recommended sway bars??

[dmw319]

ok so what i plan on doing is a 32/19 setup, with a STB and panhard rod.

isnt the 1lE a 32 front? where can i buy this? also, for the 19mm, where can i find a good place to buy that? thanks..

[Vracer111]

Going kind of against the grain here; but it's a personal driver preference on current racecar setup (autocross - SM class) not a general recommendation of big swaybars front and rear for everyone. That said, the Hotchkis Sport hollow swaybars (~37mm Front / 25mm rear) work very well for my setup; stock springs, Koni SA dampers adjusted halfway or less depending on fuel load, Hawk HP+ brake pads front / HPS pads rear, and 275/40-17 Nitto NT-555RII DOT race tires on 17x9.5 wheels. It's really the DOT race tires that make the large rear ARB actually doable - no regular street tire provides the necessary grip to keep from spinning the rear around too quickly. It's somewhat controllable with street tires, but traction is way down compared compared to the stock rear swaybar and steering is not precise. I still haven't experimented with somewhat smaller rear bars yet (21-22mm), but the handling with the current 25mm bar feels perfect for now. Instant turn in, stable corner exit, transitions precisely and quickly through the slolams, stable and precise state cornering, and works fine in wet conditions too. I have a lot of changes coming to the suspension, drivetrain, and weight distribution, but for now the large rear bars work very well for my application.

[dmw319]

the only thing i dont understand is why everyone is telling me about their setups. (no offense to everyone.)

this is what i need input on.

i have:

-eibach prokit (1.4")
-blistein HD shocks
-BMR stb

i am not looking for a racecar, just a little better handling for a normal drive. what is recomended with this setup, and a place to buy?

[Vracer111]

Originally posted by dmw319:
the only thing i dont understand is why everyone is telling me about their setups. (no offense to everyone.)

this is what i need input on.

i have:

-eibach prokit (1.4")
-blistein HD shocks
-BMR stb

i am not looking for a racecar, just a little better handling for a normal drive. what is recomended with this setup, and a place to buy?

You could try 32mm front and 19mm rear... of course that is my opinion based on you looking for daily driving setup. You might have to try a few different setups to find what you like, especially since a "great handling" car to one person could be an "ill handling" car to another. That's where a good set of adjustable bars would come in handy...

[ June 11, 2005, 02:09 AM: Message edited by: Vracer111 ]

[Dominic]

I also do not hold GM's suspension design in the highest regard either. Why GM decided to change to a 19mm rear is probably due to COST more than anything - but that's my opinion.

[FirebirdGT]

Originally posted by dmw319:
the only thing i dont understand is why everyone is telling me about their setups. (no offense to everyone.)

this is what i need input on.

i have:

-eibach prokit (1.4")
-blistein HD shocks
-BMR stb

i am not looking for a racecar, just a little better handling for a normal drive. what is recomended with this setup, and a place to buy?

http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/perfpart...449&section=pp


12363906 Extreme Sport Suspension Package. For 1993-2000 Vehicles.
Includes 1LE stabilizer bar, mounting bushings, link kit, track bar, assembly hardware, and instructions.

This is what I had at first - this is the 32mm front and PHR.

Then added the 1LE LCA. Also added 21mm rear. It was close to the edge with 275/17 tires, but with 245/16 the 21mm it is the wrong setup. I'll be going back to the 275/17 tires, and then adjust from there.

[dmw319]

ok thanks for all the info. i probably only am going to do a front bar/back bar (32,19) /and panhard rod. thanks for everyones input though.

[V6Bob]

"the only thing i dont understand is why everyone is telling me about their setups. (no offense to everyone.)"

It's simple. Picking swaybars is extraordinarily difficult. NO ONE HERE (me included) is doing much more than guessing if they recommend specific bars for your car. And the wrong choice here can be dangerous. The only thing I'm fairly confident of is that you do not want a big rear bar, which is the easiest way to screw things up.

Even professional racers can't choose sway bars by figuring it out on paper. They choose bars by testing them at the specific track they're at. By the way most race cars wind up with no rear bar at all or a very small adjustable one to adjust the handling balance rapidly as conditions change.

"Why GM decided to change to a 19mm rear is probably due to COST more than anything - but that's my opinion."

The facts say that's unlikely. At the time the change was made (1993) GM was mostly trying to make a name for the new 4th gen in SCCA Showroom Stock racing. They sold about 100 4th gen 1LEs a year, mostly to racers. There is simply no way a small cost for for different bars and springs would have made any difference to them. They made a very few cars (surely less than 20, the total 1993 1LE production, probably less than 10) with the 21 bars, the racers no doubt gave them feedback that, when tested the bar was too big, and they changed it on that basis.

[ June 11, 2005, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: V6Bob ]

[zlexiss]

Bob's right again - you're going to have to try things until you get what you like and feel is safe.

At one point I had 15, 19, and 21 rear bars in my garage that I was testing with my 32 and 35 fronts. Of course, I ended up with different setups on the stock springs/shocks before I went to the coilvers / revalved Bilsteins.

Bars are pretty cheap used. Grab a few and try them out.

[01blackbird]

from experience, I like the 1le 32 front and stock v8 19mm in the rear, balanced handling w. stock springs and beefy tires in the rear. oh and when i only had the 19 in the rear with the stock 28 in the front, i had to swerve on the freeway to avoid a huge rock and the rear end just came around. ended up wrecking into the center median after i couldn't regain control of the car. scary. bigger in the rear WILL cause more oversteer provided your front springs are stock.

[V6Bob]

"Grab a few and try them out."

The reason I didn't suggest this is that it doesn't solve the fundamental problem - bars are tough to pick. Zlexiss is an experienced racer who knows how sway bars work and exactly what he's doing.

A rear bar bigger than the correct one will feel just great in normal driving (it's why I suspect some people mistakenly think they're good). The car will feel lively, eager to turn. The problem on the street is that, if you get into an emergency situation or in slippery conditions the car will be _too_ eager to turn.

"i had to swerve on the freeway to avoid a huge rock and the rear end just came around. ended up wrecking "

Just like that.

"i am not looking for a racecar, just a little better handling for a normal drive"

Then, as I said to you in a private email, be conservative in your choice of rear bar. And I strongly suspect some of the guys who autocross with 21+ rear bars would be faster with a smaller rear bar and a cornering style involving getting on the gas earlier.

[dmw319]

after all this.. i think im staying stock. either that or just getting a 21 front bar. i dont wana mess with a huge rear bar and problems..

[RGB]

Sounds like you've hit information overload.

Concider: getting the hollow 32 mm front bar (1LE) if your not planning to upgrade the rear bar, and the 35 mm hollow front bar (www.stranoparts.com) if you do plan on upgrading the rear bar. (nothing against any of the other setups 32/19, etc. just trying to narrow the focus).

Then reread this thread and see if everything jibes with how you want to use your car.

[ June 14, 2005, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: RGB ]

[dmw319]

if i do, the 32mm front is all im doing, but i dont know a place that sells the 1LE bar.

[Dominic]

lmperformance sells the front 1LE I know, SLP used to, Ebay also? You can find 32's most anywhere [img]smile.gif[/img] .

Don't be scared. They install easily so you can change anything you dont like.