Stiffer rear (shocks, springs, roll bar...really doesn't matter) => more grip in the front hence a tendency toward oversteer

Stiffer front => more grip in the rear with attendant understeer.

 

shocks do matter. shocks will create the initial trun in response (push or tail) but once they allow the springs to settle the springs/swaybars will determine grip and cornering attitude.

 

in addition the more upright position felt by the driver with stiffer swaybars inspires more cornering confidence

 

until you're looking back down the road, lol.

 

By doesn't really matter, I meant the origin of the stiffness doesn't matter much when talking about the basic characteristics of over/understeer. Stiffening the suspension, regardless of means, will mean the other end gets more grip.

 

Manntis: Regards to the strut tower brace, I dont work for CP Racing but I do visit their shop on a regular basis. The bar ARE made on a jig that was measured on a perfectly straight car. One of the owners of the shop has a GSL-SE and the other one has a base model, and there is no clearance issue on either of the cars.
They have shipped hundreds of these bars all across the world and have never had one come back. They have only received a couple complaints that the bar wouldnt fit and there are two reasons for this: 1) the car is not on the ground, its on blocks, if so drive around for a day then put the bar on. 2) the car has been hit (either to the knowledge of the owner or not) and the chassis is twisted some, there is no solution to this that I am aware of, your car is screwed not the product.
Yes it is possible for the bars to bend during shipping, but if there was NO damage to the box in which it was shipped then that is not possible, it takes quite the blow to bend these bars out of allignment!
These are the only explainations that I can come up with for the bar not fitting easily, because they are quality engineered and manufactured.
Good luck and check yah lates

 

Manntis- where is the best place to get a strut tower brace that will fit with a stock air cleaner set up? All those I have seen are designed for a Webber carb.

Thanks

 

From the Suspension Restoration Parts tips page (www.suspension.com/tips.htm?):

"If you do not want to replace all your existing squeaking poly-urethane bushings, you can tap an SAE thread into the I.D. hole only, of any sway bar bushing, control arm or leaf spring bushing. The thread should go through the entire bore of the bushings. The groove you create will keep the grease from squeezing out the side of the bushing. Do not put a thread in any metal parts. We are not telling you to drill a hole in the bushing. Look at the bushing, does it have a hole you can stick your finger into and is there a metal rod or tubing that fits into this hole, well this is the hole that you must thread."

Worth a try?

 

it is actually recommended that road racers in their rookie year remove their rear sway bar. after a few years of experience its best to test the car with it on. if you completely removed the rear sway bar, i doubt you'd notice any difference in normal street driving.

--eric

 

The CP Racing bar works with the stock air box...

 

Unlees your car has been in a wreck or is on blocks...

 

Huh?

 

yeah its recommended that when beginning road racing you remove your rear sway bar because its easier to drive a car that tends to understeer rather then one that tends to snap into oversteer.

we were talking about sway bars originally right? lol

--eric

 

Very interesting

 

There is one corner that always makes me think that the back end is going to step out. It's an off camber corner that you take at about 80kph.

With the rear swaybar (stock) on, I always went around the corner and the car felt like it was going to go, it didn't inspire much confidence and I tried to keep it slow and steady most of the time.

After removing the swaybar, I went to try that specific corner as a test. The first thing I noticed was the extra confidence I had going through. The back end seemed like it wasn't going to do anything wrong, which meant I could go through the corner at the full 80kph with no concerns about losing it.

All up, the car feels alot more stable, which is a good thing IMO.

 

changing one swaybar and not the other affects the steering handling.

Stiffening the front causes understeer.

Stiffening the back causes oversteer.

So stiffening the front and loosening the rear (removing the swaybar) makes the FB less tail-happy .

 

is the racing beat exhaust straight trough??

 

header, presilencer, and muffler.