So how common was the 34mm hollaow anyway? I just assumed most were solid and that is was more the 36 hollow but then I have no clue.

Also, how do you differentiate between the 34 solid and 34 hollow? I saw 3 at the wreckers today (and want a solid) but don't know which they are. I read something about drain holes but don't know where. I did notice a small hole (about 2mm) right by the bushing end link...right where the bar starts to go round. This was on all 3 bars, two had them on the top and one had them on the bottom.

thanks.

 

Anyone? WHere they more common than solid? Are those hole by the endlinks the way youdifferentiate between the two?

 

I think the solid 34 is only aftermarket. I am not certain where the holes would be but if there are holes I would think they were hollow.

 

Correct. That and the fact the hollow bar weighs 1/2 as much as a solid one.

 

ok, thanks. But how common were the 34 solids?? Was it mostly hollows?

From the engineering calculations in another thread it seems as though the 34 hollow is barely stiffer than the 32 solid so it is probably not worth it.

 

It is worth it because you take off the extra weight. I went from 32 solid to 34 hollow and could not tell the difference in stiffness. If you want it stiffer try and find a 36mm hollow one.

 

Try some of the earlier models - 82 to 85 Hi-Performance suspensions for the 34mm solid sway bar. My 84Z came with a 34mm solid, and I replaced it with a 36mm hollow. In the rear I had a 24mm solid which I replaced with a 28mm solid off of a 89Z ws6. ~Ed~

 

28mm?!? where can i get that? spohn sells a 25mm and thats the biggest ive seen. correct me if im wrong, but i dont think any 3rd gens came w/ such a huge rear bar...

 

My 84 Z came with 32mm solid front and 23mm rear. I have never seen or heard of a 28mm for the rear, and can think of no reason to use one.

 

The 28mm rear bar is a rare find indeed. They were on a few, very few WS6 cars from 88 and up (I've only seen two). The 28mm in the rear does stiffen up the suspension for the road racing that I do. With the 36 Hollow in front, and the 28 solid in the rear now all I work with are tire pressures, and an occasional spring rubber or two, at different tracks.

 

When you say spring rubber, are you referring to the isolaters? If so, why would you need to shange them out?

 

Not to be the pessimist that I am, but I would like to see pics of a mic around that 28mm bar.

 

Let me see if I can accomodate all with a pic. of a 28mm rear sway. I have a cheep crummy mike here, but let me see if I can find a good one to eliminate the sceptics. That's all Ok as these bars are so rare I do not dought that they are many out there who have never thought they existed. I will have to yank the bar out to get better shots of it also, and it may take a couple of days to borrow a better mike, but I will do this. I do not have the time right now as I'm headed out for the Weekend - maybe Sunday late I can get a good shot with the crummy mike -

~Ed~

 

My formula has the hollow 36 up front and 28 solid in the rear. It's all factory too.

 

Well you can go ahead and post your pics with a mic too.

If two different people can post actual irrefutable evidence of this illusive 28mm rear bar (i.e. pics with a mic wrapped around it), I will be a believer!! Until then, I still call

 

i agree. a solid 28mm would be awesome. i'd buy it off you for autocross if it really is 28mm, but until its proven i agree w/ lo-tec

 

ok i got the pics of a 28mm rear bar! email me if anyone wants to see or i'll post em if someone shows me how.

 

A Spring rubber is not any thing like a rubber isolator. A spring rubber looks like a twisted thick arrowhead (Round point, and about ¾“ thick). One can screw them into the springs to make for a stiffer spring - That particular coil on the spring will not flex as much with a spring rubber screwed into it. One on one side, and another on the opposite side makes the spring much stiffer.

--------------------------------------

I took a couple of pics of the 28mm sway bar with the mike (Cheep thumb caliper) around it, but none of the pictures came out to see the fine measurements - will try something else soon. Ed.

 

Spohn makes a solid 34mm rear bar (Huge at 1 5/16") for drag cars. Spohn Performance, Inc.

It's a little pricey, but it's definately big enough.

 

wow thx for the pics? know anyone who wants to sell their 28mm?

 

this is the first ive ever heard of a 28mm bar. That picture with the caliper proves nothing to be, I remain skeptical as well. You can make out the measurement on that bar.

Also you may want to measure the bar in a section where the bushings dont ride. That particular section can build up with rubber that is practically petrified. The area can also pit pretty badly.

36/24 bars are the largest factory bars I am aware of. And by most recommendations 24mm tend to be a bit much in a handling situation.

 

a guy sent me a pic of his swaybar w/ a 1 1/16 wrench around it. thats roughly 28mm. how do you mean it's too much in the handling department? what if you've got stiff shocks and springs? is it still too much then? im looking for more rear bar so that it doesnt slide out of all the corners when i autocross.

 

The rear end sliding? If so, you want to go smaller on the rear bar, not bigger. Bigger would make it even worse.

 

Stiffer springs tend to benefit from a smaller bar. Of course with suspensions driver technique and feel has a big pull on what is 'best'.

 

If the car now understears (pushes - front off the road) then fit a larger rear bar. If the car over steers (Backwards off the road) then go for a smaller bar.
Play with the tire pressures to find out what your car likes - it's cheep. High front pressure, and low rear pressure reduces over steer - the opposite is - low front, and high rear gives under steer. If your car responds to either then it's doing the opposite. A cheep tuning tool... ~Ed~

 

I have fairly stiff springs 800#/175# I also have Koni SA shocks. My front bar is stock 36mm and the rear was a 24. The car was great on track days but awful for autocross. I installed a 19mm bar and I am much happier with the balance for autocross. It has just a slight push which is better (and safer)than the massive oversteer that it had. 28mm would be nice for drag racing or if you had stock rear springs with really stiff front springs (like 1000#)

 

Ok cocacolakidd, I have couple questions:

1-If you have lowering springs and used some spring rubbers, then wouldn't that raise your ride height?

2-I have sprint 1"3/4 lowering springs (don't know the stats, sprint won't tell me), and I'm thinking of going with some Bilstein HDs. This is a street car, not drag or autocross, what would be my best option for sway bars to match the springs/shocks for the best overall handling?--Spohn 34/25, BMR 32/21 or something else???

 

Without knowing your spring rate you cant really guess what sway bars will be right. How does it handle with the stock bars? What size are they? How will it handle with good shocks? Shocks can make a huge difference while sway bars are usually used for fine tuning the handling.

Answer those questions and you'll get better recomendations.

 

I don't know the size of the stock sway bars, the car is a 84' v6. Although, the sway bars are probably the only thing left on the car that are stock. It now has a 95 lt1 engine and 4l60e transmission, along with countless other mods.

 

Well the first things to do is get as much information on the car as it is. Actual caliper measurement of the sway bars is good information. Sometimes one has to remove a spring or more and have them measured for pounds/tension. Have you had your car on a track to tell if it is tight or loose? This will tell you where to start from. I have gone through three sets of front springs , two sets of rear springs, several sway bars, and presently have Billsteins at all corners. All four of my springs have a different spring weight. The front being heavier than the rear, but also the right side springs (front and rear) are slightly less than the left side springs- Some of it is trial and error, but the main thing is a starting point. How is it handeling now, and with what equipment.

Wonderbars, subframe connectors, and strut tower bars also help to keep the car straight, and true without all of the flex that a thirdgen is famous for.

Spring rubbers do raise the ride height, and spring tension - I have a lowered car, so when I'm road racing my car handles better with two spring rubbers in each of the rear springs. This raises my rear approx 1/4" and gives a slight rake. This not only helps the handeling, but adds slightly to the downforce of the car.

~Ed~

 

Well I will measure with a good calipers and hopefully I can get a picture to come out that you can read the calipers. I will take a picture regardless and I might have a 24mm, but I always that it was 28mm..so I could be wrong. I won't be able to take a picture until tomorrow.

 

You may also want to check all of your OEM Codes. Most Third Gens. spring rates are in the OEM Codes. That is if they are the original springs from the factory.

~Ed~

 

Yeah on those OEM codes....well I don't have any. The ones that are supposed to be under the lid to the console are not with the car anymore. Someone before me threw away the console lid. The ones that are supposed to be on the driver's side door, well the sticker is long gone and if there was any possibility of them being in the rear cargo container have been gotten rid of. So I have to find out what my car was supposed to have the hard way. Just get around and look. At least I do know that the engine is a 350 and it does have the correct VIN number in 3 different spots.

 

Well hang in there Blue J - I'm sure you will get it figured out soon enough. If there is a place close to you where you can legally, and safely check it out, you can go with the trial and error method. See what the car wants to do now, then add or subtract from that. If you can push it to the limits the car will show you what it wants to do.

~Ed~

 

cocacolakidd, these are the mods so far...
Suspension:
§ Lee’s custom built power steering box (12.1 ratio, 20lb NB, flat race, white cadmium plated)
§ Lee’s custom built Lt1 power steering pump (flow matched to box)
§ Flaming River steering shaft
§ Spohn adjustable tubular steering support brace
§ Spohn tubular sub-frame connectors
§ Lakewood lower control arms with polyurethane bushings
§ Spohn lower control arm relocation brackets
§ Lakewood adjustable panhard rod with poly bushings
§ Jegs lowering bracket for panhard rod
§ Sprint 1 ¾” lowering springs
§ KYB Gas-A-Just shocks and struts
§ Energy Suspension Hyper-Flex polyurethane bushing master set
§ Energy Suspension low profile bump stops

 

Well I feel like a Donkey. Crawled under her on Sunday with the Calipers and then took the numbers that it read to a conversion sheet and found out sure enough I do have a 24mm rear swaybar, but I do have the hollow 36mm up front.

 

Hello Blue J,

Well it sounds like you are probably set up to go racing. I think you will find that the 1 3/4" lowering springs are allot stiffer than std./stock/OEM type - even ws6. So now play with the formulas above for the sway bars, and do not forget about the tire pressures. ~Ed~