Chris Obert
autocrosser, X driver
If you purchased a Mark Plaia designed kit to mount the front end of the Addco 164 front sway bar to the car's body, instead of the front locating arms, you should read this.
I have installed lots of these kits. Today I had a car that is used for what we could call "severe street use", come in that is ripping the Fiat sheet metal where the sway bar mounts at the front.
I will be making some reinforcing plates that will mount in the front trunk floor to "sandwich" the Fiat part of the body to reinforce the area. I still have not calculated everything, but I can make more than one kit at the same time. Not sure what materials and time will cost. But what it is, is what it will be.
The draw back is that the heads of the new thru bolts will protrude from the floor of the front trunk. I am thinking a sheet of plywood, or Styrofoam, cut to match the front trunk mat, will solve this. But that will make the front trunk "less deep" by the thickness of the material. It may also trap moisture if you like to dive into deep water to soak the floor of the front trunk.
If you want me to make you a set of reinforcing plates at the same time, let me know directly. Please note that I rarely check this forum.
Also note that neither Mark, his widow, myself, or my business, will accept any responsibility for your possible need for reinforcement plates. If Mark was still alive, I would let him redesign this. But since he is not, all I can offer is apologies, and my solution.
As I said above, so far only one failure... But I will be making a set of reinforcing plates for my own car at the same time.
Finally, if all of this is news to you... I still have new Addco front sway bars in stock. My web site does show I am out of stock on the mounting kits, but with a week or two's notice I can make more.
I have installed lots of these kits. Today I had a car that is used for what we could call "severe street use", come in that is ripping the Fiat sheet metal where the sway bar mounts at the front.
I will be making some reinforcing plates that will mount in the front trunk floor to "sandwich" the Fiat part of the body to reinforce the area. I still have not calculated everything, but I can make more than one kit at the same time. Not sure what materials and time will cost. But what it is, is what it will be.
The draw back is that the heads of the new thru bolts will protrude from the floor of the front trunk. I am thinking a sheet of plywood, or Styrofoam, cut to match the front trunk mat, will solve this. But that will make the front trunk "less deep" by the thickness of the material. It may also trap moisture if you like to dive into deep water to soak the floor of the front trunk.
If you want me to make you a set of reinforcing plates at the same time, let me know directly. Please note that I rarely check this forum.
Also note that neither Mark, his widow, myself, or my business, will accept any responsibility for your possible need for reinforcement plates. If Mark was still alive, I would let him redesign this. But since he is not, all I can offer is apologies, and my solution.
As I said above, so far only one failure... But I will be making a set of reinforcing plates for my own car at the same time.
Finally, if all of this is news to you... I still have new Addco front sway bars in stock. My web site does show I am out of stock on the mounting kits, but with a week or two's notice I can make more.
