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Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
That's just the way it is. Some people have broke the brackets on the stock bars.
I have a 21mm bar now and have done some hard driving and haven't broke it YET. There's a good chance it could break when I start running on r compounds.
Were you running the Dragon with that bar?? You crazy turd! 
Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
Originally posted by RogerB:
My own plan, if I ever complete it, is to leave the rear as is with poly bushings, and swap my 20mm front for the SVT's 19mm front, maybe with fresh rubber bushings. I have the bar and everything--just waiting for a "convenient" time.
Roger, why would you want to do that? I assume you're looking for a way to balance the car better according to (STS?) class rules in Solo. If so, let me dissuade you. I disagree with Ford's assumption that the softer front bar does anything good. When you autocross you really roll this pig around, and lose any semblance of camber you had up front. The normal rules for swaybars only apply if you have four tires on the ground at a reasonable camber angle. If you have a rear off the ground or have a front trying to fold itself under the car, going the opposite direction will usually help more. I'd bet that in stock class you could cure the car's understeer more with a bigger front bar than a smaller one. The extra weight transfer would probably be worth the gain in mid-corner camber.
Well, then maybe I'll keep the 20 on the front. I'm just trying achieve the right balance. I think I'm very close with my current setup, but I have plenty of room to play with Koni settings, tire pressures, alignment specs, and driving style.
Function before fashion.
'96 Contour SE
"Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998
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With your soft springs it'll never be balanced. You need a TON of front stiffness to keep roll under control, and then you can crank the rear up until you're close to lifting a wheel. For a setup like yours it's just about keeping adhesion on the fronts as much as possible, and ignoring the rear. Do you have a camber kit? Camber makes a bigger difference than anything else. It just takes a moment to throw on a couple degrees at the event, and I had no problem getting it back to stock to go home.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
With your soft springs it'll never be balanced. You need a TON of front stiffness to keep roll under control...
You may have something there. I have an event this weekend. First time on dry pavement with my current setup.
I do have "the" camber/caster kit, but I'm afraid to mess with it without measurement tools. It's such a balancing act between camber and caster, and difficult to tell where you are. (As you know, for max camber, I sacrifice some caster.) How do you do it?
Function before fashion.
'96 Contour SE
"Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998
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Gonna think about it over the weekend.
Thx
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 21,653
I have no life
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I have no life
Joined: May 2002
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Originally posted by TourDeForce:
Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
That's just the way it is. Some people have broke the brackets on the stock bars.
I have a 21mm bar now and have done some hard driving and haven't broke it YET. There's a good chance it could break when I start running on r compounds.
Were you running the Dragon with that bar?? You crazy turd!
Yeah... it'll be alright.
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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Rob IIRC I think bradness is around you, but don't quote me... You might want to PM or email him. He could maybe help ya out. He might be able to ship for 150-200. Or if you drive maybe do the work, but he is busy. I will be doing a how to video on the rear subframe very soon I hope, just have to find a friend willing to hold the camcorder lol.
JD a.k.a Fingers
"Don't Panic"
'98 Contour GL 2.0L VCT ATX 88k
'98 Contour LX 2.5L MTX 120k
Street racing can kill
just less of a chance with a 2.0
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Joined: Aug 2003
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Originally posted by RogerB:
I do have "the" camber/caster kit, but I'm afraid to mess with it without measurement tools. It's such a balancing act between camber and caster, and difficult to tell where you are. (As you know, for max camber, I sacrifice some caster.) How do you do it?
It's not that much of a balancing act. I assume it's set for street and you're happy with it now. Mark the location by putting a sharpie line on the strut tower and the strut hat - maybe do two or three, and number them. That helps you make sure it's centered as well as rotated right. If the plates are adjusted symmetrically, it's easy to pick a track setting - just go halfway between max caster and max camber. Since it's a circle, that will give you most of the caster and most of the camber. This works well for me. I key off the dots stamped in the strut tower top. Also, you could make the adjustments easier with some sort of stop system. I have an idea for a cheap and easy one if you want.
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Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
Originally posted by RogerB:
I do have "the" camber/caster kit, but I'm afraid to mess with it without measurement tools. It's such a balancing act between camber and caster, and difficult to tell where you are. (As you know, for max camber, I sacrifice some caster.) How do you do it?
It's not that much of a balancing act. I assume it's set for street and you're happy with it now. Mark the location by putting a sharpie line on the strut tower and the strut hat - maybe do two or three, and number them. That helps you make sure it's centered as well as rotated right. If the plates are adjusted symmetrically, it's easy to pick a track setting - just go halfway between max caster and max camber. Since it's a circle, that will give you most of the caster and most of the camber. This works well for me. I key off the dots stamped in the strut tower top. Also, you could make the adjustments easier with some sort of stop system. I have an idea for a cheap and easy one if you want.
I'm always up for new ideas--especially cheap and easy ones. 
Function before fashion.
'96 Contour SE
"Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998
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Okay, I was thinking that the easiest thing would be to drill a hole into the strut tower and through the camber plate when it's aligned properly. Make it the same size as a cylinder of some sort - a big nail or small bolt or something. Drill one or two holes for each alignment setting, and then you can just stick the alignment tool (nail/bolt) into the hole to be sure you get it right. Do it at the alignment shop to get accurate street/auto-x specs. I'd do two holes for each setting, 180* apart, for the same reason I do more than one marker line.
My other idea was a bit more involved: put screws in the camber kit, and make stops that bolt to the tower. It has the advantage of being adjustable, but really you don't need that for the Contour unless you're messing with adjustable coilovers.
It's really not that hard. You can feel a relatively small amount of caster mis-match in the wheel, and I never have, so I must be pretty close with my marker.
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