1" sway bar ?

[NY " Z "]

Hey guys

I have a 1" front sway bar I was thinking of installing but after a better look at the job I noticed that i would have to drill holes in my frame rails to accommodate the larger bushing clamps.

Would this be a worthwhile upgrade?

[Curtis240Z]

Not if you have to drill the frame. Usually larger bars have an adaptor plate that bolts in the stock location and then they have some new holes spaced farther apart to accomadate bigger bars (which are located in board of the frame rails).

[240ZX]

If you want to try running a 1" sway bar.....go for it! Unless you want a pristine period correct Z, do what you must to install the bar. You will most likely notice an improvement with corner turn-in responce and a bit flatter overall cornering.

Tom

[jmortensen]

Sounds like the 1 1/8" Suspension Techniques bar to me. It will make a difference in how the car handles, but it will also tear the frame rail up over a period of some years. You can reinforce the frame to stop that from happening (www.baddogparts.com sells some reinforcing plates), and the car would probably handle better with a PAIR of swaybars. Making the front stiff and leaving the rear loose will make for a weird handling car.

[rxsleeper]

FWIW,

I installed a 1" or 15/16" bar years ago (c1975) on my '71. I also put on a 7/8" rear bar. I had to reinforce the frame rails in two directions. On the bottom of the frame rail and on the side. This was on a prepared autox (slalom) car that also had the offset bushings for toe/camber.

Without the reinforcement the captive nuts for the swaybar mounting were already pulling the frame apart/backing plate apart. The reinforcements fixed the problem.

Jmortensen's recommendation is right on target. W/O a rear bar the car will be really strange handling and quite loose (like the rear of a Z is not already loose).

Hope this helps and take it with a grain of salt as it was free

Paul

[240ZX]

Jon & Paul

This may be of interest to you guys. On my 1970 with 1" front bar/200 lbs springs and 3/4" rear bar/275 lbs springs I was getting a loose coming out of lower speed tight corners...which is what I mostly do while playing in the Z on the street. I decided to see what would happen by removing the rear bar, as it was a suggestion by one of the Hybridz guys. So, I removed the rear bar and the car is now tighter and can exit these tight corners much quicker. Anyway, I'm much happier with this set-up for my needs. As we all know, there are many other variables that contribute to handling as a whole.

Tom

[jmortensen]

Sounds like you were unbalanced with the rear bar on Tom. If you're loose, in general making the rear bar softer or taking it off is the right course of action. It's a little different with a bone stock Z that you put a 1 1/8" front bar on, because the bar is so stiff and rear springs are so soft that the front and rear will act really differently. This is a lot different than having stiff springs already then adding the sway bar. I can't recall the exact number off the top of my head, but I want to say that the 1 1/8" bar is 40% stiffer than a 1" bar. It's a LOT stiffer is the point.

FWIW, my Z was an understeering nightmare when I ran 250/250 springs and camber plates, so I swapped down to 200 in/lb springs in front and that made it a little better. Then a strut tower bar, and it was a lot better. Then I added a bunch of caster and that made it a lot better still. Then I lengthened the front control arms, better yet. In my eyes the car was still suffering from understeer when I parked it. But that's only me talking, and some people who drove it would probably describe it as scary loose.

[rxsleeper]

Hi guys,

You are both right on target. A lot of variables for handling and the bars are just part of the equation. "Back in the day" I had great fun with the trailing throttle oversteer in the Z. It was great to have enough torque and power to lift, sling the rear around then nail it and have it stick again!

These days I am having to relearn everything about autox since I am driving a little to no torque car (RX8). Soon though, another Z will be my play toy. The '70 in the driveway is too good to make anything other than a pretty fall day, curvy road car and I definitely want the "Z" feel again.

I may be calling on you guys for suggestions on spring rates, etc when the time comes.

Thanks for the comments

Paul

[NY " Z "]

Hey guys

Thanks for all the great information

I have always been a fan of the 240z but new to the mechanics of it.

I decided to go with the 1" bar but only after looking into some reinforcement plates and preferably adapters for the bar bushings as Jon and several others recommended.

Thanks again.

Marcio