For Baja Ron: Evoluzione Sway Bar & Heim Links Question

[liketoride2]

Ron, some time ago you suggested that anyone with an Evoluzione sway bar (no longer made) check to see if the Heim links were in contact with the A-arm and expressed concern that Heim link damage might be possible. I have this bar on my 2010 RT and finally got around to checking as you suggested.

Checking per your directions, the left side seems fine, no contact or sign of rubbing on the A-arm. However, the right side of the bar is contacting the A-arm but this is the bar itself just proximal to the flared end of the bar where the Heim joint attaches. The attached pictures aren't very good but may help. The area on the A-arm that looks rubbed in the pictures is actually where I wiped dust off. There is a tiny area where the bar and the A-arm are touching that has the paint removed but I don't believe this is visible in the pictures, it being under the bar.

Does this mean the Heim link is more likely to fail, even though the joint itself is not touching the A-arm? And, to once again ask my original question from back then, should I replace my Evoluzione bar with your bar? I've been happy with the performance of my current bar as it did help handling. Being on a retired person's budget, money is always an object but if there are either dangerous and/or expensive consequences to the current set-up, I will gladly spend the money for your bar, which has received praise from so many users.

Also, what is your opinion of replacing the stock Heim links with all metal ones as some have done?

Thanks for your help.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net

 

[cjackg]

That doesnt look good at all... but replacing the EVO bar with a thicker bar is not likely to help. Not sure what could have caused the clearance to be so tight on your RT.... Maybe Ron will have some insight.

 

[Lamonster]

Here's what a 2013 ST looks like.



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[Lamonster]

If that's a EVO bar they used a shorter arm than stock and that's why it's so close. Ron's bar would be better.


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[mcaccamise]

Rons bar is configured a little differently and should give u more clearence around the heim joint,yours dont look to be broken though wear and being brittle can cause them to break i believe they are around $12.00 new.
If you were to change the bar and heims u may be better off in the long run the other option is to make your own heims the ends can be baught at a auto parts store and also a hardend bolt threaded long enough to cut the head off and attach the new metal heims to proper length.
Mike

 

[mcaccamise]

Lamont thats how its supposed to look like, his heims are way to close and also positioned on the other side of his bar.

 

[TexGEOas]

Shouldn't the sway bar be mounted INSIDE the heim links? :shocked:
(this one is outside the link at least on this side)
Or, is that just how BajaRon's bar installs?




View attachment 71234View attachment 71235

 

[Lamonster]

Lamont thats how its supposed to look like, his heims are way to close and also positioned on the other side of his bar.

I believe the RT mounts on the inside and the RS on the outside.

 

[liketoride2]

My photos and Lamonts appear to be shot with different orientation and that may be causing some mis-impressions (or perhaps not).

Mine are shot side to side. That is, the camera is pointing across the body of the machine. Thats the left front wheel you see in the second photo.

Lamonts appear to me to be shot from front to rear, with the camera pointing backward. That may account for why they look so different, although I'm not sure, having never looked at the Heim links on any Spyder except my own.

Thanks for all the input.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net

 

[Lamonster]

My photos and Lamonts appear to be shot with different orientation and that may be causing some mis-impressions (or perhaps not).

Mine are shot side to side. That is, the camera is pointing across the body of the machine. Thats the left front wheel you see in the second photo.

Lamonts appear to me to be shot from front to rear, with the camera pointing backward. That may account for why they look so different, although I'm not sure, having never looked at the Heim links on any Spyder except my own.

Thanks for all the input.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net

The difference is mine is a 2013. I was just showing how the links now hang and the new clearance they have compared to 2008-2012

 

[Lamonster]

Here's a side shot.



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using Tapatalk

 

[BajaRon]

Ron, some time ago you suggested that anyone with an Evoluzione sway bar (no longer made) check to see if the Heim links were in contact with the A-arm and expressed concern that Heim link damage might be possible. I have this bar on my 2010 RT and finally got around to checking as you suggested.

Checking per your directions, the left side seems fine, no contact or sign of rubbing on the A-arm. However, the right side of the bar is contacting the A-arm but this is the bar itself just proximal to the flared end of the bar where the Heim joint attaches. The attached pictures aren't very good but may help. The area on the A-arm that looks rubbed in the pictures is actually where I wiped dust off. There is a tiny area where the bar and the A-arm are touching that has the paint removed but I don't believe this is visible in the pictures, it being under the bar.

Does this mean the Heim link is more likely to fail, even though the joint itself is not touching the A-arm? And, to once again ask my original question from back then, should I replace my Evoluzione bar with your bar? I've been happy with the performance of my current bar as it did help handling. Being on a retired person's budget, money is always an object but if there are either dangerous and/or expensive consequences to the current set-up, I will gladly spend the money for your bar, which has received praise from so many users.

Also, what is your opinion of replacing the stock Heim links with all metal ones as some have done?

Thanks for your help.

The EVO bar for the RT is about the same diameter and steel compound as OEM. Since these parameters are pretty much as stock, EVO had to do something to make the bar stiffer, so they shortened the arms. Shorter arms, stiffer bar. Sounds good, but on the 2010-2012 RT's there isn't enough clearance to the A-Arm.

Shorter arms pull the Heim links forward at an angle which raises the attachment point closer to the A-Arm. When the sway bar or Heim link come in contact with other hard parts (A-Arm in this case) there is no longer any room for movement and a great amount of leverage force is transferred to the Heim link. So yes, breakage is much more likely. It appears that your contact is slight but it really needs to be ZERO.

I have found that the bends and distances from point A to point B on the EVO bars are not symmetric. So you will get different amounts of clearance on each side as yours has. (I found the same situation with my EVO bar as have many others.)

Honestly, I am not here to tell anyone that they need my sway bar. You've gone this far with your current setup and I got away with my EVO bar just touching the A-Arm as well. But it is clear that this is not a good thing. I will say that everyone who has swapped out their RT EVO bar for my bar have noticed a significant improvement.

If you could get a good, accurate distance between these 2 points on each side of your EVO sway bar you may find a fair amount of difference in length. 1/8" is about the limit of what the difference should be.

That doesnt look good at all... but replacing the EVO bar with a thicker bar is not likely to help. Not sure what could have caused the clearance to be so tight on your RT.... Maybe Ron will have some insight.

There isn't a lot of clearance with my bar. But there doesn't need to be all that much because the Sway Bar and the A-Arm go up and down at ALMOST the same rate. It is the ALMOST that can get you if there isn't enough clearance.

There isn't much clearance with the stock bar either. But there is enough and that's all you need.

Shouldn't the sway bar be mounted INSIDE the heim links? :shocked:
(this one is outside the link at least on this side)
Or, is that just how BajaRon's bar installs?

View attachment 71234View attachment 71235

The OEM bar and my Custom bar both install with the Heim joint links to the outside. I do not know how the EVO bar for the RT is supposed to install, but the important thing is that the links be vertical and not canted in or out.

 

[mcaccamise]

My 2012 RSS has the heims mounted on the outside with Rons bar, i believe like your STS and i also have much more clearence maybe 3/16 and swivel movement for the suspension to travel.

 

[Bob Denman]

Ron,
is there any logical answer (Other than shoddy workmanship), that could explain why the EVO bars aren't symmetrical? :shocked:

 

[liketoride2]

Thanks to Ron and everyone else. It appears I had best dig into the piggy bank and get Ron's sway bar. I do have about 15K miles on the present setup with no adverse consequences to this point, but that doesn't mean it can't happen anytime.

Thanks again.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net

 

[pellcitypete]

Sway Bar

I'm a new owner of Rons sway bar and all I have to say is it is the best spent money I've spent in years WOW what a deference it made to my RT period !:2thumbs: :firstplace: Pete