After sifting through 20 pages about rear sway bars in the search, I gave up.
Quick question.

Can you run just an aftermarket rear sway bar without the aftermarket front, just the factory one?
What affect does doing this have on the steering?

Thanks.

BTW, looking at the Eibach rear, and just found out about the progressive rear bar.

You can run an aftermarket rear with the stock front. Heck you can run it without a front. You just need to use it to balance over steer to understeer to be the way you want it. It'll take some experimentation on your part.


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2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
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And how would you go about balancing understeer/oversteer? I mean what physical changes would have to be made to the bar? The end link length and height? Adding some poly links to the front bar? That's about where my knowledge ends.

If it understeers you need a smaller front bar or a bigger rear bar, if it oversteers you need a larger front bar or a smaller rear bar. Then if you really want you can fine tune it with end links. Shorter endlinks make the bar "bigger" and vice versa. If j-bodies actually had a legit following someone would already have all the data your could want about this stuff somewhere, but we dont.


1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by: Kronos Performance

WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer

Sunfiretun3r wrote:And how would you go about balancing understeer/oversteer? I mean what physical changes would have to be made to the bar? The end link length and height? Adding some poly links to the front bar? That's about where my knowledge ends.

If you want to get as neutral as possible try this. If you have GM's FE2 suspension you are already carrying a swaybar at the rear (18-19mm depending the year of the Cav). Keep your factory sway bar (22-24mm) and just add a 22mm rear bar. With the 2 bars in the rear, it will make the rear stiff enough to increase oversteer level and reduce the understeer that comes from the factory, eventually coming close to neutral.



>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

^^ And that was what I wanted to achieve. I do have the FE2 set-up.
So awesome, I'm gonna nab a rear bar.
Thanks for the help guys,

From the suspension faq sticky:
-18mm stock FE1 bar (stock on 95-99)*
-22mm stock FE2 bar (stock on 2000-2002)*
-24mm stock FE3 bar (stock on 2003-2004)*

I assume you would have a 24mm bar since you have a 03 cavi. The Eibach kit comes with a front 25.4mm bar and 22mm rear bar, Since you already have a 24mm front bar, I am not sure if it is a big upgrade for the front, but I think either a 19mm or 22mm rear bar will suite you best with the front 24mm stock bar. I would probably go with the 22mm and if it's too big, you can probably run longer end links to make the bar "feel" smaller like stated above.


2000 Cavalier Z24 5spd - Intake, Dynomax muffler, Hawk Pads, Powerslot rotors, Sportlines/Koni reds, Neon Coil, MSD 8.5 Wires - **SOLD**
2014 Kia Forte Koup SX 6spd - 1.6L Turbo - My new car
2015 Kia Sorento EX V6 AWD - Wifes Car

Rick wrote:longer end links to make the bar "feel" smaller like stated above.

It doesnt make it "feel" smaller. It actually changes the motion ration in the sway bar making it actually exert less force. Although with how our front is setup I'm not exactly sure if longer end links would in fact make the bar softer.


1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by: Kronos Performance

WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer

Thanks again for the info.
I'll be reffering back to this thread for it again.

Rick wrote:From the suspension faq sticky:
-18mm stock FE1 bar (stock on 95-99)*
-22mm stock FE2 bar (stock on 2000-2002)*
-24mm stock FE3 bar (stock on 2003-2004)*

And the sticky is incorrect.
Cavalier:
-FE0 No front or rear bar
-FE1 18mm factory bar (frt) no bar (rear) 1995-2002
-FE1 19mm factory bar (frt) no bar (rear) 2003-2005
-FE2 22mm factory bar (frt), 18mm (rear) 1995-2002
-FE2 24mm factory bar (frt), 19mm (rear) 2003-2005

That thing really needs to be updated.



>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:

Rick wrote:From the suspension faq sticky:
-18mm stock FE1 bar (stock on 95-99)*
-22mm stock FE2 bar (stock on 2000-2002)*
-24mm stock FE3 bar (stock on 2003-2004)*

And the sticky is incorrect.
Cavalier:
-FE0 No front or rear bar
-FE1 18mm factory bar (frt) no bar (rear) 1995-2002
-FE1 19mm factory bar (frt) no bar (rear) 2003-2005
-FE2 22mm factory bar (frt), 18mm (rear) 1995-2002
-FE2 24mm factory bar (frt), 19mm (rear) 2003-2005

That thing really needs to be updated.

Good to know, I have noticed that before, not only on this forum but others, sometimes there is alot of outdated/incorrect info or these how to's with red x pictures everywhere.


2000 Cavalier Z24 5spd - Intake, Dynomax muffler, Hawk Pads, Powerslot rotors, Sportlines/Koni reds, Neon Coil, MSD 8.5 Wires - **SOLD**
2014 Kia Forte Koup SX 6spd - 1.6L Turbo - My new car
2015 Kia Sorento EX V6 AWD - Wifes Car

I have a 99 Z24, it has the FE2 suspension.

When I just changed my struts and springs, I added a 25mm Addco rear sway bar. The car feels pretty neutral now compared to how it felt before.


"Oil Leak ? What oil Leak ? Oh, Thats Just The Sweat From All The HorsePower!!"

Good. I want the most neutral handling I can get from this car, but I also know it won't be perfect just because of the weight distribution.

ive had the progressive 22mm rear sway bar like 3 years now. when i first put it in i had the factory sway bar in the front. with that setup the back end liked to come a little loose during hard cornering (oversteer). after upgrading to the Addco 1in front bar that no longer happens. i love the setup i have now. feels very neutral during hard cornering. rarely get a bit of understeer. mostly with late cornering or bad entry angles. my low ride height could have something to do with it too, but you get the idea.

Mr.Goodwrench-G.T wrote:
Cavalier:
-FE0 No front or rear bar
-FE1 18mm factory bar (frt) no bar (rear) 1995-2002
-FE1 19mm factory bar (frt) no bar (rear) 2003-2005
-FE2 22mm factory bar (frt), 18mm (rear) 1995-2002
-FE2 24mm factory bar (frt), 19mm (rear) 2003-2005

Is there a specific code / letter / number in the VIN that indicates which level of suspension is on the car ?

On the VIN... not sure as, but chances are; yes. You can find your RPO code under the your spare tire cover. Also, GM usually puts the car's build sheet in the headliner too.



>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

It depends on a lot of things though, sway bars are a great way of dialing in a car, but damping rates and tire choice can have a very big effect as well.

I have an Eibach front and rear sway bar, along with a Pro-Kit and AGX's. The big front bar made the car under steer a bit more, but it also reacted to direction changes quicker. And I was able to kill the under steer by lowering the damping rate in the front struts. I run two brand new tires on the front with the year old tires in the back that are pretty much spent and just keep cycling them through every year. The added grip to the front wheels compared to the rear wheels puts the car right on the edge and you can feel it dance from under steer to over steer when you really push it around corners, it's really a fantastic feeling.

But it's all in what you're comfortable with and what you're looking for. Over steer can get you into trouble fast.



Paying someone to install parts and bragging about it being fast, is like watching someone bang your wife and being proud to raise their kids.

Well, when I get my new bar I'll play around with it a little bit see what happens. I'd prefer a bit more understeer to a touch of oversteer.
I'm running yellow's with koni sport springs, and maxxis tires on all four corners, about the same tread debth. It sticks quite well in corners, but I can feel the back end of the car lifts off more than the front does. I'd like to lessen that feeling some, but keep the front end feeling relitivly close to what it is now.
I think I need someone who knows terms better than I do to drive my car and tell me what it is I've got going on so I can explain what I want to change.
I watched that video of the cobalt smacking the wall due to oversteer, and I read through that whole thread. It's deffinetly not something I want to have (oversteer), but I need that neutral feeling so my car will just glide through the corners.

I never knew 03+ Cavi's with FE2 had rear sway bars

Kind of off-topic, but I have a 95 Z24 and it doesn't seem to have a rear swaybar. Is that possible? Were there z's that came with FE1?

It is tucked and welded in the twist-beam. I had a old book that showed that the early 3rd gens had all sorts of sizes for the front bar, but pretty sure you're using what it says up there.. You can find what you have by looking under your spare tire cover.



>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

I thought the bigger bars from the 03-05 were FE3?

My 98 Z24 didn't come with a rear sway bar, it kinda sucks.



Paying someone to install parts and bragging about it being fast, is like watching someone bang your wife and being proud to raise their kids.

Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:You can find what you have by looking under your spare tire cover.

I haven't had a spare cover in a million years
Guess I'll just have to get down and dirty and look.
Does it look similar to aftermarket bars?

Transporter7220 wrote:My 98 Z24 didn't come with a rear sway bar, it kinda sucks.

You dont have the steel rod welded inside of your trailing arm?

I wonder if its been replaced at one point in its life?


"Oil Leak ? What oil Leak ? Oh, Thats Just The Sweat From All The HorsePower!!"