Cusco Sway Bars?

[wootwoot]

Originally Posted by pcasso87

I went with a stiffer rear cusco and white line endlinks. Im leaving the front stock for now, if i feel it oversteers to much i can just soften the rear dampers to try and lower the oversteer.

Are the rear stock dampers adjustable? Or do you have an aftermarket set up?

[track_warrior]

Originally Posted by wootwoot

Are the rear stock dampers adjustable? Or do you have an aftermarket set up?

KW V3'S

[der_rainman]

Have to say its interesting seeing people's different opinions depending on what their previous background is (RWD, FWD, AWD).

One thing to keep in mind (for those new to the subaru platform) the rear under carriage has a bit of flex in it when using larger rear sway bars. I remember Whiteline saying that when they first tested the 08 STi/WRX platform their rear swaybars were not reacting like they intended. They found that there was flex occuring, reducing the amount of affect that the rear bar normally would have made. So they developed these support braces that reinforce that rear cradle. I'd suggest that whatever swaybar you choose, look into buying those rear supports. I saw that they are available separately.

*here they are: KBR15 http://whiteline.com.au/product_deta...t_number=KBR15

I agree with RaceComp, if the swaybar is produced well, the fact that they are hollow should have no effect on longevity. Many OEMs use hollow bars. Hollow bars are lighter. However, one disadvantage is that you can only go so large on the OD of a hollow bar before having packaging issues. One can normally go with a narrower OD on a solid bar compared to the same effective stiffness hollow bar.

[Arnie_1]

I'd like to add that adding a larger rear swaybar will make the car more prone to oversteer. So be careful about going that route. If you're used to FWD or AWD cars be careful about how you spec your parts and set up your car. RWD is very different (and almost the opposite).

Also agree with Rainman, the rear carrier will benefit from the bracing that Whiteline uses on their kits, when upgrading to a larger rear sway bar.

[der_rainman]

Cheers Arnie!

There is nothing inherently wrong with hollow. However production quality is more critical when making a hollow bar as they are less tolerant than a solid bar to material imperfections. I recall Hotchkis having lots of broken swaybar issues with their first WRX swaybars. The weight savings is indeed a consideration, that's for sure. Also for the same torsional stiffness, a hollow bar needs to be a larger outer diameter compared to a solid bar. For example, on a WRX/STi, a 22mm solid bar is equivalent in stiffness to a 24mm hollow bar. And if you want to get really, really picky, its harder to manufacture a quality hollow bar, i.e. the wall thicknesses need to be perfectly even or you get inconsistent bar rates. Ideally they should be $$$$ mandrel bent. Would your average Joe be able to notice the difference in roll resistance from a hollow bar that has minor wall inconsistencies? Most likely not. But its a consideration.

All in all, one isn't "better" than the other. Like most things, it all depends on what you value/need in your upgrade.