onebad82z

iTrader: (7)

On page 10 of the 2010 Energy Suspension catalog it states:

"TO FIT: Vehicle must be on level ground (not jacked up) with wheels supporting it. Make sure stabilizer bar end eyelet (B) is parallel with control arm (C). Many times they are not. You may be required to use a slightly longer or shorter sleeve length than the original. Measure sleeve length (A) and compare to the chart to find the correct set."

I am trying to determine the best length sleeve to use on my 1982 Camaro Z28. I am using the factory 21mm sway bar on the rear of the car. The problem I am having is the eyelet (on the sway bar) where the end link bolts through is at an angle to the actual sway bar itself.

With the eyelet level to the lower control arm I need a 3-5/8" sleeve length

With the sway bar itself level to the lower control arm I need a 1-1/8" sleeve length

In a case like this do I make the eyelet itself level to the lower control arm, or the bar itself since their angles differ?

I have yet to check the front sway bar but from what I can remember the eyelet and bar are at different angles as well. Does the front get handled the same way as the rear bar?

camaronewbie

3 5/8th sounds much better. I mean I never measured mine, but I know it's longer than 2 inches. If you go to any local auto parts store and just grab a replacement stocker, it's about that length.

BTW - front and rear endlinks are the same.

And Autozone sells the ES endlinks on the shelf, saves shipping and waiting.

And wow - never heard of anyone getting so technical with an endlink - I mean I guess depending on the car you might have to add or subtract some spacer length, but I just installed my ES links right off the shelf from AZ and they seemed a perfect fit with everything lining up where it needed to be.

87350IROC

iTrader: (2)

How low is your car? I'm using 1.5" sleeve length in the front of mine.

camaronewbie

You got me curious now - I don't remember it being that short on the spacer - gonna go look now. Oh, my car is on Eibach Prokit, so just a 1inch drop from stock.

OK - just looked. On the rear, my end link spacer is 2.5 inches long. My swaybar bottom at the endlink is relatively level with the bottom of the control arm (which is stock U-shape).

Can't get my fat head under the front without a jack - but the front sway bar points up alot compared to the rear (the bar is way more curved).

I surely don't know exactly where a swaybar should be positioned for precise tuning or what-have-you. I just installed them the way they came from Autozone (the ES endlinks).

Vetruck is the suspension guru, maybe he'll chime in and tell us where we ideally want our endlinks to be relative to whatever for different setups.

onebad82z

iTrader: (7)

Just trying to make the car as optimized as I can with what it is built with.

Using 1" Hotchkis lowering springs.

Me and you both. Like I said, I just want to set it up the best I can with what is already there.

Like you if I set the rear sway bar eyelet as level as I can eyeball with the rear LCA I need a 3-5/8" spacer in the rear. Have yet to even look at the fronts. That will come next week.

87350IROC

iTrader: (2)

The sway bar ends should be level. The correct length will depend on ride height.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

THe bar should be roughly level so that it doesn't bind at either end of suspension travel. Beyond that it's not real critical. Stock they were something like 3˝". Both front & rear (the hot tip for normal these cars was to get fronts off of L69 cars to put on both ends) If your car is lowered, they probably need to be a bit shorter. 2˝" passes the smell test I would say.

Guest

I just came accross this in a search. Sorry, I never looked in here to answer back when it was asked.

My opinion? Every car is different slightly. Some will align well, others have more of a misalignment. The shorter the sleeve the harder to align the swaybars+= meaning that when you install on link on one side then try to t=install the other you will most always see misalignment.. The longer the sleeve the better the angle of attachment. Length is weight (unsprung weight, albeit very minor but it is weight) so obviously use the shortest possible that will yeild free movement throughout the suspension travel.

I break them all the time on my truck, I never broke any on my old Camaro because the car was lighter. The truck is lowered so the swaybar will ground out sometimes against the chassis on hard hits expecially right now when I have two of my four front shocks off. When this happens the link takes the blunt of the suspension travel and snaps....point being? Too long can cause fitment issues in full suspension compression, or too low a vehicle also.

onebad82z

iTrader: (7)

I just finished this up this past week. Reason I started this is because while addressing other areas of the car in preparation for this summer I noticed the rear end links were very long and looked to me to be at a "weird" angle. Can't honestly say why this wasn't noticed years ago when I installed them, my memory fails me.

I also had some split poly bushings on the front ones which led me to Energy Suspensions site looking for replacements. That is when I noticed the blurb I quoted in my first post about proper end link sleeve length. sofakingdom already nailed it but after much attention payed to the end links I found that the rears I had installed at 3.5" long need to be trimmed to 2.625" for the best angles. A touch longer than the 2.5" he suggested would be just fine, and would have been. The 2.625" also happens to be what ES recommends.

On the fronts I already had 2.625" sleeves in there and moving the bar up/down resulted in more pronounced angles of the end links so I left it be and installed new bushings. I made a small square "gauge" with a center line, both sides around it removed in order to hold it against the end link to see how the angles compared. I then would hold this "gauge" flat to either the control arm or bar eyelet in front or the bar eyelet or frame mount in the rear for the end links. I then just moved the bar up/down till it looks the "squarest". Not very scientific but I felt better… for whatever that is worth.

The other reason I really tried to ensure they are the correct length for my car as built is I also have some "push" in the car when cornering under power. Not even sure this aspect of the suspension would cause it. But I want to know I covered each area the best it can be. I am sure it doesn't help with the LCA relocation brackets (set on middle hole and arms are level with ground at ride height) or the 800# springs in the Eaton. If under moderate throttle it is ok, but anything over 1/2 and you better pay attention. Kinda a mishmash of handling and drag components so it may just be that way.