Anyone got a Sway-Bar installed? Care to voice opinions???

[kaanage]

What the anti-roll bar does give you is the option of using softer springs (and damping) to help return the ride comfort without increasing body roll.

[pologti18t]

What the anti-roll bar does give you is the option of using softer springs (and damping) to help return the ride comfort without increasing body roll.

But anti roll bars are essentially "springs"? Stiff anitroll bars will not lead to comfortable overall ride.

[kaanage]

They give twice the roll stiffness vs springs of the same rate since they transfer load across the chassis while a spring will only push up on its side. Otherwise, you wouldn't bother with anti-roll bars and would just up the spring rates.

Plus there is the null rate case over speed humps that noone mentioned (stiff springs are jarring in this case - my B12 kit is a testimony to this).

[Bassik]

Coming from a DC2 with Mono Flex's and both sway and strut bars rear and front... the ride after this mod will be so minimal in comparison.

[pologti18t]

They give twice the roll stiffness vs springs of the same rate since they transfer load across the chassis while a spring will only push up on its side. Otherwise, you wouldn't bother with anti-roll bars and would just up the spring rates.

Plus there is the null rate case over speed humps that noone mentioned (stiff springs are jarring in this case - my B12 kit is a testimony to this).

That's why the bleeding edge suspension systems (BMW, Merc, Mclaren) seek to decouple the antiroll bars when not required.
The most annoying symptom of stiff roll bars on factory suspension is the increased lateral head shake feeling when driving down a straight yet uneven road (ie Oz back highways). It's becomes most uncomfortable and fatiguing after awhile.

[kaanage]

That's why the bleeding edge suspension systems (BMW, Merc, Mclaren) seek to decouple the antiroll bars when not required.
The most annoying symptom of stiff roll bars on factory suspension is the increased lateral head shake feeling when driving down a straight yet uneven road (ie Oz back highways). It's becomes most uncomfortable and fatiguing after awhile.

You're only talking about sports cars (or high performance, sports versions of normal cars) running anti-roll bars that are approaching the "solid axle conversion kit" as Carroll Smith put it . Normal cars don't run anti-roll bars anywhere near stiff enough for this to be a problem.

And the non-sports cars that run bars this stiff from the factory are those stupid SUVs which need them to prevent them wallowing all over the road. I know a former australian road-racing (motorcycle) champion who replaced a Ford Territory with a Fiesta because, with urban pot holes, the lateral pitching that you mention was giving him a sore neck.

[noone]

Aftermarket bars certainly can produce this effect.

[Bassik]

Ok well after about 2 hours of mucking around I finally got the bar installed and all I can say is WOW!!!! Driving is so much better and I wonder why they didn't install one factory fitted. Only drove about 10kms but all the normal roads I take I took it hard and body roll was so much less! And only on medium setting. I would highly recommend one!

I'll drive it for another 200kms see how it's holding up, hopefully no noises or anything!

[Whiteline]

But anti roll bars are essentially "springs"? Stiff anitroll bars will not lead to comfortable overall ride.

We disagree as the sway bars only operate when loaded in a corner so they do not affect the general ride quality and only keep the car flatter when cornering.
A good example is a rally car they have very soft and long travel suspension that you will see can take jumps and also huge bumps .These cars over normal roads have a quality of ride that you would not even feel a bump on the places we normally drive but yet they add large sway bars to keep the car flat even with that much height and suspension travel.
Sway bars are one upgrade that does not give poor ride quality.
Coilovers and stiff springs are great with matched dampening but yes will make the ride much more stiff.

The fact we are so successfull is that most of our customers are dailly drivers with maybe the odd track day so they usually fit decent size bars with OE or soft spring rates and keep good ride for dailly but great handling for the odd track day or spirited driving.
If you were to be more track orientated then you would get the coilovers with matched dampening and just slightly larger bars as you want the dampened coilover to do most of the work with just little hep with the sway bars to tune out oversteer or understeer.
We hope this helps explain how the sway bars work

[gavs]

I agree with this statement from Whiteline. I recently changed my rear bar to the stiffest setting and while I could fell the tiniest difference in the rear ride quality of the vehicle, it was to the tune of mid corner bumps. Even driving over the cobblestones in northcote felt and reacted exactly the same as medium. To truely compare, i disconnected the antiroll bar and yes, there was an ever-so-slight difference but I would not say it was clearly discernable, other than I was deliberately trying to feel for it.