OK, I've been trying to read as much as possible about swaybars, but I'm coming up short. Here's my suspension so far:
Eibach Prokit springs
Tokico shocks
UMI SFCs, Panhard, LCAs and relos
UMI adjustable torque arm

Everyone "talks" about getting bigger swaybars, but from what I can tell, unless your suspension is bone stock, it's more about swaybar balance from front to back than it is about size. (for a street car anyway). That being said, there's obviously no one right answer. Even from the factory, there's multiple different set ups for the Iroc. What's the reason for this? I could see sacrificing some ride quality for 1LE cars, but those are few and far between. I haven't jumped under the car yet to measure my stock 89 swaybars so I know I'll need to do that.

I guess what I'm kinda looking for is some real world feedback about what some of you guys have done. I don't race, but I love taking the car out on a sunny day and driving it hard. It currently handles great, but for the relatively low cost and ease of installation, I'd hate to miss that boat. Without getting into some of the more race specific parts, the swaybars are one of the last pieces to my suspension that I haven't addresed. Maybe I don't need anything. I'm just looking for some thoughts and ideas.

Thanks

 

In the most average instance of putting swaybars on these cars it is consesus that a person use the largest swaybar on the front of the car possible- meaning the common 36mm front swaybar.

Why? Because we have a possitive roll rate and a fiarly heavy one at that which is increased as the car is lowered and the RC (roll center) in the front dives as well and is not corrected making for even more positive roll leverage than factory. Things like alumin heads and fiberglass hoods etc all help reduce the positive upper roll weight but a larger bar is still beneficial even with those in just about most cases I have seen.

I had the only instance where I saw a largest front bar was inapropriate because I actually had a very light weght nosed V6 with altered RC's and roll axis and was maxed out on my rear swaybar of a solid 25mm bar, thus I ran a slightly smaller 34mm front bar. I later through a few other mods and adjustments went down to a 23mm rear bar where as I probably if owned one would have been well off running the 36mm front and 25mm rear instead of the 34mm front and 23mm rear- but again this was an extensively modified V6 weight bias car.

The front 36mm bar is a standard performance addition that should in my opinion be on any V8 car. The question at the table is what rear bar to match it with is determined by what car weight bias, tire size, shock valving, rearend carrier, sprinmg rates and types, rear steer settings, alignment settings, and most of all what chassis bracing the car has done. The less the bracing the bigger the rear bar can be used and vica versa.

Types of roads drivinen on and driving style will also come into play.

With all that info in mind- the rear bar range on a slighlty built lowered 3rd gen V8 car is on average betten a 17mm and 23 mm bar range. An adjustable rear bar is rear the ideal purchase as well as how you postion the rear bar axle mount clamps. Positioning the clamps inward as much as possible softens the rear bar where as spreading the mounts out as much as possible strengthens the rear bars effects- Just make sure both sides are equal mount differences from the center diff and not non symmetrical in any mounting perameter (meaning for and aft as well as spread). The stock rearends have mount postion tabs welded to the axle- I ground mine off and use the spread of the axle for bar adjustment fine tuning. I have also played with this adjustment on a few local members rides at various tracks.

 

I would trry 36mm front/ 22mm rear with axle mounts in center position and adjust front there accordingly as I decribed in my post above if you are on factory wheels and tire sizes and the LCA's are parallel at stagnant height

More mods 'generally' will decrease the rear bar size.

Edit- bst bang for your buck would be to just first leave what ever rear sway bar you have alone and buy a 36mm front bar to see where you stand in feel. If it doiesn;t feel right then go up or down from the current rear bar size as we will see fit based on your feedback.

 

I knew Vetruck would have an answer! And a damn good one!

But in my case, as great as it all sounds when reading it, I need an emoticon here that has the smiley face, with his hand running over his head (because all that just went over mine). But I am glad someone 'speaks the language'!

 

Vetruck, I appreciate the info. I've read a good bit from your previous posts on the subject. ....moving the clamps inward to tune the rear! What an obvious tool for tweaking! Makes perfect sense, although I never woulda thought about it had you not mentioned it.

Most of what you said makes sense, although I'm by no means an expert. suspension is fascinating to me, and I'm trying to learn as much as I can.

Thanks!

 

If you don't get enough adjustment to balance out the car from moving your clamps Hellwig makes an adjustable rear bar now. For reference I'm at 36/21

 

OK, just got home and measured. 36mm up front and around 23.5mm outback. Probably 24mm since it's stock, right? .....so I'm thinking that maybe I pick up a set of the axle clamps and just play with what I have. Sound plan?

....so what sizes came stock on the upper end models like WS6, F41, Z28, 1LE etc. etc. Do I have an RPO for my combo?

 

I believe 36/24 is the biggest combo that came from the factory. Sounds like you lucked out.

 

Checked my RPO's, and I've got FE2. According to an old post by Ed Miller, in 1989, that means 36/21. I re-measured, and it measures anywhere from 22.7 to 23.7 That's reaching my arm under the car with the calipers, then doing the inches to mm conversion. Next time I'm under there I'll get a better measurement, but it's def. not 21mm.

....I've got the ES endlinks on both, but I'm gonna get some ES mounting bushings for each as well. ...and the axle tube clamps. Gonna get under the car, retighten/inspect the suspension, remeasure my pinion angle, grease it up and do some test and tuning.

...to bad my stock seats suck! The car is on rails, but I'm hanging on the wheel for dear life!!!!!

 

That seems strange, I am not aware of any Camaro's getting the 36mm bar stock. Have you owned the car since new? Are you measuring the bar at the bushing? My '87 FE2 came with 34/23.

 

Maybe there's crud accumulated where you are measuring? I know mine had quite a bit of 'buildup' on them, I scraped them down with a razor blade and brake cleaner to get to the bare metal to get an accurate measurement.

 

From what I can tell (without finding Ed's post again) several of the later year F bods had the FE2 with the 36mm. I don't think the earlier years had the 36mm with the FE2, as you've pointed out with your 87.

I was able to get a real good clean measurement up front. That back however, not so much, which is why I'm not 100% sure if it's 23 or 24.

 

Some Camaros, 89-92, and some Birds, 86-92, were equipped with the hollow 36mm/solid 24 combo.

36mm GM 14094344
24mm GM 10035033

JamesC

 

You learn something new every day.

 

What is the danger or disadvantage of using a larger rear sway bar on a car that has moderate to major suspension work already done? Let's say subframe connectors, rod end PHB/LCA, and Koni with performance springs?

 

Depends where your roll centers are. Whats your mid corner balance? If you are tight, then add a larger bar. If that does not work then renuetralize the swaybar size and go to larger springs in the tight end of the car and try again playing with swaybar size to fine tune corner steady state.

 

I know a few guys who do Solo 2 and run a 36/19 or 36/21 combo. They feel the smaller bar helps the rear plant better in the corners (weight transfer).

I have a 36/24 combo but haven't had a chance to get it out on the road to see how all the suspension mods feel.

I'm sure tires are an important factor as well.