i have my car dropped on koni reds and goldlines, have strut tower bars (right now only rear, getting front soon)
my car handles fine, i dont auto cross (id like to try it tho
) its mostly a daily driver
but i have been looking at sway bars for a while, until i read the post that event made
"most ppl just get a sway bar as another mod on their list"
i was thinking, thats almost how i think so.. i figured i like someone to explain them to me so that i could decide if i need to go a step further and get them or if (for my application) the strut tower bars and shocks/springs are enough..
thanks
Adding the rear sway bar was the single biggest improvement I have made to my suspension.
Zach wrote:Adding the rear sway bar was the single biggest improvement I have made to my suspension.
yes,but does everyone need one....
no.
thing is D.E. if you have all your braces, and suspension done, and you still need a little less or more under or oversteer, thats when you go to swaybars.
and honestly, i would reccomend start small and then work your way up as needed.
not sure if you read
http://www.angelfire.com/md/TOWSONFTBLPLYR/Setup.htm
but its a overview of the changes you make to achieve what.
i picked up the eibach set front and rear but havent put them on yet, ridin on koni yellows ground controls, and freedom design front and rear strut bar. pretty tight right now but i think the bars will defiantley be an extra help
'spit chew hits soldiers boot'
"thats a real nasty habit you got there"
"this stuff will make you a sexual tyransaur just like me"
jesse the body ventura in Predator
actually even i read that whole topic, lol
and on top of that i still had questions
it didnt mention bigger bars vs smalelr bars, just tighten vs loose
so whats that? and what about only rear vs only front?
and what is a subframe brace?
after sway bars and strut tower bars, and struts and springs, is there anything else suspension wise?
thx
for definitions check out
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=3&i=50260&t=50260
check the table of contents and go down to john lenkos part.... he defined most all the parts we have available, where they go, what they do etc...
rear bar only..... do-able... but dont do a massive rear bar and no front bar... in addition to extreme dipping under cornering, you add a crapload of oversteer.
bigger bar vs smaller bar.... the second part of the first link goes through that... increasing rate is increasing size.... decreasing rate is decreasing sway bar size for our cars...
on other cars they do this by leverage locations.. but since we only have one style of swaybar available, rates are basically the size...
after all that??? way more.....
stitch welding any spot welded areas, strut tower braces, firewalls, etc....
roll cages with hole sawed gussets.
naturally weight lightening.
quite a few things, although not alot of people indulge....
also mcmoney served up some NICE camber plates that i have now....... <img src="http://www.angelfire.com/md/TOWSONFTBLPLYR/platein2.jpg">
all dpeends on where you wanna go and how far you wanna go....doesnt have to be expensive, but the smallest changes can make the largest differences...
yea like i said im not looking to make a professional auto x car, i just like to take the car out and have some fun every now and then
ill probably end up just sticking with the strut tower bars, it doesnt seem like i really need to mess with sway bars
thanks event
Damn Art you love to show off those plates.
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
dirty elf wrote:yea like i said im not looking to make a professional auto x car, i just like to take the car out and have some fun every now and then
ill probably end up just sticking with the strut tower bars, it doesnt seem like i really need to mess with sway bars
thanks event
my recomendation would be to show up to a auto x event , watch the guys out there for a while , and go around and ask questions
granted youll find guys telling your car is a waste of time , and other that wont answer and of your quesitions
but when you find some one that is will to help , ask what he would recomend , and maybe see if he will watch you go around the course , and if you seams like you can trust maybe let him take the car around the course
that way he can help to give you some info that would work for you and your driving style
to the only way to know if you need more or less is to try it , and have help from people that do it all the time , that will help you find the best balance for your car
i put the eibach kit on my g/fs cav with the prokit drop springs , stock struts , and stock eagle rsa's , it handles really well , but it needs bigger and better tires , for any serious handling , right now for daily driving , in normal situations
dirty elf wrote:yea like i said im not looking to make a professional auto x car, i just like to take the car out and have some fun every now and then
ill probably end up just sticking with the strut tower bars, it doesnt seem like i really need to mess with sway bars
thanks event
I autox a lot and i would say get the Eibach set and a custom alignment and your car will handle allot better than you can drive it. right now! i would say attend some autox's. It will make you a better/safer driver. because you know the limits of your car
see ya!
ive watched 2 auto x's and i know a guy pretty well who competes casually..
in his '03 gti he has springs/agx/ and only a rear sway bar
he drives it on full hard, full tight
im looking to get a hellwig rear bar and tiebar with koni yellows....i rode in the car that im geting it from and it corners amazing over stock...hellwigs a good brand? phil
hellwig is a good brand, however hard to find now...
also they made two sizes...
19 and 25.4mm bars...
also remember simply because you copy another cars setup, doesnt 100% mean yours will handle the same. its the same with engines as suspension sadly....
Im acually getting this setup from a guy i know..he has koni yellows,sprint springs,hellwig rear sway bar and a helwig rear tie bar.....all for 800cdn....i get the strut and spring assembly with the new strut mounts as well....i dont need a car to handle as good as it did ...but i wouldnt mind....i can always sell what i dont want..phil
i have a stock front sway bar with prothane bushings and the now defunct high rev subframe brace and in the back i have the addco 25.4mm swaybar its cornering like a champ
I had a boner when i got the rear sway, its so much fun
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
I have just the front strut, sportlines and stock shocks, but my shocks are blown now, i took off my front strut bar and felt a BIG difference in comfort.....if i hit a bump with my right tire i'd feel my whole car go to the left, so, i want my car comfy but dropped, so if you want i'll sell my front bar for cheap, it's just sitting in my garage collecting dust.....email me.... pfc_mooney@yahoo.com
NEW SIG COMING SOON FOR 07'!!!
brian mooney wrote:I have just the front strut, sportlines and stock shocks, but my shocks are blown now, i took off my front strut bar and felt a BIG difference in comfort.....if i hit a bump with my right tire i'd feel my whole car go to the left, so, i want my car comfy but dropped, so if you want i'll sell my front bar for cheap, it's just sitting in my garage collecting dust.....email me.... pfc_mooney@yahoo.com
well brian that can be done but not cheap! off the top of my head i would think custom re-valved shortened konis with ground control coil-overs with spring rates close to stock. with the right bump stops, and strut tower braces(the braces keep the strut towers from flexing allowing the suspension to do the work). then all you would have to do is adjust the ride hight and rebound stiffness of the konis. tires have allot to do with ride quality also. a 18"rim with a low profile tire will not ride as smooth as a 14"wheel with a tire with a large sidewall
see ya!
KONI RED, SSC Springs (1.8"), ADDCO Rear 1" Sway Bar, Stock Front Sway Bar, Soon To Have Vibrant Front And Rear Sturt Tower Braces. Will be getting Coilovers next spring aswell as Subframe Brace and Rear Tie Bar. Just thought i'd state my setup, and yes I also Autocross quite thoroughly. 7-8 times/year. Thats how long the season is unfortunately,
.
Dirty Elf- you should come up to Deland on Sep. 25th for an autox.
Hopefully you aren't too far south of Orlando.
I have only right now the Eibach front and rear bars on my car with stock suspension and no other braces. I love the way the car drives even with stock springs/shocks/struts. It was a huge improvement.
I still am waiting for when i can get a good amount of time free to finish the suspension mods. I have a Pro-kit/AGX set up sitting under my bed now for the last 4 months.
well on that map, my car is about 400 miles south in fort lauderdale, im in orlando at UCF (more like oviedo) so its not that far away.. maybe i can convince my friend with his GTI to come up.. he loves auto x
Zach wrote:Adding the rear sway bar was the single biggest improvement I have made to my suspension.
I agree. Lowering was nice and made my car handle and look much nicer. But when I still had factory springs and struts, just adding a rear sway bar drastically improved the handling of my car. Especially at highway speeds. The rear end just didn't seem to be as floaty afterwards. So for those people who do not wish to lower or do not wish to endure the ride (err lack of) quality of a lowered car, but wish to improve the general stability of their J, I would recommend adding a rear sway bar.
well i disagree lol..
i went with lowering first and have no sway bar, but have a reat strut bar
my car (pre strut bar) handled great and i didnt feel any floatiness at highway speeds.. with the rear strut bar it tightened the rear, but i dont have a front strut bar and now i get some decent oversteer... i think once i tighten up the front with a strut bar ill be fine for what i do with my car..
for auto x or competitive racing i agree a sway bar is nessecary, but not JUST a sway bar.. at that level its all or nothing lol
zach, get online im comin for that auto x with my friend in his GTI
