Addco Front Sway Bar

[Shora]

I must admit that I am not happy with it at all. Maybe some of you who know more can enlighten me of a few things.

First, the hardware that came with it does not fit the self locking screws. I had to drill the holes our bigger just to get it to fit.

Secondly, I believe that they made the front sway bar too thick for the connections at its tips near the wheels. With the OEM bar attached, there where 5 or 6 threads showing at its connecting screw. With the Addco bar attached, I cannot even see a single thread past the bolt.

I have pointed it out to a few people to get their opinions and they don't even feel safe riding in my Marauder with the bar attached they way that it is.

It seems like Addco did not do ANY testing on this bar and just made the a thicker bar then the OEM.

Honestly, I am so disappointed that I think about removing BOTH front AND rear Addco bars because I feel like they designed the front bar so wrong how could they have gotten the rear one correct.

[fastblackmerc]

I've had no problems with my Addco's either installation or otherwise. You must be doing something wrong or maybe Addco sent the wrong bars?

[DEFYANT]

This is the worst review of an Addco I've heard. Perhaps you got one that was not made right?

[fastblackmerc]

I must admit that I am not happy with it at all. Maybe some of you who know more can enlighten me of a few things.

First, the hardware that came with it does not fit the self locking screws. I had to drill the holes our bigger just to get it to fit.
What hardware are you talking about? The end links or the "U" shaped brackets?

Secondly, I believe that they made the front sway bar too thick for the connections at its tips near the wheels. With the OEM bar attached, there where 5 or 6 threads showing at its connecting screw. With the Addco bar attached, I cannot even see a single thread past the bolt.
Are you using the original end links?

I have pointed it out to a few people to get their opinions and they don't even feel safe riding in my Marauder with the bar attached they way that it is.

It seems like Addco did not do ANY testing on this bar and just made the a thicker bar then the OEM.

Honestly, I am so disappointed that I think about removing BOTH front AND rear Addco bars because I feel like they designed the front bar so wrong how could they have gotten the rear one correct.

See above....

[fastblackmerc]

Where are you located in Fla? Maybe one your SSM brothers can help you out?

[Hotrauder]

My Addco\bars have been on Rear 25K and Front 10K including several Drag Strip events, A full speed weekend at Sebring about 8- 25 minute sessions of racing w/ passing with no problems. I would check with one of our Marauder brothers and look at the differences with yours or and call Addco for advise. the bars are first guality and very effective. You have something wrong. If you are within driving distance drop me a pm or email and you can check out mine. Dennis:)

[LILALLEYKATT]

I had to put the front center link bracket mounting holes on my drill press and enlarge them slightly... took me all of 45 seconds on each one [2].... Had zero issues with these bars and you would have to "Pry them from my dead hands": to remove them from my MM

[fastblackmerc]

Had zero issues with these bars and you would have to "Pry them from my dead hands": to remove them from my MM

+1........

[MM2004]

I have had zero issues with my Addco bars (Front and Rear). And am very pleasewd with them.

Providing I remember tomorrow, I'll slide under the MM and take pics of the end fittings, bushings, etc. and post up.

They have been on the car for thousands of miles without an issue.

I am very interested to see where this goes,...

Mike.

[Cobra25]

I also have had the Addco front & rear bars for a while now and no problems. maybe the sent you the wrong set? Ghost03 & my self have the same set up . If you like we both will be at the tower shops tommarrow if you wish to see any differences on our cars.

[Shora]

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com[IMG]http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/ /><o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
<b><font face=" /><o:p>On the hardware that came with the front bars (that hold the bushings) I had to enlarge the holes just so that they fit the screws. The holes were too small. Not easy to do without the correct tools and I wanted to get done before it got dark out side so it was a mission.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
I am still talking about the front sway bar. You know where it connects near the front wheels? It connects to a little bolt with a nut. Well, with the OEM bar in place, there are 5 or 6 threads showing past the nut after tightening. However, since the Addco bar is so thick, I cannot even see a single thread past the nut with the Addco bar in place. I am no mechanic (some of you are saying Duhh) but I do know that you usually pick a bolt long enough for at least some threads to show past the nut and that is not the case with the front bar’s connection near the wheels..

Also, I have the correct bars 2196 front 650 rear.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
It is not my intension to give a bad review. Just want to make sure all will be ok because a bigger bar without the correct connections is just that-A bigger bar.<u1:p></u1:p></o:p>

[SergntMac]

I've owned 3 Marauders, installed rear Addco anti-sway bars on two of them, a front and rear on one. No problems of any sort to report.

One...Sway bars (in general) improve sway control by improving their thickness and resistance to tension. In answer one of your questions, yes, "bigger is better" when it's an anti-sway bar, and this is what you are buying in these products. Thicker, stronger anti-sway bars.

Two...As long as the mounting bolt is flush with the end of the stud it attaches to, the job is done. Advancing it a few threads past that does not offer anymore security, as long as all of the bolt threads are in play. Whether it's at the tip of the stud, or, five threads up, the bolt isn't any stronger. If the stud it attaches to (in this case an OEM anti-sway bar link) is properly made, no worries mate. Do you have weight on the front suspension when installing? Or, is the car hanging in the air with the suspension distended?

Seems our collective replies here say that the Addco anti-sway bars, both front and rear, work well on our Marauders, and the front OEM end links are very adequate for the job. The rear kit replaces the OEM links with an improved link.

Three...In my experience, no drilling, or, opening of any mounting holes in bushing brackets anywhere, was necessary at all. Perhaps that changed since my last Addco install in 2004? Can't really say. But, I'm about to install both the front and the rear upgrades on my #3 MM soon, so, I may have some news after that.

Best of luck to you, Shora.

[Shora]

Two...As long as the mounting bolt is flush with the end of the stud it attaches to, the job is done. Advancing it a few threads past that does not offer anymore security, as long as all of the bolt threads are in play. Whether it's at the tip of the stud, or, five threads up, the bolt isn't any stronger. If the stud it attaches to (in this case an OEM anti-sway bar link) is properly made, no worries mate. Do you have weight on the front suspension when installing? Or, is the car hanging in the air with the suspension distended?

Honestly, I had no weight on the suspension when installing the bars. I thought that it would only make installation easier and was not a MUST. It was easy to connect the bars (front and rear) only problem is that without being able to see any threads past the nut, I am not sure if the bar is fully secured or not. I do not like taking such risks. What if the thread is only halfway into the nut?

I guess that I will have to post some pictures but I cannot believe that you guys are not having the same situation. All of our bars are the same thickness and our OEM anti-sway bar links are the same length so how could you guys have threads showing past the nut?

Three...In my experience, no drilling, or, opening of any mounting holes in bushing brackets anywhere, was necessary at all. Perhaps that changed since my last Addco install in 2004? Can't really say. But, I'm about to install both the front and the rear upgrades on my #3 MM soon, so, I may have some news after that.

Honestly, I cannot believe that I am the first to have this problem.

Best of luck to you, Shora.

0123456789

[MM2004]

I seem to recall a note that came with the bars explaining the holes in the mounting brackets were drilled out from the factory to accomodate our suspension. Again, I will look tomorrow morning for the paperwork that came with the hardware as well as some pics.

Mike.

[Mike]

I've had my Addco sway bars (both front & rear) on for about a month and no problems what so ever.

[Shora]

I've had my Addco sway bars (both front & rear) on for about a month and no problems what so ever.

I don't know what you mean by "problem" but do you have any threads showing after the nut on your front bars or not?

[Shora]

I seem to recall a note that came with the bars explaining the holes in the mounting brackets were drilled out from the factory to accomodate our suspension. Again, I will look tomorrow morning for the paperwork that came with the hardware as well as some pics.

Mike.

Paperwork can say anything. I know that others "must" have had the same problems as me and needed to make the bracket holes bigger.

Since they are made out of steel, without the proper tools, it was a mission to do.

Pics?? COOL! Please make sure to take one (or a few) of the front bar's link connection (near the wheels). I want to see if you have any threads showing past the nut.

Thanks!!!

[SergntMac]

Why are you messing with font color and formatting in a manner I cannot easily see at my end?

Sorry if my advice disappointed you, Shora...Jeeze...If you don't like the product, then send it back?

Call Addco?

[Cobra25]

Just so you all know, TMAC (TIM) was over my house about 2 weeks ago and we had to drill his mounting plate too. The bar fit's good on his car, I would think that Addco only changed the mounting plate some. Other wise the install went well and he likes the feel.

[MM2004]

Paperwork can say anything. I know that others "must" have had the same problems as me and needed to make the bracket holes bigger.

Since they are made out of steel, without the proper tools, it was a mission to do.

Pics?? COOL! Please make sure to take one (or a few) of the front bar's link connection (near the wheels). I want to see if you have any threads showing past the nut.

Thanks!!!

Yes, you are correct that paperwork can say anything. My point is, on the paperwork received with my bars, it stated (hand written) the mounting brackets were drilled out to accomodate the MM application.

Maybe this was an oversite on Addco? I don't know. Mine required no drilling during install, and am very pleased with the handling perfomance gains.

My apologies for the less than desireable pic. Thirty degree floor on a rug in my robe and house slippers. Glad my daughter didn't walk out there. :rolleyes:

Center of the pic shows the link to the bar. If I recall correctly, there were barely a thread showing once I installed them. The teflon in the nut is what would keep them from backing off.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/2/9/8/9/AddcoLink1.jpg

Mike.

[Shora]

Thanks for the pic!!!

Yeah, you are having the same situation as I. There are no threads showing past the nut on the front link. I will take a picture of my brother's MM with the stock sway bar to show the extreme difference.

[Matt Johnson]

Thanks for the pic!!!

Yeah, you are having the same situation as I. There are no threads showing past the nut on the front link. I will take a picture of my brother's MM with the stock sway bar to show the extreme difference.

How is the fact that no threads are showing past the nut a "situation?"

A nut does not need any more threads than it needs to be tight.

Sounds like you're overreacting to something that should be of no concern. The fact that you're using the OEM bar as comparison...well, lots of OEM parts on the MM are not a good as the upgrades...that's why we upgrade.

I've been running both front and rear for a while now. My only "issue" is a horrible squeaking noise coming from the bushings which were not properly lubricated when installed. I've been able to fix this (somewhat) by applying a real heavy marine grade grease (as suggested here) but there's still somewhat of a squeak. Performance-wise, however, these bars are night and day from the OEM bars - another case of a 'how it should have come from the factory" kind of fix imo.

[Mike]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Mike http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?p=446081#post44 6081)
I've had my Addco sway bars (both front & rear) on for about a month and no problems what so ever.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>I don't know what you mean by "problem" but do you have any threads showing after the nut on your front bars or not?



Sorry to be so vague, what I should have said was that I don't have any extra threads showing and I've never experenced any problems. Also, no drilling needed.

[Shora]

Sounds like you're overreacting to something that should be of no concern.

From the responses I get here, I think you hit the nail on the head.


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Mike http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?p=446081#post44 6081)
I've had my Addco sway bars (both front & rear) on for about a month and no problems what so ever.


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Sorry to be so vague, what I should have said was that I don't have any extra threads showing and I've never experenced any problems. Also, no drilling needed.

I think that is exactly what I should have asked those who installed the front bar. Do you have any threads showing past the nut? If not, have you had any problems with the nut backing out?

Maybe now I will be able to start enjoying the Addcos instead of worrying about them (maybe).:lol:

[MM2004]

From the responses I get here, I think you hit the nail on the head.



I think that is exactly what I should have asked those who installed the front bar. Do you have any threads showing past the nut? If not, have you had any problems with the nut backing out?

Maybe now I will be able to start enjoying the Addcos instead of worrying about them (maybe).:lol:

Shora,

Take the car out and straighten out some twisties. All of your worries will then go away.

Mike.

[Dennis Reinhart]

I must admit that I am not happy with it at all. Maybe some of you who know more can enlighten me of a few things.

First, the hardware that came with it does not fit the self locking screws. I had to drill the holes our bigger just to get it to fit.

Secondly, I believe that they made the front sway bar too thick for the connections at its tips near the wheels. With the OEM bar attached, there where 5 or 6 threads showing at its connecting screw. With the Addco bar attached, I cannot even see a single thread past the bolt.

I have pointed it out to a few people to get their opinions and they don't even feel safe riding in my Marauder with the bar attached they way that it is.

It seems like Addco did not do ANY testing on this bar and just made the a thicker bar then the OEM.

Honestly, I am so disappointed that I think about removing BOTH front AND rear Addco bars because I feel like they designed the front bar so wrong how could they have gotten the rear one correct.

I have probably sold over 500 ADDCO rear sway bars, the FHP uses them and now the KSP and GSP do. I have had 0 complaints from any members here, or any of the Police agencies just the opposite, they improve the cars handling, they have been tested by ADDCO as well as the hundred of members here that have them on there car, I do not use the front bar, because the OEM bar is sufficient for me, and I want the weight transfer when I am at the track, now if you bought your bars from me, and you are that unhappy as you appear to be, then box them up and send them back, for a refund, or I am sure there are members here that would buy them as well.

[tmac1337]

I installed a new front Addco Sway bar recently...(PM me for the price & place)......the brackets did need to be drilled out to fit the bolts, took just a couple minutes with a common power drill. The end of the bar is thicker than the stock one, hence why you will see less thread sticking out behind the nut when it is tightened on. The nut is still tightened very well even though thread no longer shows with the nut on....it is not a problem.

I noticed a BIG difference. I have installed the rear sway bar, Detroit Trutrac Posi unit, Control arms, and 31 spline axles. The rear was tightened up so much the front felt completely sloppy. Putting the front on in combination with the rear is a big improvement, but I felt it was not necessary to use the front prior to installing the rest of the mods.

[Shora]

Thanks guys for all your help and concern. The Marauder does feel much "tighter/ stiffer" to me with the front/ rear sway bars and control arms. I installed everything at the same time just to get it over with.

The only real problem that I am having and what gives me doubt about the install in general is the fact that I now have zero threads showing past the nut on the front endlink. This makes me feel like it is not installed properly and may be a danger on the highway.

Does anyone have any threads showing past the front endlink? If yes, maybe I need to tighten mine more or something.

Thanks again for taking the time to help.

[LVMarauder]

Sounds like you got the wrong bars or something. The only problem I have with the fronts is that I have a squeak when i turn left, but not when the brake is applied, I dont even think its a problem with the bars just something that slipped out of the brakes when it was being worked on. I love the bars, stiffer wheel, minimal body roll on aggressive manuevers and awsome corning.

[Shora]

Sounds like you got the wrong bars or something. The only problem I have with the fronts is that I have a squeak when i turn left, but not when the brake is applied, I dont even think its a problem with the bars just something that slipped out of the brakes when it was being worked on. I love the bars, stiffer wheel, minimal body roll on aggressive manuevers and awsome corning.

Did you check the number of threads showing past the endlink nut on your front sway bar?

If yes, how many threads do "you" have showing past the nut?

Thanks.

[Dennis Reinhart]

I have no idea what is the issue I have never had to drill holes out, on either bar

[tmac1337]

Thanks guys for all your help and concern. The Marauder does feel much "tighter/ stiffer" to me with the front/ rear sway bars and control arms. I installed everything at the same time just to get it over with.

The only real problem that I am having and what gives me doubt about the install in general is the fact that I now have zero threads showing past the nut on the front endlink. This makes me feel like it is not installed properly and may be a danger on the highway.

Does anyone have any threads showing past the front endlink? If yes, maybe I need to tighten mine more or something.

Thanks again for taking the time to help.

You have the right bar. It is thicker on the ends that attach to the bolt behind the wheels, hence why you cannot see thread anymore. But when I tightened mine up I could tell it was tight and not a problem, neither should yours be.

The 2 mounting plates that addco sent with mine that attach up above to the frame of the car are not drilled out enough. It is written at the bottom of the addco install page that these will have to be drilled open more....perhaps they ran out of the proper plates. It takes no effort to take a larger bit and drill em.

The front and rear sway bar is a noticeable difference. Dennis is a distributor....call him....no reason to be apprehensive about installing one on your car.