I just installed a new bar on my 2015 RT last week and could not believe the difference in handling. With standard suspension it felt like it was going to roll over when riding on a high crowned road in a cross wind. Because the temperature was near freezing, the test ride was short, but I am sure this little modification will add a lot of comfort to my ride next spring.
used your tubing trick when I did my Baja Ron Sway Bar and it was real slick. Got the bolt thru on the 1st try. Getting the plastic back together took some trial and error but it was worth it. Thanks RICZ
A friend of mine put Baja Ron sway bar on his F3 limited in Illinois! Myself living in Canada with shipping and exchange I will be well into $400 for it I don’t think I can justify the cost I just crank the tighter spring rate on my front shocks which makes it a stiffer more compliant ride and less pitching to the outside of the corner pretty much effectively doing the same thing I am now going around corners very quickly and very stable just crank up the shocks guys your thoughts? Again $400 is a lot of money just to Eliminate wait transferred to the outside when tightening the shocks did the same thing! I have a Pontiac Trans Am that has a very stiff firm suspension that does the same effect that’s why sports cars are very stiff and firm
Yeah, not such a big deal as long as a smoother ride isn't that important. With the BajaRon anti-sway bar, you can get a more compliant ride
without sacrificing ride quality. And a stiffer ride doesn't necessarily mean better handling in all conditions, as you can get such a stiff ride that
the tires will be not able to follow the contours of a rougher road when the springs are cranked up. Smooth roads, yes, but how many really smooth
roads do you come across? The last thing you want is the vehicle to go skittering around on bumpy corners. That's why better handling sports
cars also have substantial anti-sway bars. Best of both worlds.
FIRECAT.....What was your process for tightening the shock springs? My F3L has adjustable shocks, but I can't budge the rings. Yeas, I have the two spanners, but maybe not enough muscle. Did you remove them and compress the spring?
Ours is a red, black and chrome 2017 F3 Limited. Bought new in 2/2019. The avatar is my first bike back in 1952, a Simplex Servi-Cycle. Photo taken at the Barber Museum.
FIRECAT.....What was your process for tightening the shock springs? My F3L has adjustable shocks, but I can't budge the rings. Yeas, I have the two spanners, but maybe not enough muscle. Did you remove them and compress the spring?
jack the spyder up to get tension off springs just enough makes it easy
FIRECAT.....What was your process for tightening the shock springs? My F3L has adjustable shocks, but I can't budge the rings. Yeas, I have the two spanners, but maybe not enough muscle. Did you remove them and compress the spring?
Yeah the rings were very tight had a hell of a time but I managed! get some strong musclebound kid to help you also take the wheels off the ground and take all load off springs! I saw a vast improvement! Also being a limited the shocks are very soft for smooth rides! I know what you’re saying Howard about compliance and even shock travel is cut back but again roads are way smoother than the off-road snowmobile trails I’m used to or even ATV dirt bike trails or even waves out on the lake on a PWC
Well, I don't know that I would pay $400 for it, but it was worth the $288 I paid. The body lean on Peggy's Spyder was awful
and the BajaRon anti-sway bar worked like magic. Basically put paid to the body lean.
Firecat I am in Leamington, Windsor's warmer cousin I put a BajaRon swaybar on my 2018 RTL and the difference was stunning.... even at the $400CDN for the bar, and about $75 for the dealer to install (book rate was 40 minutes, actually took him 2 hours... I was on the winning side of the calculation for once!), it was a HUGE value to me. No more skittish handling in crosswinds, no more dipping going around corners, to me it handles like it's on rails!
You can't get there from here....
Mods and Tweaks:
Showcrome Trunk Rack
Showcrome LED Trunk Light
Garmin 390LM
Spyderzone Floating Hiway Boards
Spyderzone Mount Dash Bracket
BajaRon Antisway Bar
Showcrome full-size brake pedal
Spyder-2-Go Driver Cup holder
Ram X phone mount
SpyderExtras 12 volt Docking Station
BRP Driver Backrest
Monster 4K Action Camera
Spyderzone LED Fender Mount Spotlights
CASA LED Headlights and Foglights
Yeah the rings were very tight had a hell of a time but I managed! get some strong musclebound kid to help you also take the wheels off the ground and take all load off springs! I saw a vast improvement! Also being a limited the shocks are very soft for smooth rides! PWC
Thanks a ton for this info. One more question; Will tightening the springs raise the front a bit?
Ours is a red, black and chrome 2017 F3 Limited. Bought new in 2/2019. The avatar is my first bike back in 1952, a Simplex Servi-Cycle. Photo taken at the Barber Museum.
As you adjust, tighten that is, the springs it will cause the shocks to extend farther with the same amount of weight
on them. So yes, the ride height would increase, the ride would be a bit harsher, unless it was too soft to begin with.
The lean will lessen because the springs won't allow the shocks to compress under load as much.
As you adjust, tighten that is, the springs it will cause the shocks to extend farther with the same amount of weight
on them. So yes, the ride height would increase, the ride would be a bit harsher, unless it was too soft to begin with.
The lean will lessen because the springs won't allow the shocks to compress under load as much.
But you really do want to watch out!! Increasing the static loaded ride height WILL increase the Positive Camber and that can impact your wheel alignment/steering geometry adversely... unless your ride height was already a fair bit too low and you are simply returning to the recommended static loaded ride height as you raise it, of course. And if you 'lift' the ride height too much, you'll also be reducing the available suspension down travel (cos you are already getting up near its full length) and that really is something you want to avoid!! It can make for a very uncomfortable ryde, if not a dangerous one!
I don't know if they still do it (altho I suspect they do at some stage!) but back in the day, BRP used to do their wheel alignments with a 'fixed length bar' fitted in place of the shocks; so the suspension and steering geometry IS very much height critical, so playing with that height at all is just a bit chancy!
Good - I need 'er up a bit higher here in pothole city. My DIY front bumper already saved plastic when I hit one.
Ours is a red, black and chrome 2017 F3 Limited. Bought new in 2/2019. The avatar is my first bike back in 1952, a Simplex Servi-Cycle. Photo taken at the Barber Museum.
I wonder how high one wheel would have to be lifted to remove the sway bar. With one wheel down and the other up 16" would the bar come out at an angle?? I guess I could do a little Geometry and try to figure it out.
2018 RT Ltd - Asphalt Metallic - East Valley of Phoenix
2018 RT Ltd Chrome - Champagne Metallic - Lake Stevens, Wa
(Champagne/Hooker) Magic Mirrors, 360 LED head lights, BajaRon sway bar, H&R springs and shock adjusters, dash cam, foam grips, third brake light 4 LED strobe for 7 seconds and then on steady, rear LED turn signals/8 ohm 50W resistors, sequential turn signals on front fenders, Vredestein and PPA Orb wheels on front and General out back, and driver backrest.
Things that move between machines: Ikea sheep skins, Zumo XT GPS, and extra tools. Hooker is going to be my summer trike up North; and Hookie my winter trike down South.
(Asphalt/Hookie) Elka shocks on front - BajaRon sway bar, OEM driver's backrest, LED headlights, dual USB with voltmeter, dash cam, foam grips - Magic Mirrors - front tires Vredestein Quatrac SL on PPA ORB Chrome wheels.
I wonder how high one wheel would have to be lifted to remove the track bar. With one wheel down and the other up 16" would the bar come out at an angle?? I guess I could do a little Geometry and try to figure it out.
Track bar....do you mean sway bar? If so, you need to get that 22" from bar to floor and no amount of fudging will do it.
Ours is a red, black and chrome 2017 F3 Limited. Bought new in 2/2019. The avatar is my first bike back in 1952, a Simplex Servi-Cycle. Photo taken at the Barber Museum.
Track bar....do you mean sway bar? If so, you need to get that 22" from bar to floor and no amount of fudging will do it.
Sorry being a 4x4 truck owner with a solid front axle I have track bar in my brain.
If the trike is lifted on one side the 22" extends out to the side at an angle, not straight down was my point.
2018 RT Ltd - Asphalt Metallic - East Valley of Phoenix
2018 RT Ltd Chrome - Champagne Metallic - Lake Stevens, Wa
(Champagne/Hooker) Magic Mirrors, 360 LED head lights, BajaRon sway bar, H&R springs and shock adjusters, dash cam, foam grips, third brake light 4 LED strobe for 7 seconds and then on steady, rear LED turn signals/8 ohm 50W resistors, sequential turn signals on front fenders, Vredestein and PPA Orb wheels on front and General out back, and driver backrest.
Things that move between machines: Ikea sheep skins, Zumo XT GPS, and extra tools. Hooker is going to be my summer trike up North; and Hookie my winter trike down South.
(Asphalt/Hookie) Elka shocks on front - BajaRon sway bar, OEM driver's backrest, LED headlights, dual USB with voltmeter, dash cam, foam grips - Magic Mirrors - front tires Vredestein Quatrac SL on PPA ORB Chrome wheels.
Nope, it has to go down not out, so 22 inches from the floor is pretty close, maybe a bit more.
Upon reflection, and reading the post below, I will change my opinion. It probably wouldn't have to be
raised quite as much since it could move out to the side some, but still pretty high.
I wonder how high one wheel would have to be lifted to remove the sway bar. With one wheel down and the other up 16" would the bar come out at an angle?? I guess I could do a little Geometry and try to figure it out.
You are correct in the fact you would not have to raise it up as much. I think it might be higher than you think. Your pivot point to get the bar out is very near center between the wheels. You probably would benefit from starting from having both wheels on ramp position.
Well today I did some prep getting ready this morning putting the Spyder up on blocks so I could remove the connection links between the A-frames and the OEM sway bar. Late this afternoon the new bar showed up, and I installed the new links and put a bolt hand tight on one end. I had a wooden dowel sitting on the mancave bench that worked great to hold the spacers in place to push the bolt in. So that step is done. In the morning I will remove the panels and another guy in the RV resort is coming at 10 with his truck and ramps so I can drive up and swap out the bars and then will put it back on the blocks to put everything back together. So by 11 or 12 tomorrow it should be ready to go.
2018 RT Ltd - Asphalt Metallic - East Valley of Phoenix
2018 RT Ltd Chrome - Champagne Metallic - Lake Stevens, Wa
(Champagne/Hooker) Magic Mirrors, 360 LED head lights, BajaRon sway bar, H&R springs and shock adjusters, dash cam, foam grips, third brake light 4 LED strobe for 7 seconds and then on steady, rear LED turn signals/8 ohm 50W resistors, sequential turn signals on front fenders, Vredestein and PPA Orb wheels on front and General out back, and driver backrest.
Things that move between machines: Ikea sheep skins, Zumo XT GPS, and extra tools. Hooker is going to be my summer trike up North; and Hookie my winter trike down South.
(Asphalt/Hookie) Elka shocks on front - BajaRon sway bar, OEM driver's backrest, LED headlights, dual USB with voltmeter, dash cam, foam grips - Magic Mirrors - front tires Vredestein Quatrac SL on PPA ORB Chrome wheels.
There’s a lot of good info on here. I have the Rally and my weight at the time was about 250lbs. From the factory setting I could just about bottom it out by sitting on it and bouncing on it. I cranked the front shocks up 2 1/2 bars each and it does corners very nice. Like already said, I sacrificed a smooth ride, but it was worth it to me. That said, I’ll be buying a BajaRon sway bar and links probably in spring. I’m working on some other modifications that will keep me busy for a while. cueman