Installing Anti-Sway Bars on 1968 And Later Porsches

By Roger W. Chaney
Technical Editor

It is very desirable to have a stabilizer on the front (at least) of your Porsche, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche invented the principle and design of the front stabilizer years ago and just about every car made anywhere in the world now uses this mechanism. Somehow, the Porsche Engineering Department decided that U. S. drivers enjoy driv- ing mushy-steering, corner rolling cars and dis- carded Ferdinand’s design in 1968. A lot of Porsche owners are now finding that the addition of a stabilizer kit on the front of their 911 or 912 makes it corner much better, helps in crosswinds and does so by making the car a very slight understeer-er.

It is very important how stiff a stabilizer bar you use. A 12 or 13 mm bar for a 912 and a 15 mm bar on a 911 is correct for street, road and occasional weekend auto-crossing.

A few 1968 and later chasses were made with no holes bored for the bar to go through behind the fuel tank, but most cars do have a hole with a cover bolted over it. Some cars were built with no brackets on the “A” frame to mount the stabilizer link arm, but this should be no deterreny since bolt-on brackets (Porsche PN 9O1.343.735.00) are available at about $5 per pair. These brackets go on by mounting with the existing ball joint retaining bolts after removing the round, flat washers placed under the heads by the Factory.

Some of your cars have a small bracket welded to each "A" frame. These brackets may not be lined up correctly and may need to be bent slightly to get the support link arms to align with the bolt holes. More later. The link arms will needed to be assembled with (look at the parts breakdown) items 3, 4, and 5.

It is not easy to do this as might initially be suspected since you can’t just push the distance tube (5) into  a rubber bushing and then into a shankle end without knowing a few tricks. These parts fit together very tightly. The easiest way I have found is to first push the bushing into a shackle end, then push in the distance tube using plenty of glycerine or brake fluid as lubricant and a 12 mm diameter ball (as in hearing) or equal size item as an anti-seize guide for the distance tube. ithout such a guide, the tube may tear up the bushing bore. Also note that one end of each tube is chamfered on the outside to also aid the insertion. Some people express a great like for silicone lubricants, but I prefer something a little heavier, like the glycerine. Brake fluid is also good.

The next assembly to make is with items 9 through 13. It should be obvious that the raised sections on items 11 should fit into (toward the inside) item 9 (the stabilizer lever). Only tightening the nut finger tight on initial assembly since tightening will act as the clamping action on assembly to the stabilizer bar later on the car.

To put all of this on the car now, it is best to jack up the entire front end with a floor hydraulic (shop type) jack, but you can do it one side at a time with a little more difficulty. Remove both wheels,

If you need to bolt on the transverse link brackets (2), this should be the first step. Do it one bolt at a time so there will be little chance of the ball joint assembly moving although this is remote.

Remove the closure cover’s 3 bolts (13 mm heads) on both sides, pry off the covers and scrape off any gasket left around the hole and/or in the bolt holes. Slide the stabilizer bar through the car and prepare the bearing rubbers (16). Here I prefer talcum powder as liquid lubricants on large rubber bushings sometimes will cause small squeaks which can be very disconcerting. Coat both the inside and outside of the bearing rubber with the talcum and place them around the stabilizer with the smaller end outward.

Make a rough measurement on each side to get the stabilizer approximately equal in protrusion, then hold the bar and press the stabilizer bearings (15) as far as possible by hand. Start the 3 retaining bolts on each metal bearing by hand and tighten evenly and in sequence and from side-to- side so the stabilizer will protrude equally from each side when all bolts are tight. It is best to have the stabilizer square end in this position (~) when finished.

Now install the two lever assemblies (items 9-13) to the stabilizer. You will need to reinstall the wheels with two nuts or place a large wooden block under the ball joints and lower the car to compress the shock struts to allow clearance for the lever. Now jack up again to complete the hook-up.

Now for the shackle assemblies. You may now find that the shackle ends do not correctly line up with both the lever and the bracket. If this is (and probably will be) the case, carefully twist each bracket lip and/or twist the shackle shaft until alignment is correct. Paint removed by twisting the shackle should be replaced with a good aerosol enamel. Bolt assembly of items 6-8 will finish the assembly.

If for some reason you break one of the bolts (8) although very unlikely, or find one or more missing or damaged, you will find happily that these bolts are nearly identical in size to a US steel bolt 5/16” x 1 1/2”. Use matching hex nuts and split lock washers, of course.

Reinstall and tighten your wheels, and go try your improved handling. Especially note improved cross-wind behavior of the car the first time you get a chance. I am sure you will be impressed and satisfied with your monetary and time expenditures. •

8/72e

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