Identify the Mystery Rear Sway Bar!

Lex4TDI4Life

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Location
NorCal
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2001 Golf-Ute TDI GLS 5spd Manual
OK, so I saw what seemed to be a great deal on the 'tex for a Shine RSB. I should have done my homework a little more thoroughly as I do not believe it is a Shine. On a Shine bar, the 4 bolt holes are surrounded with extra steel in a rectangular shape (http://www.tdiparts.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=36_113&products_id=752). This one is obviously different. I did a little research, but cannot find out what brand this is. Does anyone have any idea where this thing came from? I should mention that it was originally black - the PO painted it red.




 

oldpoopie

Vendor
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May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
Earlier shine bars were constructed like that. Mine is. I think they changed to the block design in 05
 

Lex4TDI4Life

Top Post Dawg
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2001 Golf-Ute TDI GLS 5spd Manual
well, then I don't feel ripped off :D

I looked around at the other internal-beam type RSBs and none of them seem to have the same spacing between bolt holes. Looks like the newer ones have the same spacing as this one. Thanks!
 

cheeba

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May 9, 2006
Location
Regina, Saskatchewan
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'02 Audi TT 225
Hhhmmm, those welds look pretty crappy. And, as you said the spacing and size of the bosses in relation to the bar looks odd - unlike any of the commercially-available bars. If I had to guess (not that a guess via some crappy internet pictures means much) I would guess it's home made.
 

Lex4TDI4Life

Top Post Dawg
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2001 Golf-Ute TDI GLS 5spd Manual
The welds do look a little sloppy. I will try a test fitment before I start drilling.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
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South of Boston
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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Looks like the one I got from Shine in '03. 130K in the wagon and still working fine.
 

Lex4TDI4Life

Top Post Dawg
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Jun 22, 2006
Location
NorCal
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2001 Golf-Ute TDI GLS 5spd Manual
IndigoBlueWagon said:
Looks like the one I got from Shine in '03. 130K in the wagon and still working fine.
If Peter says it's kosher, I'm putting it in :D
 

oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
Scratch the paint. Old shine bars were black. New ones are blue I think.
 

sabrewolf

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Joined
Sep 8, 2005
Location
Ambler P.A.
TDI
2006 golf gls tdi
Yeah, tis all and good until your friend mentions to Weld it to the Cross Memeber... Then it CRACKS! So, lesson learned?? Dont Weld the Sway bar in the Cross Beam :)
 

ACHTUNG TDI

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Joined
Jun 22, 2001
Location
Randolph, New Jersey ,USA
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2001 Jetta GLS Sedan, Silver (sold); 2016 Jetta TSI 1.8t Sport, 5 sp, LP; 2014 BMW 328d xDrive Sport Wagon (wife's)
What are the differences between the Shine RSB and ones by O-bars and Bildon? I know there's a big price difference of $200 to $300, but I don't know why by just looking at pictures and catalogs.:confused:
 

Lex4TDI4Life

Top Post Dawg
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Jun 22, 2006
Location
NorCal
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2001 Golf-Ute TDI GLS 5spd Manual
It was originally black. I test fitted it today and it looked just fine. Wasn't able to put it in due to lack of clearance. Will have to wait until I have access to a lift or an offset drill.
 

20IndigoBlue02

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 22, 2001
Location
Was North NJ, now SoCal
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2002 Golf TDI-- deceased
je said:
The Shine are hollow tube. O-Bar and Bildon are both solid bar.

Recent Shine bars have a better mounting tab that is less likely to break from the bar.
What allows the shine bar to be a hollow tube is the material. Shine uses a more expensive & stronger Chromoly steel (4130).

O-Bar & Bildon do not use a Chromoly steel, instead a weaker, and less expensive (stock & working with) Carbon steel.
 

milehighassassin

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Mar 18, 2005
Location
Fort Collins, CO
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2005 Golf TDi PD, Reflex Silver
I would try calling Shine, although they do not have the greatest customer service. They will probably just try and sell you one of their new ones, a good vendor would understand that people try to save money and if they can buy used it works great.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
What do you mean by lack of clearance? Sometimes you have to trim the center buffer for the stock rear bar to get the shine bar far enough into the the axle. But I'm guessing, here. Give me a call if you want to figure it out: I can run interference with Shine if you're having trouble reaching them.
 

Lex4TDI4Life

Top Post Dawg
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Jun 22, 2006
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NorCal
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2001 Golf-Ute TDI GLS 5spd Manual
The clearance issue is that I could not fit the drill under bar - jack and jack stands would not lift high enough. I did shave down the rubber bushing, and fitment inside the beam was fine.

I did have to remove that 6" x 2" bar in front of the stock swaybar., but I did not replace it. Is that a problem?



IndigoBlueWagon said:
What do you mean by lack of clearance? Sometimes you have to trim the center buffer for the stock rear bar to get the shine bar far enough into the the axle. But I'm guessing, here. Give me a call if you want to figure it out: I can run interference with Shine if you're having trouble reaching them.
 

fitzski

Veteran Member
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Oct 13, 2004
Location
Ottawa
TDI
Uh... hmm... Well, none...
Peter... any news on a new supply or RSBs from Shine (or alternatives)?
 

Quadrifoglio

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Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Location
Cincinnati
TDI
None! Oops......
Confused

Are these rear sway bars or rear strenghtening bars? I haven't fiddled with the suspension on my Jetta (it has the factory sport suspension which seems fine to me although the car does seem to be getting a little 'creeky' of late in the doors) but all the sway bars that I've ever seen (okay my experience has been limited to Alfas thus far...) are large U-shaped bars that connect the trailing arms or thereabouts.

Does this do the same thing or is it a chassis stiffener?:confused:
 

454k30

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Feb 20, 2006
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Long Beach, CA
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2002 Jetta
they are kind of both. By increasing the rigidity of the axle they reduce sway. Because they are attached at the ends only they work like a torsion bar
 

je

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Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Location
Chesterton Shores, Ontario
TDI
-
Here is a picture of one installed. It's supplementing the factory sway bar already in the axle. They are used only on this style of rear suspension. It's still possible (and popular) to use the large u-shaped bar.


It isn't a stress bar/chassis brace.
These are chassis braces, which are not an active part of the suspension:



The 'Shine' or 'O-Bar' or 'Bildon' bars are the first one, inside the axle.
 
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Lex4TDI4Life

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Location
NorCal
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2001 Golf-Ute TDI GLS 5spd Manual
Well, I finally got the thing installed :D

So far, so good. Understeer is reduced and the harder corners feel more...effortless, if that makes sense.

We will see how long the thing lasts!
 
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