Optima Back Sway Bar and Front Bumper Support - Optional?

[rangerg]

I am wondering if it really hurts to go without two parts on the Optima:

1) The back sway bar: I don't like the way it blocks the motor case and makes it a pain to access the motor and pinion. Does this part really steady the car that much?

2) The very front collar or bumper support. I have seen these smashed in up in used Optimas and I know there is a market for tough aftermarket ones. But, then I read somewhere that a tough one may make the car itself take all the force of a crash and that some racers just go without the entire piece?

Thanks for the input,
RG

[ROH73]

Sway bars are a valuable tuning aid and can help with certain handling issues, but are not necessary by any means. They were standard issue on the Turbo Optima, but I never used mine as, like you described, they tend to get in the way. My cars always handled just fine without them.

The front aluminum skidplate and U shaped support inadvertently act like a crush zone. Going to a stronger support will definitely transfer more impact force to the gearbox.

If desired, the front aluminum skidplate can be cut off where the front gearbox ends. This eliminates the ability to use a stock bumper and sway bar. A custom bumper could be made that attaches only to the chassis and bottom of what's left of the front skidplate, thereby transferring most of the impact force to the chassis.

I cut my skidplate on my Turbo back in the day and I ran with no bumper. That means the first thing to hit in a front end crash was the tires!

[Jirka]

1) Original Optima didn't have sway bars. There were optional parts and came standard with Turbo Optima. You can run without rear sway bar. If there comes problems, use a little harder rear springs and/or shock oil to compensate sway bars.

2) I would not run without that U-shaped "front support", part number 21. But You can do that part quite easily by Your self like I did As a kid. I did made two parts, one to right side one to left side, that way it was easier to make the parts. I used copper pipe (real house water pipe, but You can use anything suitable stuff that You can find) and forged it flat, bended it to 90-degree and sawed to approximate right length, drilled 2*3mm holes to it and installed it to car. On the chassis side, I used some collars to take looseness out. On front side, I used just machine screws and nuts to install them. The parts were L___ -shaped from the top.

Jirka

[Jirka]

If desired, the front aluminum skidplate can be cut off where the front gearbox ends. This eliminates the ability to use a stock bumper and sway bar. A custom bumper could be made that attaches only to the chassis and bottom of what's left of the front skidplate, thereby transferring most of the impact force to the chassis.

I cut my skidplate on my Turbo back in the day and I ran with no bumper. That means the first thing to hit in a front end crash was the tires!

This method is smarter/easier than mine. I (and many others too) also did run Turbo Optima without that big, wild and heavy (and ugly-looking) front bumper, the front and is quite strong.

Jirka

[Coelacanth]

What I've heard is the sway bars, under certain track conditions, don't really do much. But they will be a useful tuning aid under different track conditions. I suppose it depends on what kind of track you're running on.

I've also seen some people's Optimas that had the front sections of their front skidplate removed where it's almost always bent, which also does away with the U-shaped bumper brace & front stabilizer assembly. It actually looks a bit sleeker and cleaner that way. But as mentioned, you'll need to fabricate your own bumper or go without.

[Coelacanth]

2) The very front collar or bumper support. I have seen these smashed in up in used Optimas and I know there is a market for tough aftermarket ones. But, then I read somewhere that a tough one may make the car itself take all the force of a crash and that some racers just go without the entire piece?

Pargu makes aluminum bumper braces. I'd be hesitant to use it in a runner because it bolts onto the plastic gearbox (and not the much stronger gearbox sideplates) and thus, a heavy front-end collision would transmit all the shock directly to the gearbox. This would probably be a worse result than just breaking the bumper brace.

This is a sore spot for me with the Optima. Other than the soft stock final pinion gear, which is easily remedied by buying an Option House or aftermarket gear, this is the only major weakness of the car and is rather difficult to re-engineer.

[rangerg]

Coelecanth,

I know, that front bumper support still confounds me . I think I'll stick with no back sway-bars. I have always liked the ease of getting to the motor/pinion with the Optima and the sway-bars.

[rangerg]

Does anyone have a picture of an Optima that has been cut and a new bumper added? Does it look like a Frankenstein car?

[Coelacanth]

Does anyone have a picture of an Optima that has been cut and a new bumper added? Does it look like a Frankenstein car?

Damned if I can find a picture at this moment, but I *know* somebody posted a pic of an Optima modded like that somewhere on here...it actually doesn't look bad at all. Once you remove that 45-degree-angled piece that's always bent, the bumper brace & the front stab assembly, the final front end look is sleeker, cleaner. But you'll probably need to fabricate a bumper like the one I made, to mount to the 4 holes on the bottom of the chassis. I used black Kydex, careful hack-sawing and a shot of the heat-gun to give it a bend.

[rangerg]

I like it. I wish there were a bumper that was a direct fit (I can ream the holes, but the sawing would be a pain).