Is bigger better?

[Zlishous]

Hi all,

Just wondering if bigger sway bars are better for racing?

I was going through some of my old parts and came across a 3 in. sway that i forgot i had!

So, that said, should i put it on the front or on the back or: don't put it on at all?

Thanks,

Paul

[2ManyZs]

Err, 3 inch? :cross-eye

[ZmeFly]

what did it come off of a F350ROFL

[2ManyZs]

More like a Kenworth.....

[Zlishous]

ooops,

wrong key!!!!! Meant 2!

[Brett240]

are you sure 2 inches? thats still unbelievably massive.

[Zlishous]

It is quite large, i even just went out and measured it!, I really just want some kind of advice here as to wether bigger is better or worse or whatever, can somebody offer any ADVICE here?

Thanks,

Paul

[tanny]

Maybe you mean circumference?

[Zlishous]

Yes circumfrence,

Can someone give sway bar advice and not criticize my lack of knowledge? I am sure everyone here knows better than I what i am asking.:stupid:

[2ManyZs]

I haven't seen one that was bigger than 1 7/8(280) but that doesn't mean 2 inch weren't made...

I'd say a 2 inch bar would only be good for a truly serious race car, one with all the suspension mods such as coil overs with very stiff springs and probably racing on slicks. On a street car with stock or slightly higher than stock spring rates, a bar that large is going to defeat the purpose.

If you are going to drive the car at all on the street, I wouldn't use it as it is going to effectively increase your "kidney pounding" to an unacceptable level. You will stiffen the suspension even more with a bar that large, of course, body roll will be a thing of the past....:cross-eye

You will need to increase the bar size incrementally with the up rating of your springs, ie. stock springs will work with stock bars or slightly larger, stiffer springs with slightly larger to another step larger bar....Bars like you describe would be best left to a GT car with slicks and a very stiff chassis as well as a very stiff suspension.

Think of it this way, if your springs allow the suspension to compress easily, the sway bar then is put into the equation and will effectively act as a torsion bar to try to counter act the suspension movement, if enough stress is put on the bar trying to overcome soft springs, you could end up ripping the bar mounts right out of the frame rail.

[Zlishous]

Thanks 2many, that is the knowledge i was looking for. I am only going to be using this car for racing, so sloowly but surely i will be upgrading. You are saying that i need, basically race type springs to handle a bigger bar, any suggestions? I am ordering Tokicko 5 way adjustables and would like to add good springs at the same time, so any spring advice would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks again for the help!, i obviously need it, i am feeling my way through the dark and learning on the fly.

[2ManyZs]

That's a question that can't be answered without knowing what kind of racing you are going to do.

Is it something you are planning on doing a coil-over? If not, and you are just going to use stiffer stock type springs, you probably won't need a bar that big.

Actually, you should choose your bars after choosing the spring, strut cartridge set-up...Of course, if there is a way of making this bar adjustable, then you could tune it to whatever you handling needs are after you have built the rest of the suspension and tested it to see what your handling is like....