Seeing an ad for the Alta Performance mini cooper endlinks in the back of the mag this month got me thinking about these again.
I understand why adjustable endlinks are desired on a lowered car, and sort of understand how to install them properly, get the bar unloaded and parallel to the ground etc..., but most cars I have seen, when lowered, require a shorter endlink.
I just lowered my 2009 Accent. The endlinks run from the end of the front sway bar, to brackets on the side of the struts. Since the car is lower, the struts are compressing more, pulling the bar higher vertically. By this logic, the correct thing to do is to install longer end links to bring the bar back down to its proper location.
Is this right? Out of curiosity are there other cars that utilize a similar arrangement? Am I just wasting my time thinking about such things?
here are some pics for reference
http://a.imageshack.us/img217/4706/20100803171233.jpg
http://a.imageshack.us/img820/9862/20100803190015.jpg
I installed the THK adjustable endlinks on my E36 M3 but didn't have the problems you described because the car is at stock ride hight.
You may want to give SPC (Specialty Products Company) a call.
800-525-6505
www.spcperformance.com
They are the gurus at maintaining proper geometry when dealing with a lowered vechile. Nice folks too!
It appears a few toyotas and scions and bmw's have a similar setup on the front. Endlink tying the bar to the strut above. Since lowering increases the distance between the mounting points...I fail to see how shortening the endlinks is a great idea unless you want to increase the preload, not eliminate it on a lowered car...
I get why you would want to shorten them on a miata where the endlink ties into the LCA and lowering would shorten the distance between mounting points....
Maybe the idea of lengthening the endlinks has little real benefit and may be a waste of money and I am overthinking it, which is what I am trying to find out.
I will contact SPC and see what their opinons are, Thanks
