Sway Bars..Do they really make a difference for a DD?

[SLOPPYDRFT26]

what do you mean by "stiffen." what is it your trying to accomplish? less side to side roll?, less forward pitch?, less oversteer?, less understeer?

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by SLOPPYDRFT26

what do you mean by "stiffen." what is it your trying to accomplish? less side to side roll?, less forward pitch?, less oversteer?, less understeer?

Bingo!

In the simplest terms, a stiff front bar will increase understeer and a stiff rear bar will increase oversteer, it isn't just a stiffer is better solution.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Adding more swaybar decreases the independence of the linked points; many people have gone to a bigger bar for autocross and changed back to a smaller or stock bar at a later point in time citing the increased suspension independence was much more enjoyable on the street.

Originally Posted by wparsons

Bingo!

In the simplest terms, a stiff front bar will increase understeer and a stiff rear bar will increase oversteer, it isn't just a stiffer is better solution.

In a gross way, yes. On a car like the Impreza, a bigger rear bar WITH a bigger front bar often performed better than just a bigger rear bar. Balance is important in sway bar sizing. The bigger rear bar in that application certainly made the rear livelier, but the stiffer front didn't INDUCE understeer like you'd expect. As I said, the two ends must be considered together.

[wparsons]

Increasing understeer is the same as reducing oversteer, and vice versa. It doesn't mean the car actually pushes/understeers necessarily, just that it's more likely to than before. It's definitely a balance, which is why adjustable bars are handy so you can fine tune them based on your car, ride height, spring rates, etc.

[gmookher]

here are the rules:

[Racecomp Engineering]

It's also important to remember that following that chart to decrease understeer or oversteer may or may not make the car faster. Case in point, adding a larger front sway bar to the BRZ/FRS may add a little at the limit understeer, but will increase overall grip.

- Andrew

[gmookher]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

It's also important to remember that following that chart to decrease understeer or oversteer may or may not make the car faster. Case in point, adding a larger front sway bar to the BRZ/FRS may add a little at the limit understeer, but will increase overall grip.

- Andrew

of course!!!

That goes without saying

100% valid, its not by any means the bible, just a good set of basics to often test and see what needs to be done vs what can be done to remedy any given 'condition', I like to keep it in the back of me skull

[Racecomp Engineering]

Agreed! One thing that I always see is people trying so hard to decrease understeer and increase oversteer without thinking about anything else. This isn't a 2003 WRX!

- Andrew

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

It's also important to remember that following that chart to decrease understeer or oversteer may or may not make the car faster. Case in point, adding a larger front sway bar to the BRZ/FRS may add a little at the limit understeer, but will increase overall grip.

- Andrew

That was exactly what I was trying to say a few posts up, thanks!

[GTB/ZR-1]

Daily driver, no track kind of guy?

No

Save your $$

[JoeBoxer]

Originally Posted by SLOPPYDRFT26

what do you mean by "stiffen." what is it your trying to accomplish? less side to side roll?, less forward pitch?, less oversteer?, less understeer?

Less body roll would be the main goal i suppose, i definitely don't want more oversteer which i why i plan to leave the rear bar alone.

Would a larger/stiffer front bar increase grip and decrease body roll is what i am really asking.

[SLOPPYDRFT26]

Originally Posted by JoeBoxer

Less body roll would be the main goal i suppose, i definitely don't want more oversteer which i why i plan to leave the rear bar alone.

Would a larger/stiffer front bar increase grip and decrease body roll is what i am really asking.

in basic theory thats what it would do. but its effectiveness will probably vary depending on what springs and tires you are using in conjunction. if you havent done those yet, that would be the best place to start of course. if you already have springs and tires and still want less body roll, then a front bar could be good for you. you could also look into bushing kits. there seems to be a replacement for every bushing on this car. consult with your prefered vendor for specifics on what bushings might help. gl

[JoeBoxer]

I have tein h tech springs which have a pretty soft rate and nitto motivo tires which are a high performance all season, looking back I wanted to keep ride comfort and noise down but wish I had went with something more aggressive. I have the tein street basis coilovers on the way which are pretty soft spring rates too though.

[SLOPPYDRFT26]

Originally Posted by JoeBoxer

I have tein h tech springs which have a pretty soft rate and nitto motivo tires which are a high performance all season, looking back I wanted to keep ride comfort and noise down but wish I had went with something more aggressive. I have the tein street basis coilovers on the way which are pretty soft spring rates too though.

springs with higher spring rate would be best option, but if you dont want to go that route, then the bar might be worth a try. i would try talking to a manufacturer like hotchkiss or whiteline. they could give you a much clearer idea on what you could expect and what your best options would be.

on a side note. if you are just interested in grip and can deal with whatever body roll you have with the coils, then a custom alignment could give you what you want as well. negative camber can be your friend when used properly.