Well, after doing some searching of the forums, I found little information on specific effects of rear swaybar removal.

Now, I know the rear swaybar is in place to reduce body roll, therefore stiffening the rear....but in theory this should actually make breaking traction easier, thus reducing handling ability.

So, I urge all who feel the need, to please list the hazards, as well as the advantages, to rear swaybar removal.

I've spun out twice on back roads, once causing me to end up in the ditch. If the rear swaybar can somehow help prevent this, I'd very much like to know.

 

The first thing I do on every 1st gen I acquire is remove the rear sway bar. Live axle cars, and particularly the 1st gen RX-7, are already very tailhappy. The rear sway bar only makes it worse. Roll resistance is not a big deal because the rear roll center is so high, giving the rear CG less leverage to roll the back of the car. Further, I always add a big 1-1/8th front sway bar. I get a little corner entry understeer, but once the g-forces build, the car feels very well balanced and the rear comes around predictably.

 

Sounds good...I just wonder why Mazda would even put a rear swaybar in there to begin with, if it's just going to decrease driveability...

I always thought understeer was a little safer than oversteer, so that's a sacrifice I may just take...remove the rear swaybar and throw in a relatively large front swaybar...

Are there any known hazards though? Binding of anything, etc etc?

 

so hold on let me get this straight (no im not goin 2 do it) by removing the rear sway bar and adding a slightly bigger one up front will minimize overall body roll? y not just get a slightly larger one front and back making both end's stiffer and less prone 2 what seem's to me an increase in body roll in the rear

 

i like your idea ALOT better than the "remove the rear sway bar" alltogether thing. Personally i like oversteer, however its no fun getting oversteer when you don't want it. But then again i don't exactly race so i'd prefer the back end to swing out in the corners

 

"Oversteer scares the passenger, understeer scares the driver".
Bob Bondurant

 

I've driving without rear sway bar for about 2 1/2 years now, and my car doesn't handle bad. I don't think there are many hazards.
Actually, I never knew the car didn't have a sway bar, up to a few weeks ago. Yes I know, this sounds weird. Don't know why I never noticed either The former owner must have removed it (probable during the rebuild of the car).
But at least this proves it's not a big deal to run without one.

 

hmmm ive got a racing beat front sway bar lying around, maybey i will put in in my gsl-se and take the rear one out... *ponders the thought*

 

why don't you test drive the car first, then install the RB front sway bar, test it again, and then remove the rear one (and another test drive). Maybe it ain't needed to remove the rear one, if you have a decent front one?

 

I have an uprated front ARB + a rear one that I havn't fitted yet (also uprated) the car certainly feels more confident after changing the front one. Will have to see what its like after I install the rear now.

 

 

My autocross times went down and my confidence went up when I removed the rear bar. It can still be made to oversteer significantly, there is just more room to play when it's on the edge. In the future I may go with an adjustable rear and bigger front, but thats a ways into the future. As it is now I love the car, and my Eibachs are only a few more days away hopefully, they should make a huge difference. Going with Tokkico blues helped a tone as well, huge difference.
Grant