Pics of spohn sway bar needed

[turbodig]

HI-

Hoping someone has some pics of the Spohn pro-touring bar installed on a GN... Trying to determine proper bushing /bracket placement.
Currently, I have the u-bolts almost touching the coils.

Also, another weird thing - the end link attachment point on the bar itself is very close to the control arm on the drivers side.. to the point where if I had a bolt in the frontmost position on the bar, it would come very close to contacting the control arm. Passenger side isn't really close.

I have the bar centered- I measured from the outside of the frame rails, and I'm exactly 6" on both sides, and the bow in the bar aligns with the center of the diff pumpkin.
It's not the biggest deal in the world, as I don't think I'll ever use the front hole.

Also - alignment of the axle brackets - instructions state the bar should be centered with the center of the axle tube, but at what angle? I can swivel the brackets around and the bar is still centered. Should the bottom of the brackets be parallel to the ground? Parallel to the frame? Parallel to the control arms?

Anybody have diff housing contact issues with this bar under full rear suspension compression? I looks like it would be close. I do have the extra spacers to lower the bar as the instructions state.

Appreciate anybody with experience with this bar chiming in. Thanks!

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

Mark has some photos on his website that may be helpful.
Mark is a good guy, I bet he would help even if you didn’t buy it from him.
He has some really cool stuff you might HAVE to have anyway.

G-BODY REAR PRO TOURING SWAY BAR

 

[T-CHRGD]

Don't know if these will help. I run a Watts Link, so my axle brackets are inboard of the Watts Link brackets. I have had No clearance issues for over 20 years

 

[T-CHRGD]

As you can see, I run a 1/4" spacer between the axle bracket and the bushing. I also had to grind down the 2 "points" on the bottom/outside of the axle housing.

 

[turbodig]

Thanks guys for the pictures! It looks like what I have is pretty close.
I ended up taking a bit off the cast blocks on the stock rear diff (Looks like you may have done this also, John?) , this, coupled with 3/8" spacers under the brackets, seems to give me enough bar to housing clearance, but it depends a lot on where the brackets are clocked.
(yes, the underside of the car needs a bath

It will be really close to the housing in cases where the rear suspension is fully compressed.
The 2.5" pypes exhaust was also in the way on the right, ( thus the ratchet strap) I will need to move some things around there to make this work.

Driver's control arm clearance.
Is this going to be a problem when the diff housing and axle tube rotate forward?
I looked at this a bit closer, and noticed the control arm bushings are oriented differently between the left and right control arms... I'm thinking this is why I have the clearance issue.

Passenger side clearance:

 

[turbodig]

Thanks guys for the pictures! It looks like what I have is pretty close.

 

[turbodig]

I ended up placing the brackets 4.5" from the cast where the axle tubes go in. This seemed to balance out well.
I made a plumb bob out of string and a couple bolts to use as a reference for centering the brackets on the housing.

Adding a few more pictures in case someone needs them in the future.

This is with the factory GN rear and a 2.5 pypes exhaust. I had to tweak the driver's side exhaust pipe to make sure it cleared the sway bracket, the coil spring, and the upper control arm. Getting that right took more time than the bar install.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

I ended up placing the brackets 4.5" from the cast where the axle tubes go in. This seemed to balance out well.
I made a plumb bob out of string and a couple bolts to use as a reference for centering the brackets on the housing.
View attachment 399790

Adding a few more pictures in case someone needs them in the future.
View attachment 399791

View attachment 399792
View attachment 399793
View attachment 399794

This is with the factory GN rear and a 2.5 pypes exhaust. I had to tweak the driver's side exhaust pipe to make sure it cleared the sway bracket, the coil spring, and the upper control arm. Getting that right took more time than the bar install.

Thank you for posting the extra photos.
The UMI 1” hollow pro touring rear sway bar is a tight fit as well. It may fit better on the axle, but the front adjustment holes are very tight. The adjustable links may have to be lengthened so the bar and the bolt are below the lower control arm. I can’t imagine using them either, but maybe using the round tube lower control arms would help?

 

[turbodig]

Initial drive review... Wow.
Car drives completely different. Not squishy at all, and street traction dramatically improved.

Others have reported a significant push/under steer with the bar in the rearmost hole, but I guess I don't really notice that... I tried a few scenarios to make it push, and didn't really feel that.

Well worth all the effort... Car is much tighter.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

Initial drive review... Wow.
Car drives completely different. Not squishy at all, and street traction dramatically improved.

Others have reported a significant push/under steer with the bar in the rearmost hole, but I guess I don't really notice that... I tried a few scenarios to make it push, and didn't really feel that.

Well worth all the effort... Car is much tighter.

Simplified, the stiffest end of the car will slide first. If you have no sway bar on the front and the Spohn on the rear, the rear will whip around on you when cornering at its limits. Of course tire size, spring rates and accelerating/ decelerating will affect this as well. Running skinnies on the front and drag radials on the rear probably pushes especially when accelerating and violates all the rules.
The reason the factory puts a more effective sway bar in the front, it’s easier to control the front pushing than it is to control the rear whipping around on you.

 

[T-CHRGD]

Initial drive review... Wow.
Car drives completely different. Not squishy at all, and street traction dramatically improved.

Others have reported a significant push/under steer with the bar in the rearmost hole, but I guess I don't really notice that... I tried a few scenarios to make it push, and didn't really feel that.

Well worth all the effort... Car is much tighter.

You are running the Pro Touring Bar, Not the Drag Bar. That's why it feels better. I learned early on, that for handling, you Don't want the biggest rear bar you can get. A smaller rear bar is more balanced, and the car will handle MUCH Better !!!