6
Official Sway Bar Discussion Thread
- Thread starter the bruce
- Start date
smanierre
Autocross Champion
What are peoples opinions on everyone saying our cars don't need a front ARB? I'm looking to do autox and track days in my car and i'm going through all the suspension bits right now. I keep seeing people say just do a rear and be done with it as a front will cause understeer.
torga
Autocross Champion
A properly tuned front with a tight rear shouldn't cause understeer - should be nicely balanced and predictable. However, I've heard that just a rear could potentially cause some unpredictable oversteer in spirited/competitive driving scenarios. Just as only a front would cause understeer in the same conditions.
These expectations are only for FWD and sometimes AWD, btw. Generally, the opposite advice is true for RWD.
smanierre
Autocross Champion
So what are you running for a front rear setup? I heard 26f/24r
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smanierre
Autocross Champion
I'll probably go just rear for now then while I do mostly autox and then once I go bt and focus more on track driving, I'll toss a front one in.
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ChrisAttebery
Drag Racing Champion
I've been going back and forth about getting a RSB. I really don't want to do any more suspension upgrades after this. I just want a little less understeer. Going off of The Bruce's recommendation I decided to order the H&R 22mm from Achtuning ($233 Shipped). H&R doesn't publish any specifications on their bars but using an online calculator it looks like it's about 50% stiffer than the stock RSB (59n/mm vs 86n/mm).
I forgot to add "Darn you all, Darn you all to heck". This is all this forum's fault.
I forgot to add "Darn you all, Darn you all to heck". This is all this forum's fault.
Last edited:
theclutch
Go Kart Newbie
Hate to break it to you... that's NOT going to give you much of a difference that you can feel. For RSB, you want the 034 25.4 mm solid #034-402-1003 or the Neuspeed 28mm hollow #2502283. Leave the front sway bar stock. I currently run stock height with the stock suspension. There is ZERO way that anyone can "snap oversteer" this with my current setup. Believe me, I tried. I have roughly 20 years of track events.
22mm H&R RSB is barely bigger than the stock which is 21.7mm.
ChrisAttebery
Drag Racing Champion
The stock RSB is hollow, the H&R is solid. It’s 50-75% stiffer than stock.
It’s funny. I’ve read posts by people who I trust in this thread stating that a heavy RSB made their car unpredictable. Then there are guys like you who say you need a RSB that is 3-4x stiffer than stock. It seems like a personal preference kind of thing. There’s only one way to find out what you like, right?
I want the car to be a little more neutral.
I’m really not looking to make the car oversteer at all.
It’s funny. I’ve read posts by people who I trust in this thread stating that a heavy RSB made their car unpredictable. Then there are guys like you who say you need a RSB that is 3-4x stiffer than stock. It seems like a personal preference kind of thing. There’s only one way to find out what you like, right?
I want the car to be a little more neutral.
I’m really not looking to make the car oversteer at all.
1ashchuckton
Autocross Champion
The first thing I did to my GTI was add a 22mm rear sway-bar. Mine is a SPM one, but I think it is the same as the one you posted. I'm sure someone makes these bars & re-sellers all put their own stickers on them.
It's not a hard install. Just back it up on a set of rams & have at it. Make sure you have the correct tools for the job. I recommend using blue 242 loctite on the bolts. After 4 years I haven't had to retighten the bolts on the bar or end links.
Don't worry about the oversteer some people talk about. My sway-bar is set on the innermost holes (stiffest) & it doesn't oversteer. My suspension is oem other than the RSB. Our FWD cars are always going to understeer at the limit. All the sway-bar does is raise that limit. Snap off the gas in mid corner & you will oversteer stock bar or bigger bar. You will love the addition of a larger rear sway-bar. Trust me....
theclutch
Go Kart Newbie
Low speed, mid speed, high speed corners, there was NO WAY that my stock OEM suspension + Neuspeed 28mm RSB would oversteer regardless which hole I use on the RSB. I would even jerk the steering so hard such that the inside wheel would lift completely off...no snap oversteer. Maybe it's because I'm running super sticky tires - Michelin Pilot Super Sports AS/4.
One thing I DID find out, however, is that if someone is running a lowered / coil overed suspension car and DID NOT change the sway bar links (needs to be longer than stock) such that the sway bar gets "preloaded", then I can see how that could do some seriously funky things with the suspension.
I'm running the stock sway bar links. If I ever find the time to install coil overs (Koni or ST XTA), then I will have to buy longer sway bar links also so that the RSB will not be preloaded.
1ashchuckton
Autocross Champion
Your car won't oversteer on an abrupt lift throttle in a corner? Maybe you weren't going fast enough. Just kidding.....
jay745
What Would Glenn Danzig Do
Crazy how much opinions differ on this. I had a 24mm rsb and oem front bar for a while and I thought the car handled like complete shit. When I put a 26mm front bar on, instant go kart. That was before I went ham with the rest of the suspension, now it's just amazing.
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