Hi, just bought a T reg Felicia LXi 1.3, first of the new Skodas for me.

Looking around for cheap mods to improve the handling I saw the 'uprated Anti roll bar from the '97 caddy' modification.

However, I have noticed a small problem - either I have forgotten what an anti roll bar looks like or the 1.3 simply doesn't have any! There seem to be several people on this site who have done the mod and recommended it to 1.3 owners yet mine certainly seems to lack one - or two for that matter.

So, is it just the post facelift 1.3Lxi that lacks an anti roll bar or is it just the 1.6 that has one?

More to the point, if the 1.3 doesn't have one, can one be fitted and what can be sensibly and reasonably cheaply done to improve the handling - my springs and dampers look and feel good yet the poor thing gets horribly confused in corners.

Cheers for any help

most of the 1.3 models dont have one.... they can easily be retrofitted...

That's brilliant news - I had just assumed that I was stuck with 'exciting' cornering.

It's weird that I haven't seen 'add an anti roll bar' mentioned anywhere - so thanks very much for that.

I don't suppose you could give a tiny bit more detail on the retrofitting process or is it simply a trip to a breakers looking for a 1.6, rip the whole thing off and slap it straight back on the 1.3 - and then go looking for the caddy for the next stage.

In fact, are there any other 'cheap and cheerful' mods that can be accomplished with a spanner, a hammer and a breaker's yard?

My 1.3 L&K has an anti roll bar fitted as standard... i thought all felicias had them fitted, but obviously not.

Al they are to fit is 2 (maybe 3, cant remember) bolts on either side of it across the top of the suspension struts.

Only this is... if you need to get your battery out... you have to remove it first! lol

Philje, just why would an anti-roll bar be across the front strut tops? I think you're confusing an ARB with a strut brace!

oh... ooops... maybe i am!

lol.

Im good with mechanics and stuff, but just get confused with the names of stuff!

So, did all felicias come with a strut brace as standard? Maybe after they had made it they realised the handling was a little too... errr... interesting so they slapped a strut brace on to calm it down a bit!? lol

erm yeah, and arb is a solid metal bar that sit's on the bottom of the suspension. it is fixes to the bottom of the chassis in 2 places, and then fixes to the track controll arms... it's job is to transfer movement in the suspension from one side of the car to the other...

So, now that everyone is clear about the nature of an anti roll bar...

I spent an interesting hour after work in a breakers yard peering underneath a range of felicias. None had the anti roll bar (underneath) but several had strut braces (on top) - there seem to be two sorts: a pressed metal number which looks pretty flimsy and a chromed tube which looks a little more substantial - possibly aftermarket by the look of it though.

So, does any Felicia actually have and arb or merely a strut brace. If it does potentially have an arb I return to my original question.

Cheers

The only function of a strut brace is to stop the strut tops moving in and out relative to each other under very hard cornering. I've not seen a Felicia strut brace (either type) but a T or L section pressing expanding at the ends into C or O shapes around the strut top mounts is likely to actually offer more stiffness than the more usual aftermarket tube with flexible joints connecting it to the strut tops.

Please remember that I don't know that much about Felicias, and only got involved cos of the apparent confustion between an ARB and a strut brace! I also know a bit about the principles of suspension design, if not the underlying maths.

i doubt if yours has one... all you need is the bar (about

Skoda did or do an aftermarket strut brace as well as the factory fit jobby.

Only about

Thanks for all the input...

So, which Felicias actually have antiroll bars? can people have a quick peek underneath and see if we can find out what does and what doesn't - which will make finding one easier. For example, does the diesel have one and is it heavier or lighter duty than the 1.6 which I assume does have one - and what about the estate - might that have rear anti roll ... do any felicias have rear anti roll I wonder.

I think I will start by just fitting the standard anti roll bar and then start looking at the heavy duty one.

here we go again ...

the 1.6 petrol and the diesel both have the same anti roll bar and it's 20mm. the vw cady pick-up (2001>) has a 22mm version of the same bar.. oddly enough they are the same price to buy new as well.

if you are going to scavenge parts from the breakers yard, make sure you fit new bushes rather than scabby old scrappers

Cheers Lummox, that is a good design for a decent strut brace given the strut mounting bolt positions. O-shaped ends are better when the RH bolts are in the 3 o'clock and +/-120deg positions, and LH in 9 o'clock and +/-120deg, but either way the critical point is that it doesn't have 2 hinges in it!

Skoda did or do an aftermarket strut brace as well as the factory fit jobby.

Only about

my old 1.3spi had no arb, and the wrong suspention arms ie; no holes for the arb mounts.

my 1.6 however had a 20mm arb, with two clamp plate+rubber mounts in the middle. and a mount that bolts through each wish bone to hold the ends of the bar.

to fit my 22mm arb i needed just the rubber mounts in the middle, and the 22mm arb.

however, to fit an arb to a car that has non, you will first have to check that the wishbones will take it, ie; have the holes in. then you need the two outer mounts, and then the two inner clamp plates and the appropreat inner rubber mounts (20mm or 22mm)

hay presto you no longer own the titanic.

On 07/06/2007 at 21:49, Tech1e said:

Skoda did or do an aftermarket strut brace as well as the factory fit jobby.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d134/Techie_1976/Felicia%20Fun/Painting%20etc/underbonnet0012.jpg

Only about

 

"As for the record" (practically is for Google search from a Felician) the Skoda sold as an extra a strut brace like the one in the photo.

I have it in my Felicia Glx 1300cc.

Can you guys tell me the difference that you feel having the strut brace and / or anti roll bar? 

I could be interested in any mods just for the fun of it that makes the car ride better. 

 

Fortunately stuff like that is cheaply available from breakers now so it makes a good project. 

 

 

33 minutes ago, hzoltaan said:

the difference that you feel having the strut brace and / or anti roll bar? 

 

Stability, especially in V\ style turns (here we call them Zig-Zag) something like Moose test.

The car does not have the same inclination as the stock, is a bit stiffer and helps you  lot in Sport style driving.

I have them both and never regret that i installed them. 

 

How Sway bars work:

https://consummatedriver.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-do-sway-bars-work.html?m=1

 

Strut bar

https://www.sprracing.com.tw/strut-bar

 

😎

Awesome, a friend of mine also explained it thus:  the two swingarms get connected so they stop being fully independent. If one swingarm goes in (ie the outer wheel in a fast corner) the torsion in the sway bar will also push the inner wheel swingarm inside thus keeping the car more level. 

Thanks Fylaktos!

 

One more thing, I read it somewhere here that you might need a different swingarm, one prepared for a sway bar to be attached. How was in your case? 

You have a 1.3 GLX? 

 

I have a '97 Combi, I think LX, the basicest of the basics (but i like simplicity)

 

27 minutes ago, hzoltaan said:

i read it somewhere here that you might need a different swingarm, one prepared for a sway bar to be attached. How was in your case? 

You have a 1.3 GLX?

 

 

I have a 1.3 GLX made at late 1999 months and bought it at 2000.

Those days you could find Eibach anti-roll bar in the market, now the stopped produce it

https://www.eibach-shop.com/skoda-c-85510.html

no modifications, fitted as it should be.

The strut brace was bought from the local Skoda dealer (original accessoire).

You may lose some comfort but if you are a sport driving guy that combination will help you a lot, if you start diving fast in mountain road without them the car will start floundering like a boat in a heavy sea.

After some turns you will start feeling fear and unsecure so you will start slow down.