Do the tubing-based anti-roll bars work on the street?

[atxz06]

I'm in need of anti-roll bar on car w/ frame rails set at 24" centers. Chris Alston, S&W, AutoFab, etc. make anti-roll bars based on 4130 w/ end links.

Anyone have experience running one of these? Will they last for street use? How do you determine rate for these bars?

I've seen mention of having anti-roll bar custom bent (assuming w/ torsion steel). What is a good source for having one of those made?

Thanks

[exwestracer]

Most of these are designed to use plastic or bronze bushings, so they will wear a little faster than rubber or urethane. How stiff the bar rate is depends on how long the arms are, but I'd think you can get them plenty stiff. I put one on a drag Chevelle a few years back using NASCAR truck bars and arms I bought at a swap meet. I got about 6 different bar rates, so we had plenty to choose from.

Try Sander or Sway-a-way for sprint car torsion bars. They're cheap and there are about a million different rates available.

[UMI Tech]

Here is a good calculator for quick and dirty bar comparisons. Disclaimer: It's not super sophisticated but is fun to play with for comparisons sake.

http://www.circletrack.com/car_racing_calculators/torsion_bar_rate_calculator/index.html

Most of the bars rate comes from the OD, that's why we can remove some of the middle and only affect it a few %.

ramey

[Carl @ Chassisworks]

When it comes down to it, the vast majority of anti-roll bars are tubing based. We offer a wide selection, many of which can be custom fitted to fit a very narrow application. The narrower the bar the more rigid it will be so you need to take this into account when determining the tubing diameter and thickness.

Without knowing more about your application I would suggest checking out our #6259 ( 'http://www.cachassisworks.com/p-1496-ball-end-rear-anti-roll-bar-for-canted-4-bar-rear-frame.aspx') Ball End Anti-Roll Bar. It was originally designed to work in conjunction with our canted billet 4-bar so the arms splay outward 4 degrees. We also offer the same kit with arms that are parallel. You can see some more details on page 11 of the info sheet: Click Here ( 'http://www.cachassisworks.com/Attachments/DataSheets/7154_DS_WEB.pdf)