# Length of Long/Side Rods and Extension



## alaz (Mar 8, 2009)

I am interested to see what others use.

I use 30" rod (4oz)
2 12" side rods (60z each)
4" ext
adjustable v bar (set at standard angles. approx 40 degrees)


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## caspian (Jan 13, 2009)

1. 28" with a Doinker suppression mount which I think is 5".
2. 12"
3. I do not use an extender. If I did, it would be to make the long rod longer, not move the v-bar off the riser.
4. No, 45° fixed bar does me fine.


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## jtremolo (Feb 11, 2009)

1. 30" Long rod.
2. 15" Side bars.
3. No extender.
4. Non adjustable v-bar with built-in quick disconnects.


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## gif (Jul 14, 2012)

33" long rod with 7oz
12" side rods with 4oz each
no extender
non adjustable, flat 40* v-bar


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## Dacer (Jun 10, 2013)

34" long rod 7oz on the end
11" side rods with DS 7/8" on them so about 12" to the weights - 4oz on each
no extension
adj v bar - out about 40 and down about 10 degrees. 

I'm going to be trying a 28" /12" avancee set later this week with a 4" extension.


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## rharper (Apr 30, 2012)

3" extender to 45 degree flat to 30" rod w/8oz
15" side rods with 5oz each. Going to be moving up in weight all around soon.


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## JimBlake (Jan 21, 2014)

I was just pondering this same question and took at trip to the hardware store to buy a length of threaded rods to make some mock-ups. You can buy the rods and cut it to various lengths and add washers as weights until you get a setup that keeps your sight picture the most steady. I think I'm going to end up at about 11" on the side, which is nice to know BEFORE spending money on a "real" stabilizer. Three mock-ups at various lengths cost me less than $10.
I'll post a picture. The mock-up don't offer vibration dampening (though I do shrink some rubber onto them), they're just for figuring out weight and resistance to movement.


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## dmassphoto (Feb 8, 2010)

JimBlake said:


> I was just pondering this same question and took at trip to the hardware store to buy a length of threaded rods to make some mock-ups. You can buy the rods and cut it to various lengths and add washers as weights until you get a setup that keeps your sight picture the most steady. I think I'm going to end up at about 11" on the side, which is nice to know BEFORE spending money on a "real" stabilizer. Three mock-ups at various lengths cost me less than $10.
> I'll post a picture. The mock-up don't offer vibration dampening (though I do shrink some rubber onto them), they're just for figuring out weight and resistance to movement.


If you could do that with a list of supplies needed, I would be grateful!


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## JimBlake (Jan 21, 2014)

I want to preface this with the fact that I'm not a stabilizer builder and this is not meant to be a cheap alternative to a properly built stabilizer, but is only a guide to identifying the ideal length and weight to steady your sight picture. The function of a stabilizer is to put weight further away from a pivot point in order to steady the pivot. The purest example of this is a tight-rope walker using long poles to steady themselves on the rope. The stabilizer only needs to have length and weight to function correctly, the use of carbon, rubber and modular weights are used to refine a good stabilizer and provide optimal weight distribution and vibration dampening ...but essentially a good stabilizer isn't going to be _that _much better than a stick with a weight on it and so this DIY project is a good place to start.

The parts list is
(1) length of 5/16 24 threaded steel (I made three in 10", 11", and 12" to test since those are common side-bar sizes)
(3) 5/16 24 collars ...these are the hardest thing to find, they have them in a hardware store by me and I bought a dozen of them to use on all my quick disconnects. 
(1) bag of 5/16 washers
(optional) 5/16 barrel connector if you want to add length (I use this to cap the cut end of the bar since there was a sharp piece of metal due to my lack of hacksaw skill)
(optional) wire shrink-wrap ...I just had it lying around and it gives me grip on the threads when adding or removing the stabilizer.

Assembled (this should take you anywhere from a minute to three minutes, depending on how long it takes you to find the correct Allen wrench to tighten the collars)









And the stabilizer on the bow (this is using a through the riser side mount)


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## baller (Oct 4, 2006)

I have two setups that I like. 

30" front with 10oz
12" sides with 4oz each
3" extension
45 degree flat fixed vbar


30" front with 8oz
12" sides with 3oz each
No extension, adj vbar 45 out 10-15 down


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## Arsi (May 14, 2011)

1. 30" front rod
2. 12" side rods
3. 4" extender
4. Fixed v-bar 35 degree angle.


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## calbowdude (Feb 13, 2005)

30" center rod with 4 ounces
14" side rods with 4 ounces each
4" aluminium extender
adjustable V bar set ~40 degrees, ~10 degrees down


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## TargetOz (Jan 16, 2013)

rharper said:


> 3" extender to 45 degree flat to 30" rod w/8oz
> 15" side rods with 5oz each. Going to be moving up in weight all around soon.


May I ask why you went with 15 inch side rods?


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## rharper (Apr 30, 2012)

Honestly, it was what was hanging on the wall at the shop and Fuse takes forever to ship an order. So just me being impatient and wanting Fuse versus the others hanging on the wall. 

Now I am just used to the rods being that long. And that was a 40 degree btw, not 45. I also picked up a 10 degree down unit as well to try out.


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## ryan b. (Sep 1, 2005)

Get a cheapy cartel, a used stab or something in aluminum. Play with hardware store weights. Learn to shoot better. Buy a new stab when you're settled in a bit and know what you're shopping for.


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## ryan b. (Sep 1, 2005)

There is a 30" cartel for 50bucks in the classifieds right now. That's everything you need right now except some washer-weights from the hardware store to play around with.


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## w8lon (Jun 2, 2012)

Really depends on the bow/limb combination, mass of riser, and arrows used. My slow light limbs used indoors am using 30" X10 rod with 4oz front no extension, v-bar Doinker Burley bar 40 deg with 10 deg down, 14" Bernies LiteHawk with 1-1/2oz left side,2oz right side to counteract sight weight (left hand shooter). Extension is built into my TF Apecs already as well as mass with 3oz weight on the TFC.

With fast limb/arrow combination I like a 25" front stab Bernies LiteHawk with 3oz up front same setup on siderods. Again everything changes with my backup Cartel Midas or GM4TD bows.


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## anmactire (Sep 4, 2012)

Using a 30in UAP Type-a front rod with 9oz
12in Type-a side rods 6oz on each
6in Prodigy extender
AGF adjustable v-bar, wide swept, about 90 degrees. Slight downward angle.
Forward heavy, but stiff and light rods don't make it feel as heavy as the numbers make it sound!


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