is there any negative effects caused by the clamping together of the leaf springs in order to put in the rear sway bar as i thought the leafs would require to slide over one another, any thoughts appreciated.
(installation as per competiition suspension download on this site)

The rear leafs dont slide sideways over each other, so depending what you mean by clamping it might be alright. The rear leafs in my Ford ute actually have little metal clamps from the factory that stop the leafs coming apart and sliding apart. These clamps on the ute are like a little strap that goes around them made from about 3mm steel.
Clamping as in the effect you would get if you put a G-clamp on the top side and the underside of the leafs might be a different story.

I'm not convinced that a 1200 coupe needs a rear bar. With extra leaf, reverse eye rear springs on these cars you just don't have a sideways movement problem. It could be something to do with the 45 degree shocks. I believe Andrew is still not running a rear bar and I doubt whether you'll ever get close to his HP. John Taylor has a race-dedicated 200 hp injected A15 coupe without a rear bar - if those two aren't running them then I want to meet the person who claims it is necessary. Perhaps with the standard rear leaves it may have been used in the 70's but there are better options now.

I tend to agree. I think that sway bars are sometimes just added because "it is the thing to do." I don't even have a FRONT bar on the Chickenhawk.
I read somewhere that a properly designed suspension shouldn't need sway bars.
They are good tuning devices though.
As for the original question, clamping the spring leaves in front of the axle shouldn't have too many negative effects. What it will do is effectively make the car a two link rear suspension with all of the springing done by the rear half of the leaves.
As I posted somewhere else, it will probably help with axle wrap and brake tramp too but I'm not sure.

<small>[ Edited by dimlight65 on 2002/6/25 7:58:27 ]</small>

My experience with sway bars is with the B210,the ute my brother and I are fixing is set up for cross country ,sand and beach travel,so I have not even thought about sway bars for the 1200 ute. But in the case of the B210,which is a brother car to the 1200,sharing many aspects of technology as engine ,suspension,etc,similar if not the same,and which I am setting as a road car,lowered with koni shocks,front stock cut springs(intent on installing coilovers and using my koni inserts)rear decambered springs,etc,the instalation of a front ADDCCO sway bar,thicker than stock,made a totall diference,diference so notorious that I would refuse to drive the car w/out it. Now it behaves as a performance car,were as before it was just oK,rubing tires and leaning.
Before I droped the rear 2 inches,(I would like to drop it one more inch,after I install the front coil overs,maybee from ground control),I used "helper springs",those ones advertised for pick up trucks(ute's)and RV vehicles. They clamp with U bolts front and back of the spring /shock plate,and hold up against the leafs. The diference between the sway bar and the stronger springs with these device,which I can not use now because the decambered springs go almost flat,(perhaps with larger U bolts I could do it,have not as of yet)...is that the stronger spring keeps the weight of the car from sinking into the axle on the outside side of the car,but does NOTHING to prevent the inside side of the car from going upwards,which is exactly what the sway bar does,so while in turning/cornering,the sway bar helps stop the inside tire from separating away from the body ,as well as preventing the outside tire from sinking into the body,or better said,the body from sinking into the axle. That is why I think ,and I am cosidering,installing a rear sway bar. On the other hand,a rear sway bar will take some of the stress away from the front sway bar components,which if alone(no rear bar)...handles all of the car,while w/a rear bar added,shares some stress. The idea is to have a rear bar smaller in diameter from the front one,just to help share the forces between front and back,overbaring the rear would create problems,but that will happen only if the rear bar is thicker than the front one,creating oversteer. I have not seen yet a rear sway bar on a leaf sprung 1200/B210,I would appreciate if anybody has a picture to visualize the link position,or the clamping.
Thanks
Jaime

I am going to let you guys know that ,(us I just discovered) ther is an article about 1200 performance suspensions in the club. There is a picture of the rear sway bar assembly,and now I understand what dimlight was telling me about the spring hookup . E couple years ago after installing my front sway bar,I oedered a rear bar from ADDCO,and it was a mess. Instead of the format I see here at the club's suspension article,the ADDCO bar was suposed to be clamped to the axle,which I did following the instructions,(contrary to the simpler and effective kind of mounting on the springs),and instead of mounting the ends of the bar(in case of the 1200 article,it is a eyeless end of bar)_...to the spring,close to the front spring eyes,the addco bar used links,as in the front,and I was supposed to drill a hole in the frame of the car to bolt on the link bracket,to which the link would connect this bracket(and the body of the car) to the bar,which had an eye at the end of both arms.I drilled the holes,but the bar was not made to fit and the links where leaning more than 45 degrees on both sides,and ADDCO never returned my calls,so I returned the bar,and ended up with a hole drilled on the frame. I can not understand why ADDCO does not follow the model dimlight and the datsun factory race suspension article shows,which is easier,no drilling nor welding required. I never ever did see a bar mounted like that(1200 race suspension) but it is great way to do it.
have fun
Jaime

im very interested in the "helper springs", my farther got them on his Toyota 4X4, and they improved the suspension heaps from a "smooth ride" point of view. but im wondering if these could also be used to improve handling especially on a rally car, Jamiecidpedro please tell me more about the setup you have and how you reckon it benefits handling, cheers Michael.

p.s. i think were talking about the same thing i.e. coil springs witch sit between the leafs and the body to assist the leaf suspension

Dimlight,
A McPherson strut suspension has to have a sway bar. It is integral with handleing. Without a sway bar at all, you will be one all over the road at every bump, mother.

?? Question ??

What is the diameter of the stock 1200 coupe sway bar? I have heard different aspects on this. I have heard that the B210 swaybar is larger so I tookone off of a B210. My 1200 bar is larger in diameter (20mm) than the B210 (17mm). Can anyone help here?

Mareo

I'm afeared I don't follow you Mareo. Why does a McPherson strut require a sway bar? I've run without one for years in the Chickenhawk, and hit many a bump, without going all over the road.
Now, I have seen McPherson strut cars ('76 Mercury Capri for instance) that used the sway bar as a suspension locating device but Nissan wisely used a tension/compression rod. Perhaps the sedan's lower arms are located by the sway bar? Then I would have to agree. Everything in the coupe's suspension is triangulated even without the bar.
Incidentally, I don't mean for this to degenerate into a Coupe versus Sedan thing as they have in the past.

The standard swaybar dia for the front of a 1200 is 17mm on all models as far as I'm aware. The B210/120Y has an 18mm bar is is a popular swap. Mareo you might have a custom bar or a factory race item. My GX has a Datsun Competition front bar of 20mm dia and a "factory option " 12mm dia rear bar. I think that in days of old when shocks and tyres weren't so good the rear sway bar was one way of taming the the handling of the 1200s on the limit but on the road I can't see any real advantage. We've come a long way in 30 years but the basis chassis of the 1200 is still close to perfect...