I'm trying to avoid paying $175 for the AWR HD sway bar extension mounting brackets. Can't I simply box in my stock flimsy brackets with some mild steel and the MIG welder I have? Seems like it would work fine to me?!?!

I have the TriPoint adj front bar with their HD brace and bronze bushing setup already ordered. The weak link is now the stock extension bracket.

Any tips/tricks or other companies you can recommend? I've blown my wad on suspension upgrades and am done with them I hope. Another $175 won't break me... but I'd rather spend it elsewhere.

Thanks,

-Mark

 

I think what you propose would work perfectly. I have the exact setup you do and am planning to make new mounts from scratch out of steel plate and tubing. I have access to a laser cutter at a machine shop so I plan to make two simple steel plates with the proper mounting holes joined by a length of rectangular tubing. We'll tack radiator mounts onto the sides.

I'm going to make my own so I can enlarge the lower bracket and bolt the Tripoint bronze bushings on directly without using the braces. I plan to raise it just a little too, no more than half an inch. I have the whole winter to get them ready so I'm not sure exactly when it will happen yet. I wouldn't mind supplying the pieces to others who really need it but I'm not planning on going into the swaybar mount business.

I have no problems with the mounts failing with the braces installed, but since I daily drive my car I bend a mount on occasion from bottoming the huge bar ends hard on the ground; this folds the mounts back. I did a real number on mine a while back.

It shouldn't cost anything at all. My mounts won't be aluminum or "fancy" but they will be bulletproof and won't cost me more than $20 in materials.

 

Saw this one from Rotary Extreme. http://www.rotaryextreme.com/swaybarmount.html

 

^ Looks nice but not SCCA Solo2 legal since the mounts are joined together. Solo2 rules allow aftermarket mounts that attach in the stock location but they do not allow bracing that ties them together. If they're independently braced that's fine. That's why the Tripoint braces are legal and something like the Racing Beat reinforcer or that mount from RE would not be legal (though it looks like a nice part).

I'm really just building mine because I can and because I can make the footprint of the mount bigger so I can bolt the bronze bushings on directly.

 

my wife just bought that one from rotaryextreme for me for christmas. it looks just like the RE-A one to me. i will take some pics of it in a week once it gets here.

 

Christmas isn't for weeks yet. She lets you open presents early?

 

DamonB,

I am not familiar with the Tripoint setup, but will the mounts you plan on fabricating work with the stock swaybar? I am in the market for some new mounts since one of mine is slightly bent. I was planning on buying some stock mounts from malloy and using the racing beat brace (illegal in SCCA solo2, but I don't auto-x), but if you are fab'ing up some extra mounts that will work with the stock equipment, then I am very interested. Sounds like a cost effective solution too!

 

Sure. The Tripoint bar will bolt directly to stock mounts unless you use their bronze bushings. The bronze bushings have a wider spacing between the bolt holes and thus won't bolt on without using the Tripoint braces as well. To make my mounts work with both all I have to do is make the mounting plate for the swaybar slightly longer than stock so the footprint is large enough to accomodate both types of swaybar bushings (stock and Tripoint bronze). There would just be an extra hole you wouldn't need.

The Racing Beat brace won't help me because it only reinforces side to side. I end up catching the bar on something and bending the mounts straight back; the RB brace won't help there. The Tripoint braces help some but they are really intended to keep the mounts from twisting, not folding up.

 

Cool, thanks for the explanation. A cheaper alternative to the other aftermarket mounts would be nice, and I'm sure they would be gobbled up by forum members (including myself) if you made a few extra sets.

 

That's my thinking. I don't want to make a bunch of them but I figure when I buy materials it's going to be economical to make at least a few sets. Or not. I won't know until I go to the supply place.

 

Thanks for the replies....

Hey Damon... whose thread is this anyway? j/k

I'm going to pull off my mounts and see if they are bent. Can someone measure what the stock length of this bracket is so I have a reference point to work from if mine are both indeed bent.

My room looks like Cooter's garage with all the FD parts I have waiting to install. I have the suspension finally dialed and this is the last link left to do.

Those widefoot braces are ungodly expensive... plus they aren't made any more I believe.

-Mark