What size sway bar links?
Senior Member
Joined: 01-13-2008
Posts: 4,708
From: Washington State, where it rains
In short, you will lose some of the bars effectiveness with the long links as you will be starting at a slight up angle...bout the same as going to a slightly smaller bar. Its all about leverage. Also the bars spring rates will not be the same side to side..as one wheel goes up, the other moves down.. the down wheel will pass thru the level position and gain more rate force then the up side which has lost some of its leverage...so the balance between left and right will not be exactly the same.With a short link on a long bar the opposite happens.. a level bar will have the same force applied to the both ends equally.
Does it matter that much? It could possible upset the front end in an extreme defensive manuver, but unless your a really good driver you'd probably never notice the difference. Normal driving will have little effect as you probably dont corner your vehicle as hard as say a performance driver who do enter/exit ramps as above normal speeds or purposely drive E Coli looking roads n the mountains. Better to go long links/short bar the short links long bar. Popular consensus has it..If it was designed that way then that way it must be....but chassis tuners have found that moving the bar around tends to suit ones needs for a particular instance. Racer talk! Hell, half the cars on the road have worn out links and bushings and dont even know it( not necessarily HHRs) to ther point where the bar is only 2/3 as effective as designed....and they do fine. Why? Because they arnt speed demons....hope this helps..somewhat....maybe
Does it matter that much? It could possible upset the front end in an extreme defensive manuver, but unless your a really good driver you'd probably never notice the difference. Normal driving will have little effect as you probably dont corner your vehicle as hard as say a performance driver who do enter/exit ramps as above normal speeds or purposely drive E Coli looking roads n the mountains. Better to go long links/short bar the short links long bar. Popular consensus has it..If it was designed that way then that way it must be....but chassis tuners have found that moving the bar around tends to suit ones needs for a particular instance. Racer talk! Hell, half the cars on the road have worn out links and bushings and dont even know it( not necessarily HHRs) to ther point where the bar is only 2/3 as effective as designed....and they do fine. Why? Because they arnt speed demons....hope this helps..somewhat....maybe
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Joined: 03-22-2010
Posts: 2,108
From: Russia Ekaterinburg
Thread Starter
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Joined: 01-23-2009
Posts: 26,532
From: Fredericksburg,VA
In short, you will lose some of the bars effectiveness with the long links as you will be starting at a slight up angle...bout the same as going to a slightly smaller bar. Its all about leverage. Also the bars spring rates will not be the same side to side..as one wheel goes up, the other moves down.. the down wheel will pass thru the level position and gain more rate force then the up side which has lost some of its leverage...so the balance between left and right will not be exactly the same.With a short link on a long bar the opposite happens.. a level bar will have the same force applied to the both ends equally.
Does it matter that much? It could possible upset the front end in an extreme defensive manuver, but unless your a really good driver you'd probably never notice the difference. Normal driving will have little effect as you probably dont corner your vehicle as hard as say a performance driver who do enter/exit ramps as above normal speeds or purposely drive E Coli looking roads n the mountains. Better to go long links/short bar the short links long bar. Popular consensus has it..If it was designed that way then that way it must be....but chassis tuners have found that moving the bar around tends to suit ones needs for a particular instance. Racer talk! Hell, half the cars on the road have worn out links and bushings and dont even know it( not necessarily HHRs) to ther point where the bar is only 2/3 as effective as designed....and they do fine. Why? Because they arnt speed demons....hope this helps..somewhat....maybe
Does it matter that much? It could possible upset the front end in an extreme defensive manuver, but unless your a really good driver you'd probably never notice the difference. Normal driving will have little effect as you probably dont corner your vehicle as hard as say a performance driver who do enter/exit ramps as above normal speeds or purposely drive E Coli looking roads n the mountains. Better to go long links/short bar the short links long bar. Popular consensus has it..If it was designed that way then that way it must be....but chassis tuners have found that moving the bar around tends to suit ones needs for a particular instance. Racer talk! Hell, half the cars on the road have worn out links and bushings and dont even know it( not necessarily HHRs) to ther point where the bar is only 2/3 as effective as designed....and they do fine. Why? Because they arnt speed demons....hope this helps..somewhat....maybe
And I just recently started worrying the idea of those adjustable links, Would they have any possible use for drivers who turn in both directions? Seems the only use would be for those who only make left turns
as in NASCAR.And I think I really wanted "racer talk" on account of they would be the only ones who could discuss it
Senior Member
Joined: 10-02-2005
Posts: 1,245
From: VA
In short, you will lose some of the bars effectiveness with the long links as you will be starting at a slight up angle...bout the same as going to a slightly smaller bar. Its all about leverage. Also the bars spring rates will not be the same side to side..as one wheel goes up, the other moves down.. the down wheel will pass thru the level position and gain more rate force then the up side which has lost some of its leverage...so the balance between left and right will not be exactly the same.With a short link on a long bar the opposite happens.. a level bar will have the same force applied to the both ends equally.
Does it matter that much? It could possible upset the front end in an extreme defensive manuver, but unless your a really good driver you'd probably never notice the difference. Normal driving will have little effect as you probably dont corner your vehicle as hard as say a performance driver who do enter/exit ramps as above normal speeds or purposely drive E Coli looking roads n the mountains. Better to go long links/short bar the short links long bar. Popular consensus has it..If it was designed that way then that way it must be....but chassis tuners have found that moving the bar around tends to suit ones needs for a particular instance. Racer talk! Hell, half the cars on the road have worn out links and bushings and dont even know it( not necessarily HHRs) to ther point where the bar is only 2/3 as effective as designed....and they do fine. Why? Because they arnt speed demons....hope this helps..somewhat....maybe
Does it matter that much? It could possible upset the front end in an extreme defensive manuver, but unless your a really good driver you'd probably never notice the difference. Normal driving will have little effect as you probably dont corner your vehicle as hard as say a performance driver who do enter/exit ramps as above normal speeds or purposely drive E Coli looking roads n the mountains. Better to go long links/short bar the short links long bar. Popular consensus has it..If it was designed that way then that way it must be....but chassis tuners have found that moving the bar around tends to suit ones needs for a particular instance. Racer talk! Hell, half the cars on the road have worn out links and bushings and dont even know it( not necessarily HHRs) to ther point where the bar is only 2/3 as effective as designed....and they do fine. Why? Because they arnt speed demons....hope this helps..somewhat....maybe
Senior Member
Joined: 01-13-2008
Posts: 4,708
From: Washington State, where it rains
Heres another angle I bet alot of peeps here hadnt thought about. What about all the lowered vehicles? They have..in a way..lengthened the links..putting the bar on an up angle( by having the lower control arm be closer to the chassis). Has it hurt/caused any problems? None that Ive seen here or on my own vehicle.
So, for those that have to have it correct and are running the 12" links, its possible the 10" links will work for you better, depending of course on the drop. Adjustables are fairly easy to make for the HHRs as theres ample room...One of the "Moons" I believe have already done this..He also posted the PN's for the rod ends...
So, for those that have to have it correct and are running the 12" links, its possible the 10" links will work for you better, depending of course on the drop. Adjustables are fairly easy to make for the HHRs as theres ample room...One of the "Moons" I believe have already done this..He also posted the PN's for the rod ends...
Senior Member
Joined: 05-26-2009
Posts: 726
From: NorCal BayArea
I think in the end, Bunkies links adjusted to as short as 9 1/2"! He made these after seeing the pro-grids I had purchased and the issues of being to long at it's shortest setting! Although the links will work in any length we prefer the shorter link as it seemed to use the leverage deal straight through the rod and not at a bent point where the end link and sway bar intersect 
!
Best-O-Luck
,
!Best-O-Luck
,
Senior Member
Joined: 03-22-2010
Posts: 2,108
From: Russia Ekaterinburg
What about the time work?
Custom links can improve the handling characteristics. But it will be reliable? It's a shame to pay big bucks to ride for two months and then throw out the links in the trash.
Although .. Standard links - definitely rotten. 1 set I was missing for the season.
Custom links can improve the handling characteristics. But it will be reliable? It's a shame to pay big bucks to ride for two months and then throw out the links in the trash.
Although .. Standard links - definitely rotten. 1 set I was missing for the season.
Senior Member
Joined: 01-13-2008
Posts: 4,708
From: Washington State, where it rains
Those are the heavy duty replacement rod ends..available across the counter at your favorite parts store...though I dont recall what exactly they came off of...do remember a part number being posted
