BostonDMD

could someone briefly explain the way the sway bars work and how changing settings affects the feel of a P- car? (Specific 911 explanations even more appreciated)

I just had a whole new suspension set up with Smart Racing adjustable sway bars and torsion bars....

I am taking the car to the track in a couple of weeks with the mechanic to fine tune her and I would like to be "somewhat" educated about it......

Thank fellows.....I know I can count on you..........

BrianKeithSmith

Just bolt 'em on for looks, but unhook them when you get to the track

(that's what I do)

BostonDMD

Nice car......ball buster.......

kurt M

They connect the right and left side wheels together. Less but still works, is better than more.
Rough ramblings.... In a corner the sway bar uses inside springs to keep the body from leaning over. This changes the traction. If your car has too much sway bar at one end that end will be more likely to break loose as the other end is more compliant and better able to hug both tires on the road. Examples, too much front bar will make a 911 understeer (push). Too much rear bar will increase the tendency to oversteer. What feels like too much bar can also be too little bar at the other end. Thats why I like to work on the body action first. I like to start full loose on both ends unless I have a base line already. (Full loose is the drop link at the far end of the adjustment arm from the bar) I add (move the drop link on the arm towards the bar) bar evenly to both ends as needed to control the body. After the body feels settled and set in the corners I use the sways (and other tweaks) to dial in the fine handling. Removing or adding bar to one end acts on the other end too. If the front is pushing adding rear bar will reduce the push. If the rear is stepping out adding front bar will help plant it. Until you have it fine tuned move in big steps. If full loose and the car pushes add ½ the total adjustment and try again. Some people make little tiny movements and spend all their time trying to see if they can even feel the change. Go ½ with each movement. Half of total and test. If still pushing or whatever ½ of the remaining adjustment and so on. There is SO much more to this!

Sways are not for fixing gross handling issues. Doing so will only mask or move the problems around. They are not a replacement for proper springs.


There is lots of good reading already typed on this basic all platforms subject. Any of the pro authored tomes on this subject can give you a solid base of knowledge to build on rather than having to sift through the above kind of blather. I would read up on the basics and then come back with the drill down questions.Atleast you can get some of the fancy words to toss out at the mechanic when you get out of the car hand your helment to the waiting attendant and walk off to the toter.

BostonDMD

I like your choice of words.......

kurt M

sometimes tired overused corp speak plays well to the audience.

Bryan Watts

Ultimately, anti-roll bars (a car doesn't really sway...it rolls) are a simple and quick means of adjusting the spring rate slightly on the front or rear to effect the handling balance of the car. The downside is that it makes the suspension less independent. The upside is that it only "increases" the spring rate while turning and not while encountering bumps in a straight line.

DaveM993

Another thought...

bumpy track....bigger sway bar (overall), smaller spring (overall)
smooth track....smaller sway bar (overall), bigger spring (overall)

...or did I get that backwards?

YMMV.

bobt993

Paolo,

Start in the middle on both. Use the front bar for corner entry, rear for exit to minimize understeer............... on second thought just leave them in the middle.

Van

Sway bars are a tool you can use to adjust the over/under-steer properties of a car mid-corner.

SundayDriver

Big ARB and bumps tends towards a very twitchy car. You usually use shock adjustments to deal with more or less bumpy tracks.

Z-man

'Zactly.

Need to dial in more understeer? Get a bigger FRONT sway bar, or stiffen the bar up if it is adjustable. (Lessen the distance between the end point of the swaybar to stiffen it up. IE: if there are two bolt holes in the bar on either end, then use the two inner bolts to stiffen it up.

Need to dial in more oversteer? Get a bigger REAR sway bar, or stiffen the rear swaybar, if it is adjustable.

-Z-man.

Bryan Watts

While keeping in mind that it doesn't always work that way. Especially on front strut suspensions, a little more bar (or spring) can often add grip. Gotta be familiar with your car and the specific changes it requires.

F350Lawman

I love my SRP bars. I have the 27mm bars front and rear, very nice. My mechanic set them up trial and error to get the car a neutral as possible. On my car, I think the original setup, we ended up with was 1 looser than the middle setting all around.

One note, while the SRP bars are great, but their fasteners stink. Everything rusted and corroded in 1 years time. I have them off now while I am having the engine done. I am going to replace everything with some corrosion proof, grade hardware. It's a real pain to have an adjustable bar and then have the fasteners frozen on.

Larry Herman

Yeah, that's one of the things that I really do not understand why it happens, but I know it does. Probably something to do with camber and tire patch. Can you shed any light on it?