what is a good sway bar?

[phi_ho1]

just like title say. i need to know which brand makes good sway bar? i don't want them too big, thank you for read.

[norbac]

heard you can my skylines fit? but im sure you can look at the vendors advertised threads, they can get you stuff

[jsasrsr]

my jdm k's came stock with some pretty decent and beefy sway bars.. so i never really needed to go aftermarket..

anyways, if i was in the market for some aftermarket sways, i would go with suspension techniques (ST). cant go wrong with them...

[21Nemesis]

I've had God Speed's front sway bar on my S13 and I love it. Pretty much like the Tenabe.

[s14kouki_]

my jdm k's came stock with some pretty decent and beefy sway bars.. so i never really needed to go aftermarket..

anyways, if i was in the market for some aftermarket sways, i would go with suspension techniques (ST). cant go wrong with them...
jdm are thicker than usdm

op: SPL is all you need

[RanciD]

What do you use the car for and how does it handle now versus how you would like it to handle?

[Brian]

heard you can my skylines fit? but im sure you can look at the vendors advertised threads, they can get you stuff


I think mine came from a R33.


it is HUGE. (the rear)

[rb25_s13*CHUKI]

Suspension technique!!

[Flipzide]

i like the suspension techniques sway bars cuz they come with everything you need if you have a base s14...

new endlinks, dbushings, dbracket, etc.

i just installed em 2 weeks ago on my s14.. works pretty well in conjunction with my pbm coils.

[xdumbxguyx]

hicas sway is pretty beefy and pretty cheap too

[MrChow]

i like the suspension techniques sway bars cuz they come with everything you need if you have a base s14...

new endlinks, dbushings, dbracket, etc.

i just installed em 2 weeks ago on my s14.. works pretty well in conjunction with my pbm coils.
Whiteline does the same.

[wangan_cruiser]

largus are the shit. haha i love em

[simmode1]

I'm gonna vote Suspension Techniques. Had them on my s13 for years. The difference between having them and not having them is huge.

Although, i'm interested in SPL parts for my s14...

[luftrofl]

just like title say. i need to know which brand makes good sway bar? i don't want them too big, thank you for read.

There was a thread about sway bars a while ago. It's pretty long but if you've got the time, it's worth reading. http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=195553

If you want to make an informed decision on your sway bars, you'll have to think about more than just brand name.

What are the specs of your car? (include mods)

What kind of tires do you use?

How much power do you have?

These are things that you need to consider when buying sway bars. Otherwise, you'll just be getting them for the sake of getting them (not smart)

[drift freaq]

^^^^^^^^^^ like he said.Swaybars all depend on what your after. I can tell you 90% of the people on this forum that use aftermarket sways with coilovers have their chassis's oversprung. To much sway combined with a stiff coilover setup, can take away from performance and handling. It may feel all stiff and flat but you might wind up getting wheel lift in the corners, because of it. Many people think, "I want a to make it stiff as possible to drift" and wind up losing handling traction in the process.
There is a reason a lot of Japanese guys, that do not have full 100% track cars, use the JDM factory bars with suspension and nothing more.

P.S. I have ST bars with coilovers, because they came on my chassis and I am taking them off, because its oversprung. If you lift your inner rear wheel going up a driveway with sways and coils, then your car is oversprung.

[MAGILLA]

+1 for whiteline. I like trying different setups for different types of driving. between the adjustments in the sway bars and my coilovers I should be set for all the types of driving i like.

[!Zar!]

Whiteline.

Only thing I'll run.

[origin_s135]

i'm in need of swaybars also, i'm debating whether i should get largus, wait nevermind i'm going to have to scratch that. largus won't clear my greddy oil pan, so i guess i'll try the tanabes.
tanabe:
S13/S14 Front - 30.4mm
S13 Rear - 22.0mm
S14 Rear - 27.5mm

largus:
S13 Front - 31.5mm
S13 Rear - 27.5mm

[brndck]

largus are the shit. haha i love em

+1 /thread.....

[johnw1415]

if you want to drift, get both front and rear, if you want to grip only get the front, thats true for the s13 at least. Look it up most people run faster lap times with upgraded in the front and stock in the rear, vs both upgraded

[EDacIouSX]

if you want to drift, get both front and rear, if you want to grip only get the front, thats true for the s13 at least. Look it up most people run faster lap times with upgraded in the front and stock in the rear, vs both upgraded

i'm sure proper suspension tuning will yield better results with both upgraded.

the balance of the car changes depending on the thickness of the front in relation to the rear, the material of the sway bars, and whether or not the bars are solid or hollow. Stock ones are hollow.

for drifting, most people prefer thicker rear and stock front. though im no hardcore drifter or highly skilled at all i can say i prefer both front and rear upgraded.

whats most important is what best suits YOUR driving style. so really, our opinions don't quite matter that much.



personally, I wanted to give the swift sway bars a try but the suspension technique sway bars came off another car I had purchased so i have those on my current s14.

[spool_sample]

Progress.

/thread

[drift freaq]

if you want to drift, get both front and rear, if you want to grip only get the front, thats true for the s13 at least. Look it up most people run faster lap times with upgraded in the front and stock in the rear, vs both upgraded

Classic example of someone who does not take everything into account. In fact a lot of drifters use a stock front with a bigger rear. I think your basing your stated opinion above off of what you have read on the net.

[pink godzila]

I know couple old jap drifter in state... most likely they are cheap a$$ what i mean is they dig for cheapest part they could find. They more care about skills!! Said "my car wont stay too me too long because they might be smack or carsh later on due to drifting so who care about thoses fancy part. you learn how to walk before you learn how to run"

Back to topic, I said Tanabe will to me sway bar dose all the same to me.

[Firestorm]

i run cusco front and rear. if i had to choose again, i'd probably go with whiteline or tanabe.

[ejkisela]

Stock front with cusco rear, changed the rear to stock 32 gtr when I changed the trans last week. Will provide input after track day.

[94_240sx]

Progress.

/thread

People don't know how good Progress sway bar is. It's absolutely bang for the buck. Comes with solid end links and 3-way adjustable front and back. You can go from stock like setup to stiff easily. Perfect clearance front and back too. I highly recommend Progress.

[johnw1415]

Classic example of someone who does not take everything into account. In fact a lot of drifters use a stock front with a bigger rear. I think your basing your stated opinion above off of what you have read on the net.

ya, i know its all about what you want to do, but i am just trying to let him know what other people do. A bigger rear will give you more oversteer, which is good for drifting i guess.

[fast_97_240sx]

Ive had ST, whiteline, Hotchkis(on a different car), and now godspeed. I wanted slightly stiffer than stock and thats what I got with the godspeed, there cheap and functional. I'm happy with my purchase of them.
If you want a better/stiffer bar go with ST prob best set for the money all around of the brands I've had.

[240trainee]

Largas are what I want.

Will probably pick up some Godspeed janks, and make my own solid end links.

[McCoy]

Progress.

/thread
This is what I have front/rear and don't forsee myself making a change anytime soon.

It does seem they are harder to come by though, progress usually only makes these bars in batches so there typically not in stock, that could be different than a few years ago though...

[yokotas13]

i run a cusco front and stock rear

i need a rear bar baddddddd

[94_240sx]

This is what I have front/rear and don't forsee myself making a change anytime soon.

It does seem they are harder to come by though, progress usually only makes these bars in batches so there typically not in stock, that could be different than a few years ago though...

I also have front/back and love them. You are right. I got the front one right away, but had to wait for for 3 months to get the rear bar.

[J40sx]

tanabe are good

[SoSideways]

Progress bars are awesome, as they are adjustable and come with solid endlinks.

Only thing is, they are solid and thus are a little bit heavier, but they're on the lowest part of the car anyway, so that extra few pounds low on the chassis shouldn't hurt handling, at least not like having the same weight put on the very top of the car.

[racepar1]

Progress.

/thread

Agreed, /thread. The progress bars are hands down the best ones out there right now.

[dynamicck]

If you lift your inner rear wheel going up a driveway with sways and coils, then your car is oversprung.

Only in some cases. Certain coilovers from what I've had like the OLD apex type V or Pro, have shortened travel length. Also Zeals, and I believe HKS as well. Anyway... when you raise the car, the wheels do not hang(rebound) as low as stock suspension.

So driving up driveways w/o a diff and shorten travel length coilovers, alot of the times, you can hear one wheel spin.

[94_240sx]

Agreed, /thread. The progress bars are hands down the best ones out there right now.

Front one also clears Yashio Factory core support guards. Other sway bars can't clear them. I know a couple people who had to cut and weld core support guards to make them fit.

I agree on the weight. They are solid, not hollow.

Once you install solid endlinks that come with sway bars right, they will last forever and never bind.

[SoSideways]

Yeah I pick my rear left wheel up off the ground when I get onto my parents' house's driveway.

There's a dip before it goes up, so when I hit the dip and go up the driveway on an angle, my left rear picks up off the ground for a second, as it's due to the short stroke nature of the Stance GR+ coilovers. I know my car isn't oversprung because all it's got are these coilovers and stock sways (well, the rear is a HICAS sway, but still OEM). Good thing I have a welded diff, or else I'd get stuck there every time.

[atom]

Largus doesn't make sway bars any more so I think progress is probably the best ones you can get new. Even if you could still get Largus I'd probably still get the progress, Largus was always mad overpriced.

[flip3d]

tanabe. i have the front and rear. works great.

[phi_ho1]

the sway bar thing is mad, i want the tanabe and is 22mm. many of us in here have huges sway bar we should ask suspension guru before doing it. i know it not easy to setup a drift car but i know with sway bar it can be deathly. with my evo 9 i have a 27mm for the car and for track is perefect one. but for fun it's not, because big make the back wheel lift. i crash twice at the caynon due to the aggressive sway bar. so those of you that think bigger is better (that not good). i'm just asking for everyone, wat is the main brand that everyone use. i'm new to drifting so that is the reason y i asking. thanks for posting

[usdm180sx]

Best bang for the buck is an s13 hicas swaybar. Pretty beefy and works really well. They can be found in local junkyards.

[racepar1]

Best bang for the buck is an s13 hicas swaybar. Pretty beefy and works really well. They can be found in local junkyards.

It depends on what you want to do with your car. For grip a bigger rear sway is not good, it causes more on-throttle oversteer. For grip you want a thicker than stock adjustable front sway bar (progress) and either the stock 15mm rear bar or no rear bar at all. For drift the hicas rear sway is great as you want a stiff bar in both the front and the rear. An adjustable swaybar is what you want for whatever you want to do with your car because it allows you to tune your sway bar stiffness to as close to optimal for what you are doing with your car and for your driving style.

[canuckster240]

i am going to look into the progress swaybar myself as well, seems like a good idea, largus is overpriced and has clearance issues. I have the yashio core support guards myself... so.

[McCoy]

^^^ Talk to them about doing a GB, the one's on my car were purchased through a GB on SR20forum for $320 shipped for the pair.

[spool_sample]

Only thing is, they are solid and thus are a little bit heavier, but they're on the lowest part of the car anyway.

Interesting tidbit. I had a Whiteline front, a Largus front, and a Progress front all at once, and the Progress was actually a tiny bit lighter than the Whiteline, despite being 3mm larger in diameter.

The Largus, though, was WAY lighter than both, probably half the weight.

But yeah, because of where sway bars are, weight doesn't matter that much.

In any case, Progress is cheap ($200 shipped I got mine for), come with really nice endlinks made from Aurora rod ends, and they have a good range of adjustment (stockish to really stiff)... I don't see any reason to use anything else, unless you don't feel like waiting over a month to get one.

[PoorMans180SX]

I'm still not a fan of having no bar in the rear for grip. Maybe autocross, which I haven't done, but I have a little understeer with Tein Super Drifts and ES bushings on the front. My rear bushings for the stock bar are coming in soon, I want to see how that will affect things.

Although, my alignment is probably not the best. I'll be fixing that soon too.

Remember, if you want to properly corner-weight your car (okay, so not many people on here, but) you have to use adjustable endlinks, as any corner-weight adjustments just pre-load your sway bar.

[McCoy]

It depends on what you want to do with your car. For grip a bigger rear sway is not good, it causes more on-throttle oversteer. For grip you want a thicker than stock adjustable front sway bar (progress) and either the stock 15mm rear bar or no rear bar at all.

Actually I just ran this last thursday on track with my progress bars set at full soft up front and in the middle for the rear per Tim's recommendations. The car rotated great through the tightest of turns and I had zero issues on any of the larger turns. I was on throttle just past apex, if not earlier depending on the turn, and was able to go full throttle without fear of on-throttle oversteer.

I ran full soft rear and the middle up front all last year and earlier this year and found that it only caused more understeer. I don't know which setup is faster since I'm not using a transponder, but do know that the current setup feels good on track.

[SoSideways]

Are you running a stagger setup McCoy? I don't remember what you were running on your coupe.

BTW, slight off topic. How is your Z33 Track rotor setup working out for you? I just picked up a pair of those brackets too, and am going to go with the Rock Auto rotors.

[jrocslider]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyInU8j4k7o

The sound of a sway bar endlink tearing through your frame

(progress rear 22mm sway bar)

[racepar1]

Actually I just ran this last thursday on track with my progress bars set at full soft up front and in the middle for the rear per Tim's recommendations. The car rotated great through the tightest of turns and I had zero issues on any of the larger turns. I was on throttle just past apex, if not earlier depending on the turn, and was able to go full throttle without fear of on-throttle oversteer.

I ran full soft rear and the middle up front all last year and earlier this year and found that it only caused more understeer. I don't know which setup is faster since I'm not using a transponder, but do know that the current setup feels good on track.

What size tires are you running? If your tires are staggered then that is the primary reason for the understeer off throttle. I personally decided to put the stock 15mm rear bar back on with the 28mm hollow cusco bar in the front because the car was a bit too biased towards understeer off the throttle. On the throttle the car was better than words could describe with no rear bar. I am just trying to find somewhere in the middle and then tune it the rest of the way in with alignment and shock adjustments.

[racepar1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyInU8j4k7o

The point of posting that video in this thread escapes me??? Please elaborate.

[tracks13]

I have the yashio core support guards and just ordered tanabe front swaybar. Will it clear? Getting it from frsport shipped to canada. This if im not mistaken is the largest front swaybar for the s13 other than the largus and it is out of chromoly.

[SoSideways]

I have the yashio core support guards and just ordered tanabe front swaybar. Will it clear? Getting it from frsport shipped to canada.

Shouldn't you have checked that BEFORE you bought the bar? :confused:

[racepar1]

Shouldn't you have checked that BEFORE you bought the bar? :confused:

Nah, that just makes way too much sense!

[tracks13]

answer? .

[kuruptR]

My whitelines are money, not stupid and huge. 3 way adjustable front and 2 way adjustable rear.

I got spl front solid endlink and whiteline 2 way adjustable rear links

[jrocslider]

The point of posting that video in this thread escapes me??? Please elaborate.

sorry. edited my post.

[bo2o]

ive got god speed and i liked them.
there are forsale also because im parting out my car.

s13 god speed.

[McCoy]

Are you running a stagger setup McCoy? I don't remember what you were running on your coupe.
275/40/17 RA-1's on 17x9 et35 wheels, no stagger.

How is your Z33 Track rotor setup working out for you? I just picked up a pair of those brackets too, and am going to go with the Rock Auto rotors.
Liking them alot. I'm using hawk blues front/rear and on track I have more than enough brakes for the RA-1's. Also, I've yet to even get close to fading them... even with over 40 minute sessions :).

What size tires are you running? If your tires are staggered then that is the primary reason for the understeer off throttle. I personally decided to put the stock 15mm rear bar back on with the 28mm hollow cusco bar in the front because the car was a bit too biased towards understeer off the throttle. On the throttle the car was better than words could describe with no rear bar. I am just trying to find somewhere in the middle and then tune it the rest of the way in with alignment and shock adjustments.
See above. I've never driven in a 240 with stock bars, so I can't compare my setup with anything else... just wanted to mention that a stiffer rear bar is not going to cause any major issues on track.

[MikeisNissan]

I swear I see a thread like this every other week.

[mekaw]

does staggered setup give more understeer?

sorry i am a complete noob.'
thanks guys.

[bbejj123]

suspension technique i bought to replace my rear and finally get one on my front and it helps soo much much better than stock =)

[racepar1]

See above. I've never driven in a 240 with stock bars, so I can't compare my setup with anything else... just wanted to mention that a stiffer rear bar is not going to cause any major issues on track.

I just can't get my car planted like I want it with a larger rear bar. I always seem to be chasing the tail a bit. Not un-controllable and as a matter of fact I can even stay flat on the gas, but I have to work the wheel more than I like to. With no rear sway it rotated nicely on the throttle with minimal steering inputs.

I swear I see a thread like this every other week.

If you haven't seen this thread yet then you haven't been paying attention. This one has been around for a month or so. Besides what is wrong with people trying to educate themselves and others on car set-up.

does staggered setup give more understeer?

sorry i am a complete noob.'
thanks guys.

Yes, it tends to have more off-throttle understeer, but it makes the car more stable on the throttle.

[McCoy]

I just can't get my car planted like I want it with a larger rear bar. I always seem to be chasing the tail a bit. Not un-controllable and as a matter of fact I can even stay flat on the gas, but I have to work the wheel more than I like to. With no rear sway it rotated nicely on the throttle with minimal steering inputs.


What's your alignment settings? I found that my alignment caused/resolved most of my issues when it came to how the car handled in the turns. Specifically, I had to much camber in the back... I have since dropped the rear camber from 2.5 to 1.5 degrees and my tire pyrometer is saying that this is the right camber for my setup.

[hotlavaflow]

P.S. I have ST bars with coilovers, because they came on my chassis and I am taking them off, because its oversprung. If you lift your inner rear wheel going up a driveway with sways and coils, then your car is oversprung.

This happens to me but all I have are Tein coilovers and stock sways. What now?????.......... I had to install my welded diff just to avoid getting stuck at certain driveways and have to either get out and push the car or drive in real fast and risk destroying my lip.

Got my answer on page 2, gotta live with it. With the diff it's not a problem though.

[racepar1]

What's your alignment settings? I found that my alignment caused/resolved most of my issues when it came to how the car handled in the turns. Specifically, I had to much camber in the back... I have since dropped the rear camber from 2.5 to 1.5 degrees and my tire pyrometer is saying that this is the right camber for my setup.

Right now I am running about 3* front camber, just over 2* rear camber, 0 front toe, and -1/16" rear toe. For the next alignment I was actually planning on running -1.5* rear camber, but I was thinking of going with 0 toe to try to help turn-in a bit. I also wanna drop the front of the car another 1/4" and take the rear down 3/8", which should help put a bit more weight on the rear of the car. I shotrened my rear trac arms so my rear suspension gains a TON of camber as it compresses so I could probably even go with less camber in the rear. I am getting to the point where I need to buy a pyrometer to tune the alignment in the rest of the way for sure.

This happens to me but all I have are Tein coilovers and stock sways. What now?????.......... I had to install my welded diff just to avoid getting stuck at certain driveways and have to either get out and push the car or drive in real fast and risk destroying my lip.

Got my answer on page 2, gotta live with it. With the diff it's not a problem though.

The REAL answer is lack of front suspension travel and lack of rear suspension droop. Neither of these issues are fixable without engineering your own suspension. Every aftermarket coilover set-up that I know of will still have that problem, even veilside's koni/GC set-up (although that would help). In the end it is probably not even possible to fix those problems without running pretty soft springs, which sacrifices handling.

[McCoy]

I lift a tire all the time going into driveways or busineses at an angle... am I oversprung, no... do I have to stiff of swaybars, no. I just don't have that much suspension droop, and I have koni 8610's in Richards housings in the rear. same as any other aftermarket JDM coilover setup. Heck, my coworker has the same issue on his 05 STI with the $3K set of ohlin coilovers.

Does this affect the car on track... no, at least not that I've seen yet. Autocross, I'm sure you'll have issues and there are ways to work around it.

Here's a good picture to illustrate...

Koni 8610's/GC hardware on left and Koni yellows with stock springs on the right.
http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/959/medium/koni_droop_left_8610.jpg

Right now I am running about 3* front camber, just over 2* rear camber, 0 front toe, and -1/16" rear toe. For the next alignment I was actually planning on running -1.5* rear camber, but I was thinking of going with 0 toe to try to help turn-in a bit. I also wanna drop the front of the car another 1/4" and take the rear down 3/8", which should help put a bit more weight on the rear of the car. I shotrened my rear trac arms so my rear suspension gains a TON of camber as it compresses so I could probably even go with less camber in the rear. I am getting to the point where I need to buy a pyrometer to tune the alignment in the rest of the way for sure.
I'm running about 1/8th toe-in in the rear, not sure how much that is helping me or not and also 1/16 toe-in up front, but that was mainly so the car didn't hunt on the hwy and a little for stability at over 140mph on the front straight of the local track.

A pyrometer is fairly inexpensive and a really good way to see if your alignment/tire pressures are right. I can tell that I don't have enough camber up front by my temps and will be taking care of that shortly.

[SoSideways]

Yeah, I was gonna say... driveways and the such is not really a good way of determining if your car is oversrpung or not.

Now, if you were on track, going through the chicane and lifting the inside wheel on both apexes, then yes, your car is way too stiff.

[McCoy]

Now, if you were on track, going through the chicane and lifting the inside wheel on both apexes, then yes, your car is way too stiff.
Or not stiff enough ;)

[racepar1]

I'm running about 1/8th toe-in in the rear, not sure how much that is helping me or not and also 1/16 toe-in up front, but that was mainly so the car didn't hunt on the hwy and a little for stability at over 140mph on the front straight of the local track.

A pyrometer is fairly inexpensive and a really good way to see if your alignment/tire pressures are right. I can tell that I don't have enough camber up front by my temps and will be taking care of that shortly.

DAMN! That's a LOT of toe!

[McCoy]

DAMN! That's a LOT of toe!
It's what Mike Komija and a few others have suggested to run on a track driven car... to help fight the throttle oversteer.

[racepar1]

It's what Mike Komija and a few others have suggested to run on a track driven car... to help fight the throttle oversteer.

It definitely does that. I used to run 1/8" toe in when I had an open diff to try to keep the inside tire from spinning. It worked, but it wore tires fast. I wanna try to tune out the on-throttle oversteer by adjusting roll stiffness and weight transfer before I take it to tons of toe. I need better shocks to truly control the weight transfer though. I plan on putting together a koni 8611 set-up next year.