EML Speed 2000
89 Honda GB 500 (6,700 miles, all original except tires)
67 Triumph 650 chopper
92 Suzuki GS500 (eldest son)
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swaybar2002



Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 380
Location: Central Pa.

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Only downside I can see is on a really rough road. On many rigs unhooking one end is pretty simple solves the problem. Of course staying off the really rough roads is a simplier solution. Smile
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Claude Stanley

Founder: Internet Sidecar Owners Klub
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCT/

2007
I.S.O.K Sidecar RON-DEE-VOO III ..
First full weekend in August!! Thursday through Sunday!!
Weikert, Pa ..more details coming
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sidebike



Joined: 22 Jan 2005
Posts: 167
Location: Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:26 am    Post subject: Sway Bar Disconnect Reply with quote

Heres how the ATV owners handle the problem





Quote from their web site:
<< Jeff made me do it. Anyways, for those of you that don't know, the Polaris Sportsmans have shocks and a sway bar. The sway bar adds side-to-side stability and extra dampening on the suspension. If you disconnect the sway bar, you have your shocks working the suspension and you get longer travel on the suspension.

So, like long-travel rock crawling trucks, you can get similar travel on the Polaris Sportsman and other machines. The kit replaces the link on one side of the machine and has quick-disconnects so that you can put it back to normal for faster riding. This setup without the sway bar connected is made for slower, techinical riding, not for fast +30 mph hauling ass.

I will be taking it out tomorrow to test some. Accorinding to Jeff and others, its a great setup. If it doesn't work well, I'll just give Jeff some $hit...just kidding, great guy with plenty of idea's and info.>>[/img]
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bmcsheehy



Joined: 22 Jan 2005
Posts: 991
Location: Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey roger,
Thats a good idea for the sway bar link. If there were only some way to make it automatic, some sort of actuator Thinking .

Not so sure about the nobie tire, can you get one to fit your rig? Laughing
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Bill
High Performance Sidecaring... ...There is nothing "HACKED" about it.
2006 ZX-14 / HANNIGAN HP.
2011 Concourse / California Friendship III.
2016 Suzuki Bandit 1250s
1936 Ford Fordoor Humpback
www.Yankee-Engineering.com
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swaybar2002



Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 380
Location: Central Pa.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Bill you could hook a piece of fishin line on the pin to make it automatic....only 50% automatic though if you know what I mean.
The passenger could take care of the other 50%. You know: "" GET THAT PIN BACK IN ! THERE IS A SHARP RIGHT HANDER COMING COMING UP QUICK!!"
Razz
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Claude Stanley

Founder: Internet Sidecar Owners Klub
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCT/

2007
I.S.O.K Sidecar RON-DEE-VOO III ..
First full weekend in August!! Thursday through Sunday!!
Weikert, Pa ..more details coming
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docmike



Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 630
Location: Eastern NC

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess I don't go on the kind of roads you guys do, hasn't yet been a time I've wanted to disconnect the swaybar.

When I want to play in the fields I usually borrow the wife's rig anyhow, ,,,,,,, hope she's not registered on here yet,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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Mike Currin
93 BMW K1100RS / EML Speed 2000
89 Honda GB 500 (6,700 miles, all original except tires)
67 Triumph 650 chopper
92 Suzuki GS500 (eldest son)
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