strut bars vs sway bars
12-20-09, 08:19 AM
#2
Anti-sway bars can have a dramatic effect on the handling of the car, while a strut bar provides nothing more than marginal improvement in chassis stiffness. What is your car doing/not doing that you want to change? Just throwing bigger sway bars on the car isnt going to help anything if you dont understand what they are doing in the 1st place.
12-20-09, 08:23 AM
#3
You can buy both.
1. You only need a front sway bar. Our cars are not ideal with a rear sway, and many track fellows do not use them. They find the rear end sticks better, where as adding a rear sway bar the car too tail happy. They also remove the rear sway mount completely. I also know of a few drift guys that drive without a rear sway.
2. A front strut bar will be a very noticeable when installed. You would be amazed at the flex w/o one!
So I recommend buy both. Ill send you a PM about parts.
1. You only need a front sway bar. Our cars are not ideal with a rear sway, and many track fellows do not use them. They find the rear end sticks better, where as adding a rear sway bar the car too tail happy. They also remove the rear sway mount completely. I also know of a few drift guys that drive without a rear sway.
2. A front strut bar will be a very noticeable when installed. You would be amazed at the flex w/o one!
So I recommend buy both. Ill send you a PM about parts.
12-20-09, 08:58 AM
#4
Get a strut brace. These cars are very weak in the front with no tower supports, and after years, the towers will actually flex inwards enough that the camber can't be adjusted without eccentric bolts. In fact, when the brace is installed, if not adjustable the car will need to be jacked up under the front cross-member so that the towers will flex back into place.
12-21-09, 05:39 PM
#7
Agreed strut/spring upgrades will have bigger impacts than a sway bar by itself, but is a costlier upgrade. For the front, a heavier front sway can help add more effective spring rate under cornering, which if your looking for both cost effectiveness and easier liveability in daily use.
These cars are generally regarded as notably rigid fore and aft, with the weakest section of the body being the midsection (thanks to the doors cutting into the roof, and especially with a sunroof) - so strut braces really only make sense if the car has been caged or subframe connectors and lower braces added to strengthen the car midship. Rear anti-roll bars are a waste - I've actually switched from the 14mm bar mine came with to a 12mm bar off a base car, it makes the car far more stable and predictable for autocross and track days, and many racers remove the rear bar completely - I may yet.
A stiffer front bar should help at both ends, as one problem I still observe, even with my car lowered about 1.25" and much stiffer springs at both ends, is that the inside rear lifts. A stiffer front bar can help prevent the weight transfer to the outside front that helps the inside rear to lift.
These cars are generally regarded as notably rigid fore and aft, with the weakest section of the body being the midsection (thanks to the doors cutting into the roof, and especially with a sunroof) - so strut braces really only make sense if the car has been caged or subframe connectors and lower braces added to strengthen the car midship. Rear anti-roll bars are a waste - I've actually switched from the 14mm bar mine came with to a 12mm bar off a base car, it makes the car far more stable and predictable for autocross and track days, and many racers remove the rear bar completely - I may yet.
A stiffer front bar should help at both ends, as one problem I still observe, even with my car lowered about 1.25" and much stiffer springs at both ends, is that the inside rear lifts. A stiffer front bar can help prevent the weight transfer to the outside front that helps the inside rear to lift.
