A small detail that can have a major impact on driving dynamics: Adjustable sway bar end links.
Why are there adjustable sway bar end links? How do you install adjustable end links correctly? In this blog you will find the answers to all your questions!
Adjustable sway bar end links - why all this?
The purpose of adjustable sway bar end links is to keep the sway bar in its original angle when the vehicle is lowered. When installing a lowering kit in combination with original end links, the anti-roll bar is turned further up than it should, which is why the total travel of the anti-roll bar is significantly less compared to the original travel. With the adjustable end links, you can now influence the basic position of the anti-roll bar in such a way that the anti-roll bar maintains its full travel path and can be used completely. In some vehicles, it can also happen that the sway bar hits surrounding components such as drive shafts due to the lowering, which it could never hit at the original height. This is usually not the case with the MX-5 and these lowering kits are then usually sold directly by well-known manufacturers in connection with shorter end links.
How do you install adjustable sway bar end links?
Installation is usually relatively easy. First, the end links are installed and fastened with the same ball head orientation as the original end link. Now the vehicle can be set onto its wheels and the angle of the anti-roll bar itself in relation to the ground can be viewed. The end of the sway bar where the end links are attached should be level to allow full travel. The setting is usually made via the central threaded piece, which is secured at both ends with a lock nut. To adjust, the vehicle must be lifted again, the two lock nuts must be loosened and the end links must be screwed longer or shorter accordingly so that the anti-roll bar is horizontal when the car is on it´s wheels. The lock nuts can then be re-tightened accordingly and the setting can be checked. It is also important that after the adjustment is complete, the lengths of the two end links on one axle are checked in relation to one another so that the sway bar is not later tense in the car. Otherwise, strange and undesired driving behavior may occur. The two end links must therefore be of the same length on the same axle.
Did this blog help you with the installation of adjustable end links? Have you subsequently installed adjustable end links for your lowering kit and noticed the difference between a correctly and incorrectly adjusted sway bar? Feel free to tell us about the comment function of our blog!
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