Is one wonderbar better than the other? Such as the TDS one vs. the one from UMI, I know the TDS has one more bolt as a mounting point but which is better, or are there others better than these?

 

they all do the same basic function of tying the front together. one doesn't do it any better than the other i don't believe, i've never heard of any differences. There is an adjustable one i just heard of recently, but thats a whole different ball of wax.

 

Like he said , they all do the same, only diff. is usually price. Later.

 

It's pretty hard to **** up. Metal bar with plates+bolt holes on each end. I think the TDS one has 3 bolt holes on each side rather than 2 like the stock and other aftermarket, for what it's worth.

 

Honestly, if you know how to weld, and how to use a pencil, punch, hammer, square, drill, and tape measure, you can make it yourself. It isn't hard.

 

Hello,

Our Wonder bar is a direct bolt in and requires no welding cutting or grinding.

If you have any additional questions please ask and I will be glad to help.

Thank you!
Ryan

 

I've been wondering of late about just welding the wonder bar to the car....

 

And then if you have the dual fans, you'll never get them out again without breaking them off.

Can't get to the bolts with the wonderbar in. I put in LS1 fans, so I just broke 'em off. >.>

 

Oh. I hadn't considered that. My car only has the single fan. Thanks for the info though!

 

so the extra mounting point offered on the TDS unit doesn't really help with strength or anything?

 

My GTA has dual fans & a wonder bar....I had no problem getting the stock fans off without touching the wonder bar.

I suspect the LS1fans were the problem. No clue on their mounting.

 

It was getting the duals off. I couldn't get a wrench in the recessed holes on the lower part without pulling the wonderbar, so I just broke the tabs off. Lazy yes, but also effective. Though I probably could have sold the fans on here....

As for strength on the TDS unit, I'm sure it adds strength, but I don't think you need it. The wonderbar and the k-member braces stopped all of the problems with these cars cracking by the steering box. I'd just look for a junkyard wonderbar, and if you can't find it, then get the TDS one.

 

Mine cracked anyways. With the braces and wonderbar. Go figure.

 

The wonderbar does block the lower fan mounting bolts. I know because I was just under my car last night.

 

I musta done something "wrong" then. I pulled my fans a few months ago, without touching the wonderbar.

 

My Global West Wonderbar interferes with the lower attaching points on my thirdgen dual fans.

JamesC

 

Well, it seems that it's a Bird/Camaro difference. The Camaro guys say it interferes, the bird guys have no problems. Interesting.

 

what about spohn? they have an adjustable one. check it out

 

Well I ended up getting the UMI wonderbar, and I was just wondering if I have to raise the front of the car to get it in or if I just have to unbolt the sway bar.

 

I'm unsure of how you can swap the bar in without raising the car a bit. IIRC, you can mount the bar by simply unbolting the sway bar.

JamesC

 

So you're saying I can just unnbolt the sway bar bushings and leave the end links connected and just swap in the bar?

 

Yes.

JamesC

 

Do the dual fans make a big difference in cooling. My GTA seems to get very hot in the summer.

 

Why are you asking a cooling question, in a wonderbar thread? This forum doesn't have anything to do with cooling systems.

But.....Your GTA should have dual fans stock. If it doesn't, someone took them off or the car isn't really a GTA.

I suggest reposting in the correct forum.....Not a cooling problem, in the Suspension forum

 

Sorry. I didn't know my car had dual fans on it. My bad. I was also interested in the Wonderbar for my car as well. Sorry.

 

have the TDS wonderbar on my 87 formula 350 and i just took my dual fans off about 2 weeks ago. had no problem and left the wonderbar on there.

dual fans help with cooling but u need to have the cooler fan switches... sold by jet and hypertech. i also wired both fans together and run them off the hypertech 177on 166off fan switch. it never gets hotter than 180 at 100degree temps in traffic during the summer.

 

Interesting. There is still allot of things I don't know about my TA. I haven't had it that long and is stored for the winter right now here in Iowa. Thanks for the help.

 

for the guys having issues, you can cut the bottom have of the recess of the fan mounting surface off.
without a full circle there blocking the wrench, you can use a 13mm rathet wrench and go to town on them once you open up the bottom.
i got frustrated the 1st time i couldnt get my fans off and came up with a plan.

 

That's because the TDS version of a wonderbar doesn't interfere with the lower fan mount on dual fan equipped cars. The reason why is very simple. The cross bar on mine is mounted closer to the sway bar, in other words, further back from the lower dual fan mount bracket. All other versions use a design that welds the bar to the end of their mounting brackets which puts that bar far closer to the lower dual fan mount bracket. The difference is in the design.

Lon Salgren

 

100% correct!
the bar diameterhurts as well. my spohn is larger than a TDS version.
not that one works better than the other. both are great pieces.

 

And a cnc press brake, mill, lathe, plasma cutter, tube bender and TIG welder.

You end up with this, a wonder bar that bolts to your strut tower brace.

Jerry

 

damn thats a trick set up man..are you running this in your maro?

 

Got it back from powder coat yesterday and installing it tonight on my 90 Camaro.

Jerry

 

Wow.... my head hurts from that thing... I can't figure it out lol.
I need mounting pictures lolz.

 

Lets see some installed pictures when you get it in!

 

Please elaborate how that mounts. Some of it is obvious, but some....

 

HOLLY OVERKILL BATMAN, looks sexy though. How heavy?

 

wowwww... lol alil overboard huh lol. looks cool tho, not sure all thats needed but id do it anyway. wats the weight and tubing size? and def gets sum pics up of it installed

im gona be making a 1.5"x.095" DOM mild steel strut tower brace for my 87 formula350 but im making it to fit my HSR which is taller than the TPI... i wanna see how much clearance u got wit yours even if its on a TPI.