Fiat Marea / Bravo / Brava / Coupe anti-roll bar rattle

SteveH ( snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

This

suggests that these :-

are more likely than these :-

just from the subject line alone.

Not exactly.

Given that the bits are all interchangable..... ie. the person selling the bottom bits has just forgotten about adding 'Marea' to his listing.

Same with the 1st one.... they'll fit almost everything based on the Bravo chassis.

The Enforcer ]:o[ ( snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Depends on the car, but probably.

It won't soften the suspension much in terms of bump compliance, because that's down to spring rates - but it will increase the body roll in corners, because the side-to-side weight transfer will be kept in check less.

Just out of interest, is it possible to drive safely without the anti-roll bar/s? Does it soften the suspension noticeably?

The message from "The Enforcer ]:o[" contains these words:

Dunno about the Marea, but some Maestros had roll bars, others didn't. There wasn't a great deal to choose between them, the all handled fairly well.

My thinking was that the anti-roll bar connects the two sides of the front suspension (or back) and that driving just one wheel over a bump meets with the extra resistance caused by having to twist the bar. Doesn't that make it feel harder?

Your thinking is correct. Without the anti roll bar you will have quite substantial roll in the corners as the suspension will have been set up to expect the help, which will make it less safe at the edges of the envelope. You may also find the flailing ends of the bar may be in contact with bits they shouldn't be, if the bar is in place but the linkages have snapped (as they had in my Mazda...)

I missed the start of this thread, but I'll blather on anyway ;-)

On my Mazda when I got it both linkages were rusted through and snapped - one was missing, the other was snapped in half.

A mazda dealer got me two new ones, nuts, bolts, bushes and all, for £15 a side.

Although driving a Fiat Coupe it is easy to imagine that the suspension has not been set up to expect anything! It is too hard for normal roads and normal speeds. Since I am not anticipating too many journeys at 155mph, I am wondering whether the coupe will forgive me if I take the front roll bar off.