Installed Hotchkis Swaybars, Impressions and Tips.

[speed3shon]

The rears take about 20 min. very easy, so i wont comment much on that.

it took me about 2 hours to do the front today. kurt (subparpunk) was a huge help. couldnt have done it without him. but the hardest part is the drivers side swaybar bracket bolt... the front one is in just a pain to reach spot (i used a open ended socket wrench, and a rubber mallet to break it loose, then a swivel/extension combo to get it out.)

at one point i thought i broke my hand, lost a bit of blood (passenger side swaybar bracket).. then another point i lost some skin on both arms.. (drivers side swaybar bracket)

My impressions of the bars are good. Its hard to make whats good better, and hotchkis did that. the stock swaybars are stiff, and handle well. when you hit a turn the car cuts where you want it to go, rolls, and then finally goes where you want to go. with the hotchkis bars it cuts, and goes... no roll. this is on the stock springs and shocks (debating on coilovers or cobb springs).

hope this helps, feel free to PM me any install questions... ill give you what tips i can.

 

[BSTD3]

Who'd you get the Hotchkis sways from?

 

[speed3shon]

JSC Speed, They are an authorized vendor in the marketplace, and he absolutely creamed everyone elses prices...

-Sean

 

[Yoo Shin]

Hotchkis still makes their sways hollow right? Bigger bars can add a bit of weight but bigger/stiffer bars that are lighter then stock is a big plus.

 

[speed3shon]

yes, they are hollow.

They did seem lighter than the stock swaybars. no concrete answer though.

 

[Kain]

On my last car (which had a solid rear axle), I put just a rear sway bar and set it at 100% stiff. I was soon fishtailing like a prize bass in a boat from lift-throttle deceleration. So in fear of dying, I installed a lower tie bar a week later to connect the front control arms and it was very neutral. Because of this, I'm wary of just installing a rear sway bar alone. Would you recommend putting it on full stiff without any additional front bars?

 

[speed3shon]

I have noticed that in tight turns the front swaybar does in fact rub the axles, just as the cobb is known to.

In fact, i wouldnt be suprised if they are the same bar, the instructions are identical, word for word.

 

[speed3shon]

On my last car (which had a solid rear axle), I put just a rear sway bar and set it at 100% stiff. I was soon fishtailing like a prize bass in a boat from lift-throttle deceleration. So in fear of dying, I installed a lower tie bar a week later to connect the front control arms and it was very neutral. Because of this, I'm wary of just installing a rear sway bar alone. Would you recommend putting it on full stiff without any additional front bars?

Im assuming your SRA car was also RWD?

they have completely different handling characteristics. I had just a rear swaybar on my audi, and in combination with the spring/strut combo i had (eibach/bilstein) it was veeery predictable.

 

[Kain]

Im assuming your SRA car was also RWD?

Newp, front wheel drive, just like the MS3.

 

[ericrapp]

The rears take about 20 min. very easy, so i wont comment much on that.

it took me about 2 hours to do the front today. kurt (subparpunk) was a huge help. couldnt have done it without him. but the hardest part is the drivers side swaybar bracket bolt... the front one is in just a pain to reach spot (i used a open ended socket wrench, and a rubber mallet to break it loose, then a swivel/extension combo to get it out.)

at one point i thought i broke my hand, lost a bit of blood (passenger side swaybar bracket).. then another point i lost some skin on both arms.. (drivers side swaybar bracket)

My impressions of the bars are good. Its hard to make whats good better, and hotchkis did that. the stock swaybars are stiff, and handle well. when you hit a turn the car cuts where you want it to go, rolls, and then finally goes where you want to go. with the hotchkis bars it cuts, and goes... no roll. this is on the stock springs and shocks (debating on coilovers or cobb springs).

hope this helps, feel free to PM me any install questions... ill give you what tips i can.

Thanks for the access to pm you. I am asking for help on the fronts. I have not ordered springs so I am about 3 weeks away from some good bloodletting. I am sure the downpipe left blood on the firewall, and a scar. The Ic has a bit on hot side piping, a drip here and there anytime I work on car. Think I bled changing plugs! I will need support that weekend Thanks