Twist beam mods

For the Fiesta/2 crew.

The Fiesta ST has the beam made of heavier material.

Bolt in but not cost effective,

Update!!!

I boxed in the twist beam with two inch tacks every 8" or so with plate steel. It's absolutely perfectly balanced and rides only marginally stiffer. It's so neutral that at limit it has passive rear steer. A big lift will provoke rotation at limit. While I was at it, I upgraded the 185/65 wide low rolling resistance tires to bf g force sports in 205/50. They look muscular on the stock wheels and don't rub at all. It's very weird to drive a prius that handles. It's very sticky and adjustable. Needs that 50 shot badly

I absolutely recommend this mod, if you have one of these cars, do this tomorrow. Transformation is not strong enough a term to describe the before and after and it's totally still pleasant and streetable.

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Photos to come of me doing the "electric slide"

EvanR wrote: Here is the DDMWorks rear twist-beam stiffener/brace for the Chevrolet Sonic. It is certainly one possible way to stiffen a rear beam, although a conventional sway bar is also available from other vendors.

That is similar to the 2/Fiesta bar.

It's weird when my Facebook wall follows me here haha

sesto elemento wrote: Photos to come of me doing the "electric slide"

waiting...

So the stock tube is forever entombed inside the boxed D-channel? That's probably okay, right?

Its not sealed at all, it's open at both ends and in the middle, I didn't want it to get condensation in ther and rot. Its like a box frame instead of a c channel. You can see it in the picture. I did leave the factory swaybar in there.

Hmmmm I might have to do this to my Saturn. It has a very similar-looking twist beam, but without the internal tube. Having a welder in the garage makes everything seem too feasible.

In reply to maschinenbau:

No need for a welder, just some muffler clamps, steel plate and a drill.

Use the clamps to hold the steel plate to the bottom of the beam and to transfer the twisting motion to the steel plate. More clamps and/or thicker plate and you have different rates.

Any chance of getting a non Photobucket shot of what you did? What size thickness steel? Also how close are your 205s to the springs/shocks? Do you think some 215s would clear? 

I am getting pretty sick of mine plowing all over the place. And the skinny tires squealing for dear life at every low speed turn 

Photobucket lol, this guy's got jokes! Pm me and I'll email you some pics. What you're doing is boxing in the front part of the twist beam so it twists less, like a very stiff swaybar. 

You can fit all the tire you ever dreamt of, there's a E36 M3 load of room. 225s would be easy, and I bet 255s would fit with the right offset. The foctory wheels are pretty narrow for much more than a 205 too. 

Not that I'd got much bigger than 205 myself, with gforce sports in 205 it feels perfect, sticky but playful and not bogged down by the rubber (only by the lack of power). I really want to spray it, a 50 shot is just what it needs, I just dont know what it's going to do with the atkinson cycle engine.

In reply to sesto elemento :

Thanks pm sent

Good news about the tire clearance. The Prius chat board conversations about changing wheel/tire packages get pretty heated to down right insulting when just 205s get brought up   like" you will lose 3-4 mpg!!! Why would anyone want anything but the stock 15 inch tire size and any tire that's not low rolling resistance!?It insanity!"

I've got some 215s around just need to find some wheels with the right bolt pattern.

​​​​Spray would be nuts, it's only a mock Atkinson cycle so there's gotta be a way around it. The thing I would worry about is the rest of the yota systems freaking out. 

I've been noticing braking a little harder than usual and going over a slightly rough road turns the abs on, cut brakes and makes the transmission makes weird sounds then a lurch... I think its working as designed too. 

Bumping an old thread. Would welding some steel to the rear twist beam axle in our Mk4 VW GTI help our handling? The few rear swaybars I've been able to find are too expensive. :(

dyintorace said:

Bumping an old thread. Would welding some steel to the rear twist beam axle in our Mk4 VW GTI help our handling? The few rear swaybars I've been able to find are too expensive. :(

I got your pm and emailed back, did you get it?

short answer is yes I think it would. However, here is another idea I remember back from that saab - simply doubling up the stock rear sway with a second stock rear sway, which should be cheap as chips in a yard. 

http://www.saabwiki.info/index.php?title=NG_900/9-3_Rear_ARB

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

short answer is yes I think it would. However, here is another idea I remember back from that saab - simply doubling up the stock rear sway with a second stock rear sway, which should be cheap as chips in a yard. 

http://www.saabwiki.info/index.php?title=NG_900/9-3_Rear_ARB

The weird thing about Mk GTIs is they don't have an external factory swaybar in the rear. Evidently there is some sort of bar inside the beam, but I've seen differing answers on that even.