Sway Bar

jams · #1 (**permalink**) 07-08-2002, 10:42 AM

I currently don’t have a sway bar installed in the front or rear. Does it make a big difference? Would you recommend getting one for the front and rear or just the front?

B&B offers the front for $225, which looks to be a good deal since it seems to have a special bracket to install to the B&B frame.

Thanks for your comments.

Jim

jams · #2 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 04:39 PM

I spoke with the guys @ B & B and they said a sway bar does not make a difference???

Tom T. · #3 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 05:10 PM

My experience on my Contemporary was that increasing the front sway bar from 3/4 inches to one inch in diameter reduced oversteer quite a bit. In other words, it made a difference for my car.

TT

aumoore · #4 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 05:47 PM

There are two ways to control sway on a car. Stiff springs or lighter springs with a sway bar. If you run real stiff springs the car will not roll but will ride pretty rough. Sway bars allow you to run lighter springs all around and still control body roll.

Dennis Oltoff gave a few pointers on sway bars at the DSCC meeting. He recommended a larger sway bar on the rear for Cobras to help with oversteer.

I have a 1" up front with Hal Coilovers and 350# rate springs. In the rear my car has a custom fiberglass transverse leaf spring(1985 vette suspension) and a 3/4" sway bar. IMHO the car handles very smooth on a road course but you can still cause oversteer with your right toe. Oh yeah I do not have a B&B. It is a Hunter car but I like the B&B

niles · #5 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 06:46 PM

If you want it to handle like a sports car you need bars to keep the suspension within reasonable geometries under hard corning(body lean). All modern cars have front and rear bars; even Honda Civics. IF they were'nt needed the manufactures would'nt be using them considering the economics of the market.
gn

Jack21 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 07:21 PM

Ditto aumoore & niles. Have CR with both factory front and rear bars. Recommend putting them on.

About a month ago, one of the front bar bolts broke. Crummy hardware. Replaced it with Grade 8 bolts and no more breakage. The handling deteriorated while the front bar was inoperative, body leaned more, tires didn't stick as well.

Dana E · #7 (**permalink**) 07-24-2002, 10:16 PM

I installed a 1" front bar and a 7/8" rear bar from Quickor Engineering on my NW Exotics (B&B). Those, along with stiffer front and rear springs, Kenny Brown adjustable upper and lower rear control arms, KYB shocks and revising the rear suspension geometry made a big difference on the ride and handling-corners flat and doesn't squat in the rear on acceleration or when shifting.

Dana