rear sway bar/endlinks do or dont
 

Okay this is the abnormall rx7, I race it off-road. (rallycross)

I have heard from some local 7 guys who drift and they run without their sway bars/endlinks.

I have off-road gravel tires but I'm having traction issues, granted it is dirt/sand/mud/grass etc with RWD, but the car is too light and just wheel spins.

I have poly bushings on the rear LCAs, toe steer elims and right now I have a beefier sway bar with mazdatrix endlinks.

The car sits on new 3rd party OE spec struts with OEM vert springs.

I've been thinking of taking out the endlinks for a heat and comparing the result but next event isn't until november.

I've heard that the endlinks limit the trailing arm suspension movement and that if I use some of that movement to my advantage to hookup on loose surfaces.

Thoughts/suggestions/advice?

FYI
If you are looking to learn.....
Here is a link to the Suspension section "Suspension and Handling Links" sticky:
In it, you will find a good link to Grassroots Motorsports article on sway bars:
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/lean-less/

You only need to unhook one end link to take the bar out of the equation.

Do you have a limited slip rear end? Usually the rear bar is removed to reduce oversteer, which I think you would want in rally cross. I don't think that it would have much impact on overall traction, but it couldn't hurt to try running a heat without it to make sure.

A good LSD is what will really make the difference in traction...






.

I have no problem with oversteer. I do have an S4 4.10 LSD in it and its in good shape, its fine for rallycross but when ice racing or stage rally the clutches heat up too much and it becomes open fairly quickly. So its a bit worn but still good.

I've just heard (and it looks like) that the endlinks would limit the travel of the RLCA.

try it both ways, we found that its mostly driver preference.

generally though, removing the rear bar lets the rear be more "independent" so traction is higher, but since the rear bar isn't there, its slower to respond to steering inputs.

so we found on a tight track, the driver liked it WITH the bar, on a bigger longer track the driver liked it WITHOUT.

we don't do it to the honda, but it is fine to have different, and or asymmetrical setups for different tracks. after all most tracks are mostly rights or lefts.

next event is Nov12 so I am going to test it out there, it is a much larger track than usual too.
Next weekend is a drift event that I'm going to try my hands on for fun but I dunno if I will mess with the endlinks or not.

try it at the drift thing too. you'll know the first time you turn the wheel if its good for drifting, but the seat time might be nice

I don't run rear sway bar on my FC rally car, and like the way it handles. Makes the rear feel softer, allowing for more traction (would drift easier with swaybar on). We also used custom straps to keep the suspension from over extending when we get a little air born. :)

When autocrossing a FWD car, removal of the front swaybar is one of the big tricks to getting traction up front.
The car loads to the outside, and the car rolls, causing the inside tire to unload. So unless you have a REALLY good LSD, that can handle a overabundance of abuse in high wheel spin conditions like you will off pavement in rallycross, you may wanna consider removing it.
When the car rolls, and or one side or the other gets deflected, the opposite wheel will not be effected.
A lot of mud trucks here in Florida ALL remove the swaybars.. as do rock crawlers etc. Allowing the rear, or front to work independently.

If you are rallycrossing... I would say that if you are having wheel spin issues with the inside tire.. unhook one side as mentioned above.

that's a good point, you should see the sway bar we run in the honda, its as big as your arm!