[Healeys] Anti-Sway Bar

Rick Wilkins rick at ewilkins.com
Wed Jul 24 18:05:52 MDT 2019


I used a stiffer anti-roll bar and recommend it, even for road use. Makes a  huge difference in body roll and improves the feel of the car in turns. Great for “spirited driving” how the front sort of digs into turns. Makes the car a tad more “chuckable”. Very fun, cheap. reversible mod.

Wilko

http://ewilkins.com/wilko


> On Jul 24, 2019, at 4:57 PM, Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> In 1953, Healeys were 'state of the art' for 1943.
> 
> FWIW, I put a larger front anti-sway bar on my BJ8 and all I noticed was that it stayed flatter in turns, but I don't track it so I probably wouldn't notice a slight increase in understeer.
> 
> Bob
> 
> 
> 
> On 7/24/2019 9:56 AM, rrengineer.mike wrote:
>> Gee, I'm glad I brought this up.  I'm going to stick with the 1/2" bar as my car is destined for the road, not the track.  It's  a continuation of a philosophy that my late restorer friend was always on about.  My LeMans conversion of my BN2 is more sizzle than steak.  Sure I am installing all the visual cues like H6 carbs with LeMans intake and a louvered bonnet with leather strap, but that's about it.  I am even using used valve springs because I was told it would tick over at idle from first startup.  Besides, never being on the track, high rpm will not be a factor.  Not even close to valve float.  Yes, I am converting to disc brakes in the front, but that's a no brainer for safe driving street or track.  When I asked my friend about going with a Toyota transmission conversion, he said, "don't you want the Austin Healey experience"?  So, pretty much a stock BN2.  I think it will perform on the street just great.  Wasn't it state of the art back in 53?  Good enough for a Sunday drive now and then.
>> Mike MacLean
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy , an AT&T LTE smartphone
>> 
>> -------- Original message --------
>> From: Charles Schott <schottc at knology.net> <mailto:schottc at knology.net>
>> Date: 7/24/19 6:14 AM (GMT-08:00) 
>> To: Perry <healeyguy at aol.com> <mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>
>> Cc: healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Anti-Sway Bar 
>> 
>> Perry,
>> 
>> Thanks for the info. If I don't like it I can always go to a smaller size. Does anyone know what size is optimal for a road car?
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Charlie
>> 
>> From: "Perry" <healeyguy at aol.com> <mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>
>> To: "Charles Schott" <schottc at knology.net> <mailto:schottc at knology.net>
>> Cc: healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2019 7:07:47 AM
>> Subject: RE: [Healeys] Anti-Sway Bar
>> 
>> Charlie
>> My experience with a larger roll bar is that the car tends to get crazy over bumps, pavement expansion joints and the like. I have a 7/8 bar on the shelf (memento of things gone awry previously) and I could not use it even on my V8 car. 
>> Perry
>>  
>> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10
>>  
>> From: Charles Schott <mailto:schottc at knology.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2019 6:47 PM
>> To: Mike MacLean <mailto:rrengineer.mike at att.net>
>> Cc: Perry <mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>; healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Anti-Sway Bar
>>  
>> Mike,
>>  
>> The original bar on my 100 was also 1/2" but I'm installing a 7/8" one. AH Spares has them at 5/8", 3/4" and 7/8". And they have polyurethane bushings.
>>  
>> Regards,
>>  
>> Charlie Schott
>>  
>> 
>> From: "Mike MacLean" <rrengineer.mike at att.net> <mailto:rrengineer.mike at att.net>
>> To: "Perry" <healeyguy at aol.com> <mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>
>> Cc: healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:37:55 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Anti-Sway Bar
>>  
>> It seems my anti-sway bar is the original 1/2" bar.   My curiosity was rooted in the fact I used to own an original sway bar for my Bugeye.  That was 1/2" diameter also.  I recently rebuilt the front suspension on the Bugeye which included new lower a-arms of the later type for later Spridgets.  The new lower a-arms came with the reinforced holes for mounting a sway bar.  The new bar on the Bugeye is 5/8".  It doesn't seem right the smaller car has a bigger sway bar.
>> Mike MacLean
>>  
>> On Jul 23, 2019 6:48 AM, Perry <healeyguy at aol.com> <mailto:healeyguy at aol.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Mike
>> 
>> Sorry, my BN2 measures 5/8 inch but I also measured the 10 other sway bars upstairs in the garage and 4 were ½ inch and the rest 5/8 inch.  Suspect I put a 6 cylinder bar on it 17 years ago during the last resto. Have had that car for 54 years.
>> 
>> P
>> 
>>  
>>  
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