Sway bar mounting attachment

[SWhiteley]

On the front suspension, lower A arm, the sway bar (anti-roll bar) mounts to a bracket with two threaded posts.

Should this bracket be solidly attached to the A arm, or just tack welded? One of these brackets on the R side is not attached to the A arm, but once the sway bar, with bushing, is bolted on, it doesn't appear to move and is attached using the lower mounting bolt. Does this bracket need to be welded to the A arm?

Secondly, my front suspension sits very low. I don't know it the springs are standard, or replaced (they are 'rust' colored). Without taking them off the car, how many coils do the standard springs have? Perhaps I can determine if any coils have been cut off.

Thanks.

[RRoller123]

year of car?

[RRoller123]

Here is a pic of the front spring from my 80 Spider 2000. There are a total of just under 9 turns on it, and I am very confident that this is the original spring that came on the car.

[azruss]

I looked at a pic i had of a spring and it had the same number of coils. As I recall from my old feeble mind was the fronts are the same number of coils. I dont remember if they are different lengths (71 vs 80). I think the 80 rear springs are longer. I put 71 springs on my 80 FI and do not feel they are undersprung.

[SWhiteley]

It's an 82. The springs have about 7 3/4 coils...about two too few.

[ClarkTheShark]

To answer the OP's question, nothing should be welded on the swaybar. There is supposed to be two threaded studs sticking out of the a-arm that the bracket mounts to. two 13 bolts hold the bracket to the arm.

[toplessexpat]

On the sitting low question. Have you checked your bushings? Replacing mine lifted the front about an inch.

A

[SWhiteley]

To answer the OP's question, nothing should be welded on the swaybar. There is supposed to be two threaded studs sticking out of the a-arm that the bracket mounts to. two 13 bolts hold the bracket to the arm.

No, there's a bracket on the A Arm. The reason I know it's a 'bracket' - with two studs - is because mine fell off/out I can't remove it because the spring is in the way, but the bottom stud goes through the A arm.

The other side - the bracket which holds the sway bar in place had split/sheared. I have a set on the way, but the fact that the A-arm bracket fell off indicates a probable cause for that.

It looks like I'm going to have to remove the A arms, anyway, to replace the bushings. I just looked at them, while they don't seem bad, there's one with a 'rubber peel' (thanks, toplessexpat for making me take a closer look at things).

A simple job always turns into a muti-stage fix-it campaign...the bumper is off, and I just need to mount some Harley Davidson turn signals.

[ClarkTheShark]

To answer the OP's question, nothing should be welded on the swaybar. There is supposed to be two threaded studs sticking out of the a-arm that the bracket mounts to. two 13 bolts hold the bracket to the arm.

No, there's a bracket on the A Arm. The reason I know it's a 'bracket' - with two studs - is because mine fell off/out I can't remove it because the spring is in the way, but the bottom stud goes through the A arm.

The other side - the bracket which holds the sway bar in place had split/sheared. I have a set on the way, but the fact that the A-arm bracket fell off indicates a probable cause for that.

It looks like I'm going to have to remove the A arms, anyway, to replace the bushings. I just looked at them, while they don't seem bad, there's one with a 'rubber peel' (thanks, toplessexpat for making me take a closer look at things).

A simple job always turns into a muti-stage fix-it campaign...the bumper is off, and I just need to mount some Harley Davidson turn signals.

Yes, Ive never pictured this part breaking off. Youre right. The bracket that the bracket fits on should be welded