Fitting a Whiteline rear sway bar - lotsa pics

[Fled74]

I fitted my new 22mm sway bar this arvo and I took a few pics of the procedure (thanks again to Reade from Pedders in St. Kilda for getting the bar in so quickly).

The installation can be done with the car on the ground, but a big bloke like me needs more room to move so I borrowed a pair of ramps from a mate. You can use jack stands, but you'll need a trolley jack under the rear beam to keep the springs compressed. Don't forget to use chocks on the front wheels.


The kit contains all the hardware you need (but not the Stanley knife - that's mine!), plus 2 extra bolts and a little packet of thread lock. The instructions are clearly illustrated, but there's not much descriptive text.


These clamps fit perfectly on the rear beam. If your car is ABS-equipped, you'll need to be careful not to trap any cables or hoses under the clamp.


The yellow polyurethane D-bushes slip easily onto the sway bar. Getting the metal D-bush bracket onto the threaded ends of the clamp was much harder. It took a little perseverance and a lot of elbow grease, but I managed it in the end.


Leave the nuts loose at this point. My wife's old yoga mat made a comfortable surface on which to lie.


The bolt at the bottom of the gas strut needs to be undone, which is why the springs need to be compressed by the car's weight. Using a steel bar over the end of the socket wrench (lengthening the handle) allows you to exert a lot more torque on the bolt. Once extracted, slip the drop link bracket on the bolt and screw it back in.


The completed left-side drop link. I hadn't tightened the nuts at this point - I waited until the car was on level ground.


Both drop links attached to the sway bar. A detailed diagram for the washers and bushes is included on the instruction sheet.



Off the ramps and back on level ground, I finally tightened all the nuts.


All done! The job took me about 90 minutes, but skinny guys with better tools could probably do it in an hour. The hardest part was getting the D-bush brackets onto the rear beam clamps. If desired, the excess length on the clamps can be cut off with an angle grinder or hacksaw.

[svo347]

So......... Hows it feel

[Fled74]

I took it for a test drive earlier this evening.
The car feels much more planted in the corners now. Turn-in is sharper and I could only detect the slightest hint of body roll.
There's a quick left-hand corner near where I live that can be taken at 45-50kph in the dry, and I did it this evening at 45kph on a wet road, with no discernible understeer.

I'll be flogging it during tomorrow's cruise with the Small Ford Alliance, and I'll have more to say after that.

For now, though, I'll say that was $250 well spent.

[Redrum]

Just curious, what is the ground clearance near the wheel?

[Fi.ES.TA]

Will be good to get some more feedback on your install,as i recently noticed the sway on the back end is terrible felds like my wheels are going to snap off on bad bends.

Also would love to the ground clearence as yours looks pretty low
i ask this because if you get a blow out at speed that sway bar looks like
its going to smash the ground?

[zetec jim]

nice write up Chris! Nice work, you've inspired me to put mine on now... When i finish my godamn uni course :(

It's good to see a write up on an install with proper photos and instructions too match.

Thanks mate.

[Ben85]

Mine is lowered with a sway bar and the ground clearance is fine. I've had it on for nearly 6months and have never scraped anything. And it handles like a dream now!!!! Good write up Fled, $250 seems pricey tho, i had mine fitted for less than that.

[dannyhilton]

Was your car equipt with the Zetec style sports suspension mate? My WP Zetec is fabulous around corners, bugger all roll, my WS however is like a barge boat body roll wise. I'm a novice with all this stuff, so sorry for all the questions. Can the bar be fittted to a WS (I'm pretty sure near identical rear setup) and does it have any major effect on your ride?

Cheers man.

[greenfoam]

I don't think I'd want a car with any more stiffness than the WS has stock!. The roads around here just aren't up for it

[Fi.ES.TA]

Lmao what stiffness on the WS it's like the back ends made of jelly.

[Ben85]

Originally Posted by RapidTyphoon

Was your car equipt with the Zetec style sports suspension mate? My WP Zetec is fabulous around corners, bugger all roll, my WS however is like a barge boat body roll wise. I'm a novice with all this stuff, so sorry for all the questions. Can the bar be fittted to a WS (I'm pretty sure near identical rear setup) and does it have any major effect on your ride?

Cheers man.

Yea mine has the WQ Zetec suspension set up but with lowered King Springs. When i put the sway bar on i noticed an immediate difference in the body roll, especially considering my sister has a WQ Lx for me to compare it too, hers is like a boat. I dont kno if the same sway bar will fit the WS, have to ask ur mechanic.

[dannyhilton]

Wow if your WQ Zetec felt a difference then this must be a pretty decent bit of kit! You must live your car on the limit man!!! I could not go any lower or harder than my WP factory sports kit. Has roll on the limit and does start to loose confidence 7/10 to the limit, but it's rough as guts!!!

[Ben85]

Originally Posted by RapidTyphoon

Wow if your WQ Zetec felt a difference then this must be a pretty decent bit of kit! You must live your car on the limit man!!! I could not go any lower or harder than my WP factory sports kit. Has roll on the limit and does start to loose confidence 7/10 to the limit, but it's rough as guts!!!

Love the bends mate, love the bends. Doesnt hold up against much in a straight line, but round some windy road, most had better move over. mwahahahahaha.

[dannyhilton]

And people call these cars hairdresser cars? Prft.

[Twinpiston]

Ok, what is the difference between a WQ LX and Zetec?

I know the Zetec as standard has a slightly lower ride height but what else?

[LethalLeigh]

Shorter gearing and ABS as standard from memory.

[photn]

Rapid.. its funny u say that, cause the WP suspension was the same throughout the entire range. only the WQ got suspension and gear changes

[Fled74]

You guys are right, the bar is a bit too low - for the correct height, check out the pics on THIS THREAD.

I've adjusted them to the correct height. Still, the Fez handles so much better now. I did a high-speed run (80kph) up the Reefton Spur with the Small Ford Alliance and the car was very well-behaved in the twisties. No skittishness or slithering over mid-corner bumps. There was no discernible understeer or lift-off oversteer, but then again I wasn't pushing it very hard. I may have lifted the inside rear wheel on a couple of corners though!
I could have gone faster, but I was still feeling out the car's limits, plus I'd never driven that road before (and I have a slight fear of heights).

[dannyhilton]

The WP Zetec, not sure on WQ, has a different set-up from the rest of the range. Just Ford's sports suspension setup. When Ford released the WS they said they didn't feel it was necessary to bring in an equivalent setup as the WP as it was too loud on our Aussie roads. The Zetec did get sports suspension, hence why I bought it over an LX. I find facts to back this up shortly...

[kiwijohn42]

I'm pretty sure only the WQ Zetec got the sports suspension.

[photn]

Sorry to burst your bubble there rapid. But i am 100% certain that only the WQ got the change in suspension.

Fiesta rate of progression is

WP>WQ>WS.

The first ever fiesta's never had any different setups, i would know, i had one for 2 years and looked into the subject extensively.

The WQ zetec got lowered springs, hardened shocks, larger sway bar and a shorter gearing as well i do believe. the WP zetec got exactly the same as the LX, only difference was that the Zetec got the "safety" pack, which included, abs and ebd.

[dannyhilton]

Your spot on? I always though the WP had it?