what to expect with a rear sway bar?

[SX4DUDE2013]

So i like adding new stuff to my car. I got H&R springs over the summer and that helped the handeling a little bit. It was a one inch drop. My car (2008 Suzuki SX4 hatchback) has no rear sway bar from the factory. I just ordered a 22mm thick rear sway bar. What can I expect and what does the size mean? like 22mm vs 20mm vs 17mm???

[new2detailing]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

The size is the actual diameter of the sway bar. The larger the diameter that greater the ability of the sway bar to counteract forces applied to it. The rear sway bar will allow the rear end to stay planted on tight turns (as compared to having the inside wheel lift on a turn ). You will feel this more on a track than on a street driving normally.

[roushstage2]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

You can have too big of a swaybar, just as an FYI. A swaybar ultimately will help reduce roll and give you better traction during turns.

[cnfowler]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Less sway.


Colin

[THE BIG BUFFER]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Wayne " No Sway"
Garth "Sway"

Party on Wayne. Party on Garth.


Ok so it sounded better in my head. Somebody might get it.

I also don't think you'll see much of a change on the street.

[Andrew C.]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a sway bar used in combination with the suspension components in the axle that steers (the front one). What would a rear sway bar do? I've heard of trac bars for the rear axel and I know that those are to prevent the rear suspension components from reacting to large amounts of torque. Can someone explain to me how exactly rear sway bars work?

[sspudnick]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a sway bar used in combination with the suspension components in the axle that steers (the front one). What would a rear sway bar do? I've heard of trac bars for the rear axel and I know that those are to prevent the rear suspension components from reacting to large amounts of torque. Can someone explain to me how exactly rear sway bars work?

Connections to both sides of the frame, across the back end of the vehicle (in front of the differential).

Like the said....helps with sway on the highway at hight speeds, and in turns. But for you truck guys, it limits flexibly....if you're into truck/jeep flexing and offroading.

I thought I needed one on my mustang........till I bought my s10...WOW...this thing feels DANGEROUS in turns.....That's actually one of my next purchases.

[cnfowler]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Yeah, the sway bars have been removed from my Range Rover. It's mostly used off road and on mountain passes. Big difference when it comes to articulation.


Colin

[STG]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Come on guys! A rear sway bar will decrease lean, but more importantly it will INCREASE OVERSTEER. You can also increase oversteer with stiffer rear springs, stiffer rear shocks and higher rear tire pressures.

If you don't know what you're doing, leave it alone. Judging by the posts on this thread, all of you guys should stay away from wrenches!

Adding oversteer to your car during winter is not a good
idea unless you are well versed in the Scandinavian Flick.

Back in the early eighties, Kas Kastner (British Leyland USA Competition Manager, Carling Black Label Indycar TeamManager and later Nissan Competition Manager during the GTP sweep years) opened Arkay Engineering and was arguably the first to turbo a water cooled VW ion the USA.

He used my new VW GTI to develop exhaust and suspension components including a clip-on rear sway bar. This helper bar attached to the factory bar, added 7 lb. ft. of extra resistance and helped balance out the FWD Rabbit GTI's understeer. The bar could easily be removed for wet or winter conditions. Yes, 7 lb. ft. of added anti sway transformed the car.

A 22mm sway bar has a lot more than 7 lb.ft. of torsional resistance.




If a pickup truck feels dangerous in turns ( back end wants to slide out), DO NOT ADD A REAR SWAY BAR. Lower the rear tire pressure when not carrying a load.

[sspudnick]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Come on guys! A rear sway bar will decrease lean, but more importantly it will INCREASE OVERSTEER. You can also increase oversteer with stiffer rear springs, stiffer rear shocks and higher rear tire pressures.

If you don't know what you're doing, leave it alone. Judging by the posts on this thread, all of you guys should stay away from wrenches!

Adding oversteer to your car during winter is not a good
idea unless you are well versed in the Scandinavian Flick.

Back in the early eighties, Kas Kastner (British Leyland USA Competition Manager, Carling Black Label Indycar TeamManager and later Nissan Competition Manager during the GTP sweep years) opened Arkay Engineering and was arguably the first to turbo a water cooled VW ion the USA.

He used my new VW GTI to develop exhaust and suspension components including a clip-on rear sway bar. This helper bar attached to the factory bar, added 7 lb. ft. of extra resistance and helped balance out the FWD Rabbit GTI's understeer. The bar could easily be removed for wet or winter conditions. Yes, 7 lb. ft. of added anti sway transformed the car.

A 22mm sway bar has a lot more than 7 lb.ft. of torsional resistance.




If a pickup truck feels dangerous in turns ( back end wants to slide out), DO NOT ADD A REAR SWAY BAR. Lower the rear tire pressure when not carrying a load.

Wow.....your post def. could've lived without the personal attacks.

If you feel your knowledge is superior...TEACH...instead of bashing people....

P.S. You're not the only one that's been around the block a few times, and quite a few people would disagree with rear-swaybars being a bad thing....including me depending on the application.

[STG]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Wow.....your post def. could've lived without the personal attacks.

If you feel your knowledge is superior...TEACH...instead of bashing people....

P.S. You're not the only one that's been around the block a few times, and quite a few people would disagree with rear-swaybars being a bad thing....including me depending on the application.

I never wrote that anti-sway bars are bad. Not knowing what you're doing is bad. If your pickup truck feels dangerous in turns because the rear wants to slide out (oversteer), do not add a rear sway bar unless you like looking where you've been.

[sspudnick]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

I never wrote that anti-sway bars are bad. Not knowing what you're doing is bad. If your pickup truck feels dangerous in turns because the rear wants to slide out (oversteer), do not add a rear sway bar unless you like looking where you've been.

Well...that's not quite why it feels dangerous in turns, but thanks.

I'm not sure how familiar you are withe the s10 community, or MANY of specific model communities, but they are one of the most common addons done initially for specific applications.

However, you're correct. If you dont know what you're doing....dont do it. You just got me riled up with "you shouldnt touch a wrench" comment...I could've thought of better ways to put that. Some of us actually work on vehicles in one form or another for a living.

[cnfowler]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

...Judging by the posts on this thread, all of you guys should stay away from wrenches!...

Thanks for putting us all in the same basket. I didn't realize you knew me so well.


Colin

[smack]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Please be careful when driving your car with an upgraded rear bar. Adding a bigger rear bar without upgrading the front bar will promote more understeer than the car already has. You really should add the front bar from same manufacturer to dial back in more neutral handling. If you want to take the handling to the next step, add some sport springs and shocks to go along with the bars and maybe a stress bar. Coilovers are another option but really uneccessary for what you have/what you will do with the car unless you plan to track it. ie autocross.

[smack]

Re: what to expect with a rear sway bar?

Please be careful when driving your car with an upgraded rear bar. Adding a bigger rear bar without upgrading the front bar will add some oversteer to the car. You really should add the front bar from same manufacturer to dial back in more neutral handling. If you want to take the handling to the next step, add some sport springs and shocks to go along with the bars and maybe a stress bar. Coilovers are another option but really uneccessary for what you have/what you will do with the car unless you plan to track it. ie autocross.

Disregaurd second sentance in first post. Had to correct it in a quote