I have a Horizon that I'm debating if a rear sway bar is really worth it. I guess that I'm confused about it because it seems like when I see pictures of people installing them they are putting them on a part of the rear suspension that does not sway. Anyone have any tips or suggestions to something I'm missing about sway bars?
Turbo L body came from the factory with a rear sway bar. It goes across the rear axle but does not attach to the body. You would think it wouldn't makes a differance but the rear axle twist itself. So when it has the bar it helps it prevents some of the sway.
Yep Jugs, cut the original one off, glad I did or it would of been even more tail happy. Other than a tight AutoX course it's too big. I can kick the tail out at will. I even entered a freeway off ramp and had to get on the brakes because of a slower car just as I started turning. The tail came out, The car slid to the INSIDE of the corner, I went through the ditch, around a light pole and came back onto the road. Be nice to have like a .75" one for street and high speed road course, and the big 1.125 for AutoX.
Cool. How does the car do at autoX? Taking a few psi out of the rear tires will help plant the rear a bit for the street. I have in the past staggered sizes to balance the car. 225's in front and 205's in the rear.
Ok, I do see that. What I don't understand, is why GLHNSLHT2 attributed his tailspin to having a too thick of a sway bar? The stiffness is, as far as I know, supposed to keep a little more equal pressure on both sides to help with traction in cornering. Heck, I tailspun in my '93 Daytona on a highway off ramp when it suppenly made a much sharper turn (I added to the thousand skid marks on the concrete barrier already), with completely stock rear end.
I've heard of a lot of people welding on a plate to the bottom of the axle, essentially enclousing the bar within the axle. How is that better/worse, than just replacing the bar with something thicker?
adding the big sway bar made the car very tail happy. I could idle around in 1st gear with the steering wheel locked in 1 direction and lift the inside rear 6-8" off the ground with the big sway bar.
I didn't spin the car, just hung the tail out 90 degrees to the direction of travel. These cars drive like a 911 Porsche When the tail hangs out you put your foot on the gas more!
The sway bar doesn't help with traction while cornering. It helps the driver by keeping the car a bit more level, and with quicker transient response. Any road race series will promptly rip the sway bar out or go to a much smaller softer setting if it rains or the track is bumpy. Why? Because it allows the suspension to move and keep in contact with the road better. But if you're making quick directional changes it will be slower with a soft/smaller bar.
Personally, For a non-lbody car I think the big Shelby/GTC/IROC etc bars are just about perfect. The only thing I change is to add heim joint/rod ends to the ends of the bar to get rid of the crappy stock mounting design in the factory a-arms. That and an alignment go along way to making the cars glued to the road with a good balance that hints to just a tad bit of oversteer which I like. Before adding a different or additional sway bar I'd change the alignment specs 1st.
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