Originally Posted by wparsons (Post 1423021)

I would challenge everyone claiming they can feel the difference on the street to find a friend who will either install or remove the bar and not tell the driver if the bar is in or not, then go for a drive. Have your friend do the opposite to the bar and go for a second drive.

I would bet that you can't tell the difference at all without knowing beforehand if the bar is in the car or not.

Older cars had weaker unibodies, but modern cars are stiffer and don't need bracing nearly as much.

If you want to take a scientific approach, fit a gauge to measure the deflection between the strut towers on a spirited drive.

Now if you're running stiffer bushings (or heim joints), solid upper mounts and sticky tires on a track you might find a bit of a difference, but on stock (or average street) tires and stock bushings/upper mounts I highly doubt you can actually feel the difference.

Originally Posted by wparsons (Post 1423021)

I would challenge everyone claiming they can feel the difference on the street to find a friend who will either install or remove the bar and not tell the driver if the bar is in or not, then go for a drive. Have your friend do the opposite to the bar and go for a second drive.

I would bet that you can't tell the difference at all without knowing beforehand if the bar is in the car or not.

Older cars had weaker unibodies, but modern cars are stiffer and don't need bracing nearly as much.

If you want to take a scientific approach, fit a gauge to measure the deflection between the strut towers on a spirited drive.

Now if you're running stiffer bushings (or heim joints), solid upper mounts and sticky tires on a track you might find a bit of a difference, but on stock (or average street) tires and stock bushings/upper mounts I highly doubt you can actually feel the difference.

Originally Posted by wparsons (Post 1423021)

I would challenge everyone claiming they can feel the difference on the street to find a friend who will either install or remove the bar and not tell the driver if the bar is in or not, then go for a drive. Have your friend do the opposite to the bar and go for a second drive.

Originally Posted by Speedie (Post 1212424)

Hi,
I recently received my GS bar, and was keen to see the difference this modification would bring to the feel of the car. With the help of my brother we came up with a homegrown blind test. (Both my brother and I have science backgrounds and could be fairly accused of suffering from mild OCD :)).

The test was this, done five times.

A. My brother would toss a coin, heads the bar is installed, tails not.
B. In either case, step A would take fifteen minutes.
C. I am not in the garage and cannot hear what he is doing
D. My brother when finished step A and B would then pack up the tools, toot the horn and leave the garage.
E. I would take the car for a fifteen minute drive. Same circuit each time, I would note down whether I thought the bar was in or out.
F. When I returned, I would signal with the horn, leave the garage without crossing paths with my brother
G. At the end of five tests, we compared the results.

My brother had out, in, in, out, in.

I had out, in, in, out, in.

I don't want to scare anyone with how OCD I am, but the chances of me guessing correctly this sequence is one in thirty two, or a little over three percent.

Apart from having an enjoyable afternoon spent with my brother having some fun with cars, which we both have keen interests in, I am happily convinced this modification does make a difference for me.

For me it was clear very early in each drive whether the bar was in or not. The noise from bumps was subdued, the steering felt tighter and sharper and the car felt stiffer. I know these are all seat of the pants observations and hard to measure, all I can say is that for me I noticed differences that I liked and when I noticed these differences, it lined up with the bar being in.

So for what it's worth, I am satisfied that the bar makes a difference for me, which I very much like.

Ralph.

Originally Posted by wparsons (Post 1423021)

I would challenge everyone claiming they can feel the difference on the street to find a friend who will either install or remove the bar and not tell the driver if the bar is in or not, then go for a drive.

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze (Post 1423538)

Because this is the internet I say why don't you take the challenge? :)

Originally Posted by wparsons (Post 1423593)

I'll spend my money on things I know will make a bigger difference.