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Thread: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

  1. #1
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    Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    I usually hang out in the Yahoo Previa group where last year a member got Addco to agree to do a run of now-discontinued Previa rear sway bars for the wholesale unit cost of $140 IF we could commit to a quantity of 10. We commited, but... they didn't follow through. I contacted them again this year and was assured it would really happen now if the quantity=10 commitment was there. Not saying I believe they'll do it this time either, but at this point we only have 5 interested (in the Yahoo Group), so I thought I'd gauge any interest here as well. IF there is interest in a minimum of 5 more, I'll take the lead to get some real commitment on Addco's part, like an actual written purchase agreement, etc. Supposedly this makes a huge difference in handling, especially cornering and evasive maneuvers ("Serpentine, Shel, serpentine!").

    On the Addco.net site there's a chart for Toyotas that references a 1" bar, stock # 472 and a #018 Endlink Kit.
    http://www.addco.net/aftermarket/catalog/toyota/

    Then, there's a bare-bones installation document for it under the "400" series
    https://addco.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-co...012/03/472.pdf

    I image you have to drill holes to mount the end-link bracket and be fastidious about installation in terms of making sure the wheels & axles are positioned at normal ride height and the bar maintains a respectful distance from the exhaust. Someone'll do it and post some better instructions I'm sure.

    SO, add a comment or PM if this is something you'd be interested in. Otherwise we all keep swingin' and swayin' I guess.

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    Addco rear sway bar for Previas available Dec 2020 (limited quantity)

    As of 11/20/2020 I have some of these on order at Addco and they should be available starting around mid-December at $163.17 plus shipping and taxes. As I'm the purchaser, you'll have to contact me directly first and I'd pass on your shipping address to Addco following my reimbursement. After that time, I'd have them in my possession and would have to reship them myself.

    Based on some discussions in the Yahoo Previa group (around 2017; Addco had stopped making them for individual orders some years before), a rear (anti) sway bar can make a big difference in how the van handles. Here's a renewed opportunity to find out.
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    Did you know they are being sold online?

    https://www.jegs.com/i/ADDCO/020/472/10002/-1

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    I know they are still listed as for sale on many sites (even Amazon until fairly recently*), even though I and others have been told directly by John Wright at Addco that they were discontinued many years ago, and that he was only willing to schedule a production run if he had an order for ten or more, nor are they listed on the addco.net site, even though they still were in 2017 when John said they were no longer an active inventory item.

    As stated, there was once an attempt to round up orders through members of the Yahoo! Previa Group. It ultimately fizzled out. I tried to round up folks a bit later and only got 5 commitments, leading me to make the original post in this thread. Since then, I've been doing well enough financially to take the plunge and just make the group buy myself and if 9 others acquire them, then it's all good. If not, maybe I'll weld the left-overs together into some sort of neo-post-modernist sculpture or roll cage or something.

    It sure would be pretty distressing to find they are really still orderable through regular channels (and that John has been fibbing). I do have a vague recollection of actually calling or emailing one of the on-line vendors once to verify that it really wasn't available, but I didn't save it.

    From the Yahoo Group's archives, here's the post that started it all. To be fair, many people subsequently argued against it as unnecessary, an indulgence, or both for this kind of "non-performance" vehicle. On the other hand, I've read many a recommendation for rear antisway bars on pickups and the like. If I ever repair my windshield frame and get mine back on the road, I'll be able to find out.


    [the Origin Story:]
    From: previa@yahoogroups.com <previa@yahoogroups.com> on behalf of delwood@... [previa] <previa@yahoogroups.com>
    Sent: Saturday, 5 November 2016 9:43 AM
    To: previa@yahoogroups.com
    Subject: [previa] Rear Sway Bar add-on
    Last week I had to perform a very unnerving high-speed evasive maneuver on the freeway. It sent my 95 AllTrac into a violent side-to-side pitch, even though I have brand-new KYB struts and shocks. So when I got home I dug up the Addco 1" rear sway bar that I bought last year but hadn't yet gotten around to installing and took it to the shop and had them mount it.

    The results are pretty amazing. I've been driving around for the last few days, making practice quick lane changes (when no one is around) and punching it in the corners, and this thing corners like a go-kart now! It's super firm in the corners, but still very plush when going over bumps. Really cool.

    So I decided to upgrade my 91 Previa, which has the airbags in the rear springs, because I haven't been very happy with how harsh the ride is with them in--especially when the van is full of people--and there is still a lot of body roll. But when I tried to buy another sway-bar, I found that they had been discontinued.

    I called Addco and talked to a guy named John, and he said that if I could get together an order of 10 pieces, that they would do a special production run and sell them for around $140, vs the $220 that I paid for mine. So I would like to buy 2, one for my 91 and another for my 94, because I seriously can't believe how much of a difference it makes to the handling. One of the main reasons I love the Previas is the low center of mass and the central distribution of weight that makes them handle so well, and this just makes it even better by a long shot.

    So I'm sending this out to the group, if anyone wants to spend a little to get a real improvement in handling, I just need eight more people to make an order.

    I don't have any affiliation with anyone or anything, I just want some sway bars!

    If anyone wants one I guess you could private message me? I've never done anything like this so I'm not sure how to handle it from a logistic sense, but if there are enough people interested I'm sure I can figure it out.

    Let me know if anyone has any other questions,

    Thanks,

    Darren

    * FYI, here's the link to a finally-inactive Amazon listing for $248
    https://www.amazon.com/-/es/472-addc...language=en_US
    If you put "Addco 472 Rear Performance Ant-Sway Bar" into the Amazon search field, you'll get nothing; I found the above by doing a Google search for "amazon.com: Addco 472" just like you can search this site's pages by Googling "Toyotavantech.com: <search term>"
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

  5. #5
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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    What I thought strange about the jeg listing was that they won't be available until January 2021, so it gave me the impression that ADDCO are producing extras for retail sale at the same time as the run that you are paying for. But if there is extra demand beyond your order, why should you have to pay for a run? Oh well I'm not trying to start any trouble, these thoughts just came to my suspicious mind. I'm sure its all probably completely innocent.

    I have to too many other Previa issues to deal with to consider a sway bar at this time.

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    Addco rear sway bar for Previa - special order avail to ship arround 3/25/21

    So, it's happening, I have an ETA from Addco that a limited number of sway bars will be available around 3/25/21. If you're interested let me know and I can have yours shipped directly from Addco. $163.17 plus shipping and taxes. As I'm the purchaser of the run, you'll have to contact me directly first and I'd pass on your shipping address to Addco following (or even prior to - will work it out for our mutual convenience) my reimbursement. After that time, I'd have them in my possession and would have to reship them myself at probably a higher shipping cost per unit). If I ever put them on ebay or somesuch I'll charge more, but I'm still looking to break even, not engage in any high-rolling (pun intended) sway bar arbitrage.

    As mentioned in previous posts, installation would involve some careful positioning of the real axle, equally careful measurements and drilling to mount them - it's not as though you'll find any unused rear sway bar mounting brackets underneath. So DIY if you're so inclined, otherwise off to a mechanic that doesn't give you the stink-eye when you roll up with a Previa.
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    Maybe post at Toyotanation too, or I can link it if you don't have an account there. Both forums are nearly dead lately, and of course Yahoo is unfortunately deceased.

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    I have an account at TN & was thinking of posting, but there are so many warnings about hawking stuff, I may contact the admins to not run afoul of any prohibitions against "group buys," or being a (pseudo?) vendor. It's a bit of an odd situation, since I actually pre-purchased a minimum run of these myself (don't judge please) in order to obtain one, hoping to distribute the rest at cost to what has to be a pretty small and dwindling subsegment of 25-year-old-Toyota-minivan owners with the willingness and resources to spend time and money on a performance enhancement ("She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some special modifications myself.").

    As mentioned before, any requests before they're actually manufactured can get them shipped directly, probably at less cost than me adding on my share of incoming freight + tax then my cost to re-ship + ebay charges if some get listed there.
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    All of my money will most likely be going to pay for a new engine...if I can scrape enough together to even do that. No performance upgrades are in my near future, thanks to this engine fiasco I'll be luck to keep up with normal upkeep

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    A correction to my initial post now that Addco reorganized their site a bit. The catalog listing the Previa rear bar is still there, just in a different subdirectory than before:

    On the Addco.net site there's a chart for Toyotas that still references a 1" bar, stock # 472 and a #018 Endlink Kit.

    WORKING LINK => https://www.addco.net/catalog/toyota/

    [INVALID LINK in first post =>http://www.addco.net/aftermarket/catalog/toyota/]


    BTW still some left if anyone's interested.
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    Mods at Toyotanation were fine with it (not a "group buy" & I'm not profiting), so offer is posted there as well.
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    Update: bars are going into production next week (3/29)
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    The sway bars have been fabricated and are about to be shipped! There are some unclaimed extras that Addco might be able to ship directly to you if you let me know ASAP so I can get shipping and tax estimates to figure out the total. Otherwise they'll probably go on eBay later at a higher price to cover my reshipping costs and selling fees.
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    Getting mine delivered tomorrow, with the rest about to ship from Addco. Any interest in photos of the kit? I won't be installing it until I get my windshield frame fixed (if...)so no install posts anytime soon, at least from me...
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    Have you tried the FB page? Maybe you have. I find it so cumbersome to read and use I rarely go there.

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    I only use facebook when absolutely necessary - My antisocial tendencies are as digital as my IRL ones. I have an account for when that's the only way to access something- no "friends," etc. There are a few people who are getting these - the rest'll probably go on ebay. Maybe Samay at http://www.garagetunerautomotive.com/ wants some...
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

  17. #17
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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    Previa Sway Bars are back in the world!
    Addco_Previa_Swaybar.jpg
    I know at least one of the recipients is going to document his install on instagram.

    Absolute last chance (not entirely sure about whether they've gone out yet) to get one shipped directly from Addco. They shipped me 2 instead of one so far, so I'll be eventually re-shipping that myself or buying another Previa at some point...
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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    Re: Gauging interest in special run of Addco rear sway bar for Previas

    ...and it only took me 2 years. Pretty much par for the course for anything I do that's Previa-related.
    "If you find yourself holding a sledgehammer or a crowbar, it's time for a break."

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