Anyone with a Comptech combo sway/tie bar seen this?
04-15-2005, 09:50 AM
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Anyone with a Comptech combo sway/tie bar seen this?
I've had a Comptech combo rear sway/tie bar on my 95 Integra GSR for over a year. Works great. Totally transformed handling.
The other day, while workin' on my car, I noticed the rubber retaining bands on the bar were gone. Huh?! Comptech's installation guide says the retaining bands are there to "reduce shifting of the bar during hard driving". OK, guilty. ;^)
Anyone else with this setup seen this?
From what I can tell, the cause was simply not enough clearance between the bar and the tie bar. I've got maybe 2mm. When the bar would shift, the retaining bands would get pinched and eventually tore off.
Sure, I talked to Comptech. Their answer was "if your bar is performing fine, then there's no problem". OK. My bar is working fine, so there's probably no problem. BUT I wanted to check this forum to see what other people thought. My setup has the newer Heim joint end link design, which I believe can let the bar shift side-to-side a bit more.
The other day, while workin' on my car, I noticed the rubber retaining bands on the bar were gone. Huh?! Comptech's installation guide says the retaining bands are there to "reduce shifting of the bar during hard driving". OK, guilty. ;^)
Anyone else with this setup seen this?
From what I can tell, the cause was simply not enough clearance between the bar and the tie bar. I've got maybe 2mm. When the bar would shift, the retaining bands would get pinched and eventually tore off.
Sure, I talked to Comptech. Their answer was "if your bar is performing fine, then there's no problem". OK. My bar is working fine, so there's probably no problem. BUT I wanted to check this forum to see what other people thought. My setup has the newer Heim joint end link design, which I believe can let the bar shift side-to-side a bit more.
04-15-2005, 10:06 AM
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I had the same problem with the crappy metal bands they supplied. I noticed a huge shift when taking turns and it turned out that it was the bar shifting because the bands had snapped. I just replaced those bands with some adjustable hose clamps and it has been fine ever since. That is really the only problem I have had with the swaybar.
04-15-2005, 10:28 AM
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Yeah, I already looked at replacing 'em with stainless hose clamps. Did you apply the hose clamp directly to the bar (metal-to-metal) or did you fabricate a rubber bushing the clamp goes around?
I tried to simulate the original retaining bands with a hose clamp and some 1/16" rubber. It looked like I'd run into the same problem: pinching due to not enough clearance between the bar and the tie bar.
PS: this is a great forum!
I tried to simulate the original retaining bands with a hose clamp and some 1/16" rubber. It looked like I'd run into the same problem: pinching due to not enough clearance between the bar and the tie bar.
PS: this is a great forum!
04-15-2005, 10:57 AM
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Luckily, I still had the rubber hanging on for dear life when I discovered the metal bands had snapped. I just put the hose clamps over the rubber. In your case, you could fabricate something out of rubber tubing or something that allows the bar to stay put. I would not recommend metal to metal in this case since the bar will most likely get all gashed up and would slide all over the place.