Oversteer....any solutions?

[silvachris1]

My car is a daily driver, that may ocassionally see an autocross (hopefully this summer). 90% of the time, I drive on two lane roads with lots of curves. I love the twisties. Ok, here's the setup:

Eibach Pro Kit (1.5" drop)
Bilstein HD Shocks and Struts
Energy Suspension Poly Endlinks
245/50/16 Fireston Indy 500 Tires
Tubular Low Clearance Sub Frame Connectors
1LE Front/Rear Sway Bars (32mm/21mm)

The car handled pretty good before I added the 1LE bars, but I still had a little more body roll than I wanted. So I added the bars, and now the body roll is gone, buuuuut I get some oversteer. The rears let go too soon to suit me. My question is how to eliminate the oversteer. What are my options?
Wider tires?
Putting the stock rear sway bar back on, or going to the Z28 bar?
Athing at all with the Panhard Rod? I can get the 1LE PHR cheap/free but it looks identical to mine.
Could I have just done something wrong on the install? What do I need to change in my setup to cure the oversteer?
All help is appreciated greatly. Thanks guys (and gals if any of you feel like chiming in).

[1DangerousV6]

id go with a 35mm up front :D

[V6Bob]

A bigger bar up front won't do much good, if any. Because of improved camber, it has little effect on the handling balance. The purpose of the front bar is mostly to control roll.

The rear bar is what sets the handling balance and 21mm is too big. You're seeing oversteer on dry pavement, it will be worse in rain.

You need a smaller rear bar. I suggest you try swapping back the stock bar, takes little time and you already have the bar. The rear bar does almost nothing to control roll, so you won't lose anything there. Please report back your experience after making this change, a lot of people here with oversized rear bars could use it.

Bars are about the trickiest suspension mod there is. Putting some bars on because someone says they're good or calls them "1LE" (which the 32/21s aren't), without understanding how they work or what they do is risky business.

[ December 05, 2004, 02:19 AM: Message edited by: V6Bob ]

[silvachris1]

I noticed the size of the front bar. It wasn't much larger than stock, which I knew. I got it mostly to eliminate body roll, and maybe add a tiny bit to the handling. The rear bar was a massive increase, which is kinda why I suspected it. I was under the impression that the true 1LE option was 32/21, not the current Trans Am's 32/19. And one more time, are you telling me that the rear doesn't control any of the body roll at all?
So, I should go back to stock to cure the understeer? Or maybe get hold of a 19mm bar? I think I can grab one of those from a friend's house.

On a completely unrelated note, would the 1LE Panhard Rod help me out any at all?

[KBeezy]

ack - those are some dinky *** tires you're runnin. If I were you those would be the first to get swapped! Put some 275s on the rear ASAP [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[FunkZ]

The 1LE bar sizes were 32/21 in 1993 only. I believe pretty much everyone agreed the car had too much oversteer and the rear bar was reduced to 19mm from 1994 up until mid-1999 when it was discontinued.

In 2001 GM brought back the 1LE package with 35/21 bar sizes. Perhaps the larger front bar helps to balance the 21mm rear.

[FirebirdGT]

I had the 32/21 but ran 275-17. With my winter 245-16 on I found that the car under unacceptable oversteer. I now have a solid 35mm front sway bar which solved the problem.

[Brett Garret]

Put a 19mm in the rear. That'll reduce it.