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Thread: DIY: Installing a Daox rear sway bar

  1. #101
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    couldn't you just beef up the rear-end by welding reinforcement plates on there? if you had an expert welder to do it you could probably rig something up so there wouldn't be as much torsion on the back side. the stabilization rod will most likely just always fail no matter how you make it. maybe get a test car and test it out? lol



  2. #102
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    Welding to the torsion beam would weaken it, and welding to other parts either would cause them to fail or the weld would fail same as the sway bar. It needs to redirect the force in another direction, without exceeding its own torque limits or the limits of the parts it's fastened to or the hardware holding it on. The material has to be stiff enough to be effective, but not so stiff that it just snaps in two or rides like a brick.

    Unfortunately, it's not an easy problem to solve...

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 42.3 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.8 mpg (Imp)


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    You cannot touch that torsion bar its so brittle, we have issue on that part that a small chip cause it to snap.

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  5. #105
    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daox View Post
    I replied to your PM, but I'll also mention things here.

    Yes, others have seen this failure as well. Not a ton, but enough. Most of them get much more than 10k miles out of their sway bars. However, their lifespan is still unacceptable in my opinion. This is the reason that I have stopped selling the bars. They just have not lasted as long as I had hoped. I do have plans to redesign to improve their lifespan, but its not a primary project of mine at the moment.

    I have gotten 16 months and 33k miles (and counting) so far out of mine. I mostly drive freeway, not alot of hard cornering, so maybe that extends the lifespan. Best investment I made, as I would have sold the car without it. The stock floaty ride was unacceptable, as every passing semi set off waves of undulating suspension. I hope you can make an upgrade sometime, Daox. I'll be first in line whenever this one fails.

  6. #106
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    Quote Originally Posted by AtomicPunk View Post
    I have gotten 16 months and 33k miles (and counting) so far out of mine. I mostly drive freeway, not alot of hard cornering, so maybe that extends the lifespan. Best investment I made, as I would have sold the car without it. The stock floaty ride was unacceptable, as every passing semi set off waves of undulating suspension. I hope you can make an upgrade sometime, Daox. I'll be first in line whenever this one fails.
    I haven't had that problem with the stock suspension on my '17, but maybe the lanes are a bit wider here on i10/i49. I do get pushed around, but only a bit when their cab first passes the front of the mirage. I take advantage of the width of the mirage and give them as much room as possible without rolling over road debris on the edge of the road, of course.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 42.3 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.8 mpg (Imp)


  7. #107
    If I ever run out of other crap to fix I'll head to the wrecker and find a sway bar that can be easily adapted to these things.

    For the little driving I do with mine everyday, including one traffic circle and a roundabout it doesn't bother me. But I also owned more than my fair share of janky vehicles.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  8. #108
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    If I ever run out of other crap to fix I'll head to the wrecker and find a sway bar that can be easily adapted to these things.

    For the little driving I do with mine everyday, including one traffic circle and a roundabout it doesn't bother me. But I also owned more than my fair share of janky vehicles.
    I bought my 2017 Mirage in October of that year. I bought a Daox's 1st edition sway bar in June of 2018, & I installed it right away. I noticed an immediate improvement in handling.

    My 1st sway bar failed this past winter. Thus, I got about 2.5 years out of mine (approximately 30,000+ miles). One side of the bar twisted off near the weld. I would say the weld held, but the bar itself failed. It would be like twisting a beer can in your hand, but imagine the force need to do that to steel pipe?

    I bought a second sway bar from Daox. It was his revised model, & his last one I believe. I already knew the revised model may fail some day, but I bought another one just the same. It was about -20F at the time. Thus, I waited a month or two install the second one. Most of all, I wanted to wash out the winter crude under the car before putting the second one on.

    I guess my point is that I have driven my Mirage quite a bit with & without the sway bar. It may not do as much for 2017+ Mirage, but I like the added stability of the rear sway bar when doing interstate driving (70+ mph). For me, I feel that's when the Mirage is the most out of its element. Doing 55-65 mph on country roads, the Mirage is a hoot to drive (with or without the sway bar). Going on the interstate @ 70-80 mph with lots of traffic (including semi-trucks), it's not as much fun. It surely can handle those speeds, but the Mirage is easily blown around. On windy days @ high speeds, that's when I appreciate the rear sway bar the most.

    I tend to blame the electric power steering on the Mirage, too. Power steering is great at lower speeds or for parking, but it's really not necessary once you are moving. That's especially true of small, lightweight cars with tiny tires.

    I tend to compare my Mirage to other small cars that drove in the past. I am an old geezer. I have to remind myself, however, the speed limits were much lower the first couple decades of my driving career. When I got my license, maximum speed limits were pretty much 55 mph everywhere. I wasn't driving my first car (1978 Honda Civic Wagon) @ 70+ mph hour. The speedometer on my old 1990 Ford Festiva maxed out @ 85 mph, because cars weren't expected to go that fast in the States when that car came out. Most cars & motorcycles commonly had 55 mph marked in some special way on their speedometers.

    Thus, the reality check for me is that I am pushing my Mirage a lot faster. When I hauled a small white-tail buck on top of my old Ford Festiva & drove back home (about 4.5 hours) many years ago, I wasn't going 70+ mph during part of the trip. By the way my roof caved in some. Thankfully, I own a trailer now. I think a deer on top a Mirage would cave in the roof, too! I can get to my parents in under 4 hours now, because speed limits have increased. Going through Green Bay to get to my parents was 55 mph the entire trip (except when going to through small towns). I drive 70-75 mph through the Fox Valley & Green Bay area now (traffic permitting).

    If the majority of my driving was 70+ interstate driving, I may not be content with a Mirage. I typically have to drive 1-2 hours (depending on the direction), however, to even reach an interstate highway with higher speeds.

  9. #109
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Not sure if everyone saw this, but this is what can happen if you stiffen up the torsion beam too much and transfer the load to the coil spring perch areas. I'd rather replace a sway bar every couple of years.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


  10. #110
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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    Not sure if everyone saw this, but this is what can happen if you stiffen up the torsion beam too much and transfer the load to the coil spring perch areas. I'd rather replace a sway bar every couple of years.
    I agree with that. I sort of feel that a rear sway bar that has some flex to it without breaking is the answer. It would work in unison with the rear axle.

    If my second one breaks, I may live without it. Unless something like what I just described appears on the market. The Ultra Racing one may already do that some, but someone who is using one would have to share that with us.



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