Doppelganger

Hi all, ive read up on recommendations and ive seen that sway bars work well at 36mm front and 22mm rear. No one ive seen does tnese 2 as a kit so I was looking at Hotchkis front at 36mm and the Spohn rear at 22mm but..... ive just crawled out from under my bird and its got 32mm front (so well worth changing to the Hotchkis front) but the rear is 21.3mm. Is there really any justification in changing the rear? Size wise I can't see it i'm just wondering about the composition and whether the 22mm Spohn is a tougher steel compared to the standard issue bar.

Or should I keep the rear and get a WS6 36mm front bar?

Any thoughts and advice and your own experiences are very welcome.

427seven

Depends what you want to use the car for. I would wait until you have the power upgrades finished, the rear bar you have now will suffice. If you make suspension changes, and then add a different power dynamic, you will likely have to change again. Bigger isn't always better, bc these cars are generally front heavy, and used on the street, you need to have enough compliance in the suspension to compromise the handling and the comfort. If you over power a front heavy car and add a big rear bar, you will just oversteer all the time, not safe..... My advice, wait, then tune with the rear bar.

Necron

iTrader: (1)

I would upgrade the front sway bar as you stated and just leave the rear alone for now like seven said. The rear bar would be one of your last tuning pieces for your goals. A lot of guys drop there rear size for handling specifically when there spring rates are set etc.

Aviator857

I've always thought the ws6 sway bars were more than enough for anything you are going to do on the street. Especially if you have good struts/shocks and springs. With one difference, new end links and new bushings on the mounts. If your car doesn't have one add a wonder-bar to the front also.

With that said, the diameter of a stock part isn't a direct comparison to an aftermarket part. The ws6 front sway bar is hollow and quite thin tubed (so it weighs very little), there are solid front sway bars out there that are smaller in diameter but with a higher spring/anti-twist force. I really wish the sway bars were listed by spring force or ft-lb resistance at the end links and weight not by the diameter of the bar...

The one benefit to replacing the rear sway bar is they can develop a twist from constant hard launches over the years, or if the car has ever sit for a while with a flat tire (yea ask me how I know that).

I would buy better or box your lower control arms and buy a better pan-hard bar before the sway bars. Then sub frame connect the car.

Now if you are drag-racing with 1000hp or so then put the biggest sway bar on the rear that you can, it will make the car launch straighter, but can also make it not hook up as well so then you have to rework the geometry... before you know it your build thread will look like 427seven's

Doppelganger

Thanks guys. So far ive got Koni adjustables all round (rears were delivered today from summit) and vogtland springs. Subframe connectors and a wonder bar (amazed at how much stiffer it felt and the lack of rattles was incredible). New tubular lower arms and Panhard rod are on their way. Also a polybush for the torque arm which I may stiffen. I think i'm gonna get some new sway bar links for the rear and see if I can find a ws6 swaybar for the front. If that doesnt seem enough then i'll spring (no pun intended) for the Hotchkis.