Installed super fat sway bars, now car is a slidey boii

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

And I wouldn’t quite call the 16mm too much. I would just like to try a stock one. I bought my car with parts on it already. The rear bar was set at full stiff.

Mann Engineering bar is same to softer than stock.
https://www.mann-engineering.com/pro...stable-swaybar
I believe Cusco has a small hollow bar which should be softer than most aftermarket bars as well.
https://www.counterspacegarage.com/c...m-brz-frs-gt86


That is if you're tired of waiting and just want to get one already. Honestly unhooking the rear bar isn't so drastic a change because the stock bar is so flimsy as it stands on top of a 0.59 motion ratio. On track/course based on what you currently have though it might be too far and you'd be fighting a constant push unless you can take some rear toe out which might bring it back to balance...

[Captain Snooze]

I had the same Eibach sway bar set on my car and didn't notice any difference in steering admittedly on 6k/6k springs. Given they are a set I am a little surprised in the difference they produced in your car. I imagine on oem springs the cross-talk would be quite noticeable.

[steverife]

Make sure the rear bar is moving freely. If you really crank down on the mounts, unmodified bushings won't let the bar move. Dremel out some of inside of the bushings or do whatever it takes to let the bar move freely with the end links disconnected.

Also, make sure the end links aren't bound up. I can't speak for how it is with stock springs, but with the SSC autocross package with those bars, the stock end links are at pretty extreme angles, especially at the soft setting. Stiffening the rear bar actually calmed the oversteer, which goes against conventional wisdom.

[Stomachbuzz]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

I had the same Eibach sway bar set on my car and didn't notice any difference in steering admittedly on 6k/6k springs. Given they are a set I am a little surprised in the difference they produced in your car. I imagine on oem springs the cross-talk would be quite noticeable.

Are you saying you didn't notice any difference (positive or negative) when switching from stock sway bars to the Eibach set?

I'm not really sure how serious it is, but I definitely wouldn't recommend them (at least the rear) for a novice driver.
I'm no professional, but I'm at least somewhat experienced, and I was driving rather cautiously on the maiden journey until I had time to assess them properly. Still, the rear swung out on me in a way that could have caused issues if a car happened to be in the next lane. I was on a highway exit that veered to the left, and was downshifting while slowing down for the final semi-sharp left turn onto the local road. Downshifting into 2nd seemed to do the trick.
Definitely not even remotely close to what would happen in an auto-x run.
I think the most surprising part to me is how delayed the aids were. It seems like this corresponds to the "more traction, but lower breakaway threshold, and less warning approaching the threshold" characterization.

I wonder if a car like this has any sort of predictive traction control or if it's 100% reactive.

Originally Posted by steverife

Make sure the rear bar is moving freely. If you really crank down on the mounts, unmodified bushings won't let the bar move. Dremel out some of inside of the bushings or do whatever it takes to let the bar move freely with the end links disconnected.

Also, make sure the end links aren't bound up. I can't speak for how it is with stock springs, but with the SSC autocross package with those bars, the stock end links are at pretty extreme angles, especially at the soft setting. Stiffening the rear bar actually calmed the oversteer, which goes against conventional wisdom.

Oh wow. That is interesting.
I re-used the Eibach bushings that came with the kit. I also followed the instructions and lubed them up with some multi-purpose grease.

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by Stomachbuzz

Are you saying you didn't notice any difference (positive or negative) when switching from stock sway bars to the Eibach set?

No, I am not saying I didn't notice a difference.
I am saying I didn't notice a difference in steering. That is, the car was no more under or over steery than with the stock bars. Certainly the car didn't roll as much and I noticed some cross-talk at the front when on a track.

[new2subaru]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

No, I am not saying I didn't notice a difference.
I am saying I didn't notice a difference in steering. That is, the car was no more under or over steery than with the stock bars. Certainly the car didn't roll as much and I noticed some cross-talk at the front when on a track.

What tires are you running?

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by new2subaru

What tires are you running?

Then with the Eibach sways? Kuhmo V710 and Hankook Z214. Then I went with no sways for the street now I'm back to oem sways for the street. It was the cross-talk that made me get rid of the Eibach sways.

[new2subaru]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

Then with the Eibach sways? Kuhmo V710 and Hankook Z214. Then I went with no sways for the street now I'm back to oem sways for the street. It was the cross-talk that made me get rid of the Eibach sways.

Your setup was well matched. The OP doesn't have tires that match the beefy bars.

[sneaky_pete]

The TRD (Eibach) sway bars are 20.6 front and 15.8mm rear - you've gone way too big for your setup.

I have had TRD sways and the TRD springs, on stock dampers, installed for a couple of weeks and it's a great combo as you'd expect for a kit designed specifically for the car and street use. Sits flat in corners compared to stock, feels planted.

I run Bridgestone Potenza RE003 (equivalent to Firehawk Indy 500), stock size on stock rims providing a really good grip upgrade from the stock Michelins.

I still have a car that wants to understeer first before the rear end feels loose which I like. It's been a very worthwhile upgrade from the way it was stock - better tyres, and a properly sorted and matched set of springs and bars.

[Racecomp Engineering]

All-season tires and big bars can do that, especially with an unknown alignment. I would also recommend adjustable endlinks with adjustable swaybars.

Though remember they're hollow bars, so approx 22/16 if solid. Eibach has changed their wall thickness at least once but it's close to that.

Either way, get some new tires, adjustable endlinks, and a good performance alignment.

- Andrew

[mrhayes1]

If you are on Firehawk all seasons, a better tire would probably make a big difference. What you described in the main reason why I haven't touched my suspension on this car. First because I don't know what I'm doing much, have no desire to track, and I don't want to upset the balance. Why not just sell them and go back to stock? Stiffer sway bars and less body roll isn't necessarily better...it may make the car feel better around corners, but may also be slower.

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by mrhayes1

Stiffer sway bars and less body roll isn't necessarily better...it may make the car feel better around corners, but may also be slower.

This is a great point. Less body roll does not automatically mean more grip.

[Sapphireho]

I know a lot of serious auto-xers go to a softer rear bar.

https://www.mann-engineering.com/col...stable-swaybar

[churchx]

Originally Posted by wparsons

This is a great point. Less body roll does not automatically mean more grip.

Indeed, often even opposite to that. Except if driver is limiting factor. Seen often people pushing less on car that rolls a bit more. They simply are scared to push more according their subjective feel what's safe and what's not, even if car can corner safely with much more roll and often there will be more grip due more independent suspension.