Sway bars...

[atmh]

There is a lot of information on sway bar sizes here: http://www.r3vlimited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12367

I been thinking of doing suspension work to my car, sway bars are on the list, I just don't know anything about them. What do bigger sway bars do (I noticed biggest difference is in the rear.)
It would probably be mostly a street car, with the occasional auto-x.

[eric1855]

They reduce body roll in turns mostly.

[M-technik-3]

You have an E correct? I have 325is ones in your area I'd like to dump. Cheap say $30.00 for the two.

[atmh]

I know sway bars reduce body roll in corners, I am just curious as to the effect of a larger/smaller sway bar in the rear as compared to the front.

[nando]

larger front: more understeer
larger rear: more oversteer

there is a balance, and it depends on if your car is RWD, FWD, or AWD. too big in the rear, and you get snap oversteer. too big in the front, and you understeer like a pig. if you were to put stock F&R 325is sways on, it would be fine. I don't think you'd really have to worry about them too big unless you had an aftermarket bar on one end and a stock bar on the other.

[eric1855]

A larger bar in the front is generally better for RWD cars and a larger in the rear for FWD cars, or AWD cars that handle like FWD ones like my WRX.

A RWD under accelration and lateral forces like in turns will tend to want to pick up a front wheel, the opposite for FWD. The larger bar keeps the car more stabile and goes with the non drive wheels

[MattM20]

A larger bar in the front is generally better for RWD cars and a larger in the rear for FWD cars, or AWD cars that handle like FWD ones like my WRX.

A RWD under accelration and lateral forces like in turns will tend to want to pick up a front wheel, the opposite for FWD. The larger bar keeps the car more stabile and goes with the non drive wheels

my car actually tends to pick up the inner rear wheel while accelerating out of corners. generally, if you have enough grip, the stiffer end is most likely to pick up its inside wheel whether its fwd or rwd.

[atmh]

Thanks for the info, I will probably go for the stock 325is bars, that will at least give me a feel for the change.

[eric1855]

A larger bar in the front is generally better for RWD cars and a larger in the rear for FWD cars, or AWD cars that handle like FWD ones like my WRX.

A RWD under accelration and lateral forces like in turns will tend to want to pick up a front wheel, the opposite for FWD. The larger bar keeps the car more stabile and goes with the non drive wheels

my car actually tends to pick up the inner rear wheel while accelerating out of corners. generally, if you have enough grip, the stiffer end is most likely to pick up its inside wheel whether its fwd or rwd.

Wow.

I have never seen a RWD car pick up the rear wheel. That'd be quite the site. My roommates MR Spyder that he races in CS usually picks up the front wheel about 4-6"s on turns and carries it. So does another friend's S2000 but not to the extremes of the MR.

[StereoInstaller1]

Since the subjest came up..
Does anyone ever run double stock bars? This was once kinda popular in American RWD trans am kind of racing, back in the 70's, when I was a teen, before there were choices in aftermarket bars. I want WAY more bar, front and rear on my 325is, so much that I feel urethane bushings and end links would be a total waste of time.
Any suggestions?

On the Over/Understeer issue, check this http://platz.com/pca/germany/blatt/Blatt%208.htm

Luke

[eric1855]

Since the subjest came up..
Does anyone ever run double stock bars? This was once kinda popular in American RWD trans am kind of racing, back in the 70's, when I was a teen, before there were choices in aftermarket bars. I want WAY more bar, front and rear on my 325is, so much that I feel urethane bushings and end links would be a total waste of time.
Any suggestions?

On the Over/Understeer issue, check this http://platz.com/pca/germany/blatt/Blatt%208.htm

Luke

You can always go with a custom made bar. I have seen several of them fabbed up at shops for other cars and they can get HUGE like 40+mm bars. You'd just have to get mounts made as well and get it to all fit in there. But it's not cheap.

[nando]

Since the subjest came up..
Does anyone ever run double stock bars? This was once kinda popular in American RWD trans am kind of racing, back in the 70's, when I was a teen, before there were choices in aftermarket bars. I want WAY more bar, front and rear on my 325is, so much that I feel urethane bushings and end links would be a total waste of time.
Any suggestions?

On the Over/Understeer issue, check this http://platz.com/pca/germany/blatt/Blatt%208.htm

Luke

how about the IE setup? 22mm rear, 25mm front, and some nice reinforcements to boot.

[Nick325is]

I've got the IE set up and I really like it alot. It comes with nice reinforcements and the bars and end links are very well made. However, expect to wait awhile to get it as their customer service wasn't all that great with me.


Nick

[MattM20]

A larger bar in the front is generally better for RWD cars and a larger in the rear for FWD cars, or AWD cars that handle like FWD ones like my WRX.

A RWD under accelration and lateral forces like in turns will tend to want to pick up a front wheel, the opposite for FWD. The larger bar keeps the car more stabile and goes with the non drive wheels

my car actually tends to pick up the inner rear wheel while accelerating out of corners. generally, if you have enough grip, the stiffer end is most likely to pick up its inside wheel whether its fwd or rwd.

Wow.

I have never seen a RWD car pick up the rear wheel. That'd be quite the site. My roommates MR Spyder that he races in CS usually picks up the front wheel about 4-6"s on turns and carries it. So does another friend's S2000 but not to the extremes of the MR.

the rear wheel barely lifts off the ground, but most pictures i have make it look like it's right on the brink; the front wheels seem to have better weight distribution during cornering yet the nose seems dip or roll more than the rear.

[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0QwAZA!wTjZ09FR0DmA8cyuz1lAXmw1xv3bZirhAyu*vvxkJhD f0IB37slPKpXVYJcAYKeu8!Ba9nPxn!yAFH5cF*dwQ6eKpd0qr 1g0UVR8M/3wheel2.jpg?dc=4675495162407618927[/img]

[atmh]

Another question on the subject: What reason would someone NOT want the largest set of bars possible? Do larger bars cause more "bump steer"?

Also, about running two bars, I just talked to my friend last night who has a VW Corrado. His setup is 100% stock in the front, stock rear sway bar AND an aftermarket sway bar. So there is a similar vintage car (a little newer) that has a dual sway bar setup. He gets CRAZY rear wheel lift in corners, it looks awesome/funny. I am talking like 4"-6" off the ground, its nice.