sway bars

[blackbyrd]

what is a good sway bar for the rear to compliment the 1le front one if i just want my car to handel well on the street not autoccrossing withthe occasional race

[Red V6 Raider]

I read through a lot of posts and I finally came up with getting 32/19. I would reccomend the same thing for you. So a 19 mm would be good handling and the 21 mm would probably be a little too stiff in the rear end. There has to be some roll so you don't just lose traction.

[Ian]

yes, make ABSOLUTELY sure that you dont go too stiff.


no roll on the street = sliding across roads into ditches.

the car still has to have SOME give to it.

[blackbyrd]

where can i find 19 mm sway bars or is taht the stock one

thanks for the help by the way

[ October 15, 2003: Message edited by: blackbyrd ]</p>

[Predator Bird]

19mm is the stock v8 rear bar. i got a set from a ws6 (32/19) w/ poly bushings and it was a decent upgrade, but i would like to have less body roll. i'm used to riding in my friend's imports w/ suspension and those things have zero body roll when done right. check the v8 message boards or ebay, you shouldn't pay too much for one.

[DARK SDE '02]

I don't think getting the 21mm rear bar is a mistake as long as you don't JUST get swaybars. You have to get a complete upgraded suspension set to compensate for the lack of body roll the swaybars create. Doing your suspension one piece at a time isn't a good idea in my opinion. Unless you can do all the labor yourself you're better off holding off and having a mechanic put it on for you. Because if not, they're gonna charge you the same labor for taking off the wheels and such more than once.

I have both 1LE bars and I think my car is VERY stiff. But with the springs, shocks, and LCA my car handles exceptionally well compared to stock. The weak point of my car is now at the wheels, and if you've read my post in the Lounge, you'll see that's about to get fixed, just under the worst circumstances.

I've ridden in all three levels of stock suspension, V6, V8, and then V8 WS6/SS and mine is still stiffer. That's why she's gonna be a Firehawk baby! ;)

[ October 15, 2003: Message edited by: DARK SDE '02 ]</p>

[whiteshark]

I'd go with 19 for sure, especially since you aren't doing auto-x. I have 32/19 set up both with poly endlinks/bushing and I absoloutely love it. I've auto-x'd on the set up and it works great, as well as a huge improvement for just everyday driving. I'm sure you could go with a 21 as well, but for the money I'd just go with 19. Some say there is oversteer with the 21 so why risk it when you just want a good everyday drivin car? I got my 19 mm for 30 bucks, and the poly endlinks/bushings for 20-30 from thunderracing. Can't go wrong for that price [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[viper98885]

I am running a 35/25 combo with KYB AGX shocks, H&R Springs and Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires and some other suspension mods. I like the setup very much and I don't have ANY problems with sliding. I think I am the oddball here, but I like the setup and it definitely handles VERY well.

[Mister_Johnny99]

Where'd you get those 35/25 bars?
Are they solid or hollow?

[viper98885]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Mister_Johnny99:
Where'd you get those 35/25 bars?
Are they solid or hollow?<hr></blockquote>

The 35/25 combo is a Suspension Techniques set. They are solid and they are defintely heavy, but the car handles awesome now.

[V6Bob]

I'll try to do this without aggravating people too much, don't know if I'll succeed.

Changing swaybars is the trickiest suspension mod. You can screw up the handling of your car. The easiest way to do that is with too large a rear bar. One reason it's easy because the car will feel fine, maybe even great, in normal driving, but will let you down when under stress such as wet weather or an emergency turn or autocross or other competition.

A crucial thing to consider is the springs, particularly how stiff the rear is relative to the front. If someone recommends bars to you without knowing what springs you have, it's a sure sign they're not very expert about how to choose sway bars. I'm definitely not an expert, but I know a little bit.

I don't know what springs you have. With V8 springs, most people consider the 19 rear to be a good choice, and the 21 to be too big. Since stock V6 springs have relatively softer fronts and relatively stiffer rears than V8s, the 19 may be too big and the 21 is definitely too big. With stock V6 springs, the 25 rear would be very dangerous.

The front bar is less critical. It puts more cornering load on the front tires, but also improves their ability to handle the load by keeping them more upright. The rear bar just puts more of the cornering load on the rear tires. It does very little to control roll.

Check the technical archives for Sam Stranos post on 4th gen suspensions for more info. But this is a tricky mod. Slapping bars on the car because you saw someone recommend them on the net is risky business.

[blackbyrd]

eibach pro kit lowering springs is whats on mine

[viper98885]

I would suggest listening to V6Bob, he definitely knows his stuff. Personally, I really like my setup, but it's all about personal preference and what you are comfortable driving with. I am a big Formula 1 racing fan and everyone knows that those cars handle like they;re on rails...also every driver has their own suspension and car setup with what they feel comfortable with according to their driving style.

I guess that my point is that what may be technically right or comfortable for another person may not fit your personal preference.

[Mister_Johnny99]

I've got Eibach Pro-Kit and 19mm rear.
I'd like to try the 35mm on the front.
What do you think V6Bob?

[V6Bob]

Remember what I said about putting bars on because some amateur on the net thinks they're good? That applies to me too, regardless of the nice things Josh said. My only experience is with 256/114 V6 springs. With sways it's a lot easier to say what's bad than to say what's good.

The Eibach springs make this even more tricky because they are progressive rate. Still, the technical database says the fronts are pretty stiff and I'd guess (and it's just a guess) performance V8 bars should work. Those are generally 32/19 or 35/19.

The joker is that the Eibach springs are so stiff that you already have a lot of roll control. Too stiff and it's like Ian said. The car can get twitchy, particularly in the rain. Once again, driven normally on dry pavement it will feel fine.

Bottom line - don't put big bars on just because you think it's the thing to do. If you try them look out for the car feeling twitchy (sort of like a go-cart - too much total roll control from the springs and bars combined), or the back end trying to come around, ever (that means you _really_ need a smaller rear bar).

I hate to be so wishy-washy, but this is difficult stuff, especially because of the progressive springs. Progressive springs are beyond my level, actually. A pro like Sam Strano or the Eibach company itself could give you better advice. Let us all know what they say.

[ October 24, 2003: Message edited by: V6Bob ]</p>