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Thread: Buy a Daox rear sway bar - the bars are done!

  1. #81
    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    Yes, I do still have a bunch of these for sale.

    I'd rather not divulge too much design info as I just paid roughly half the price of my car to have the bars made. Rest assured, I've been a professional industrial mechanical designer for many years.


    Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block

    Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)


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  3. #82
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daox View Post
    Yes, I do still have a bunch of these for sale.

    I'd rather not divulge too much design info as I just paid roughly half the price of my car to have the bars made. Rest assured, I've been a professional industrial mechanical designer for many years.

    Can we ship them to Canada? I'm torn between a sway bar, and just stiffer rear shocks (as I bottom out hard after a grocery store run.)

    Too much info to try and sift through to figure out what shocks I would want, so depending on the price to ship to Squamish, that could help me make up my mind.

    Probably prohibitively expensive.
    Last edited by nickels; 08-05-2018 at 05:42 PM.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 43.5 mpg (US) ... 18.5 km/L ... 5.4 L/100 km ... 52.2 mpg (Imp)


  4. #83
    Where's the leak ma'am? Marklovski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickels View Post
    Can we ship them to Canada? I'm torn between a sway bar, and just stiffer rear shocks (as I bottom out hard after a grocery store run.)

    Too much info to try and sift through to figure out what shocks I would want, so depending on the price to ship to Squamish, that could help me make up my mind.

    Probably prohibitively expensive.
    For stiffer shocks you'd need to buy a coilover set. You'd might want to look at stiffer springs. I don't think a bar is going to stop the car from bottoming out.
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    Daox (08-06-2018)

  6. #84
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    Eh, I'll take the car as well honestly.

    Bar**
    Last edited by nickels; 08-05-2018 at 07:37 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 43.5 mpg (US) ... 18.5 km/L ... 5.4 L/100 km ... 52.2 mpg (Imp)


  7. #85
    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    Yep, its the same price for Canadians, $174.99 shipped for you guys too.
    Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block

    Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)


  8. #86
    If your main concern is bottoming out, you want to search the rear spring replacement threads. Some owners have installed coils from different cars (VW if memory serves).

    The bar will just make the car more fun to drive (flatter cornering).

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Daox (08-06-2018)

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    Quote Originally Posted by nickels View Post
    I'm torn between a sway bar, and just stiffer rear shocks (as I bottom out hard after a grocery store run.)
    I wasn't planning to do any modifications to my 2017 Mirage ES (manual). I sort of like the car as is. If I had one concern, it was how the car handled at high speeds during a cross wind. Buying Daox sway bar has helped address that issue. The rear sway bar really helps plant the car to the road. Even with skinny factory tires, you can sense a real difference in the car. Although cornering is much better, I appreciate the extra control on the highway even more. I was once a sway bar skeptic, but no more!

    I doubt the sway bar will address the issue of the rear end bottoming out, because the rear sway bar serves a different purpose. If I bought a second Mirage, I would order a rear sway bar immediately. I like my rear sway bar that much, & I would never leave home without it!

  11. #88
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    It's funny because the swaybars for my other vehicle are tossed in the back corner of the shed. Yes I tried to see if I could make them work. Hell no hahaha.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 43.5 mpg (US) ... 18.5 km/L ... 5.4 L/100 km ... 52.2 mpg (Imp)


  12. #89
    Senior Member HitShane's Avatar
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    The sway bar may help a little bit by keeping the body level instead of letting one side dip down but you would need taller or stiffer Springs if you're really having an issue with both Wheels rubbing.

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    Eggman (08-07-2018)

  14. #90
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    I wound up doing this, and then some. Due to interference with the coil spring, I found I couldn't set the right side forward bolt & nut. I decided I had to remove my springs to get the mounting bolt in place. Easy & straightforward.

    When I saw that my install wouldn't go as smooth as I had hoped, I had to put everything back together and head off to my daughter's swim practice. A priority, I suppose.

    Back from practice, back to work. I hoisted using my floor jack under the rear tie-down loop. I raised the car enough to disconnect the shock absorbers from the rear axle. The threads were pretty rusty and I had to use an extender bar for leverage. Once the shocks were loose from the axle I raised the rear to the full extension of my floor jack. Two things to point out here:
    1. Don't do this. My axle was suspended by the brake lines. I lowered the car to remove this tension.
    2. One of the springs fell out. This tells me that the shock absorbers are being used as the axle extension limiters. Folks running Beetle springs might find this both useful and comforting.
    3. Makes me appreciate a proper lift.



    A close-up picture of the part number found on the left side spring.



    While I had the springs out for this install, I switched them - left to right and right to left. Since I'm usually the sole occupant I figure the left side spring is getting compressed more than the right. Switching might even this out.

    I put the bar on top of the shipping box while installing to keep it from getting scratched up dragging it around into position.

    The following pictures detail some of my concerns of the installation:












    I tried capturing detail of the points of interference for others to note and discuss.

    Some observations.
    1. The bar certainly gives a new feel to the suspension. I wish I had measured rear height before and after as it seems to ride higher in the back with the bar installed. Go figure.
    2. The rear suspension tied together in this manner makes both springs tend to act more as one. It makes me wonder if this is similar to putting in stiffer springs, as from a Beetle.
    3. I now have a knock traveling over uneven surfaces. I believe this is due to one of the mounting bolts contacting a spring being compressed onto a bolt. Refer to the pictures for detail.
    4. Rotating the springs and careful placement of my mounting bolts allowed everything to fit in that little spring seat, but there's still interference. This might be solved by putting the bolt in from the top so it's threads hang down instead of upright, but I'm inclined to reduce the amount of stuff hanging down from my car if I can.

    Overall, I like what this bar does for my Speck. This is a good thing for these cars. Thanks Tim.

    I would like to suggest some changes:
    1. Can the bracket be re-shaped to avoid interference with the brake cable bracket? One more cut to make, but it would make installation easier and possibly avoid future problems with this bracket.
    2. Shorter mounting bolts would reduce the interference I'm having with my spring. However, the length as it is makes installation easier.

    Looking forward to tomorrow's commute as I expect to get a better feel for this modification.

    Again, thanks for your efforts here.
    I've taken steps to address the knocking & creaking sounds I've been hearing from my rear axle since installing this anti-sway bar. I'll include the pictures from my earlier post for comparison.

    I marked an outline around the brake line bracket before dismounting my bar. With a rusty hacksaw frame, a fresh blade, some bar-chain oil used as cutting fluid and a 4" angle grinder I removed a bit of material.



    It's not scientific but is effective.











    The rear axle is now as silent as stock. I've also experimented with some springs, but that'll be another post.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


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    Daox (08-07-2018),dragon2knight (10-29-2020),HitShane (08-16-2018),inuvik (08-07-2018),Loren (08-07-2018),Marklovski (08-07-2018),MetroMPG (08-15-2018),Top_Fuel (08-07-2018)

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