Upgraded Sway Bars with Stock Dampers and Springs
- Thread starter KevB
- Start date
I have not done this yet but any upgrade of the sway bars is a win! Better cornering and better braking. Less body roll, and less nose dive. If you wanted to go a step further, get lowering springs and run them with stock struts/shocks and win again with lower center of gravity.
got snake?
Member
Kev8,
The only modification I have made to my car was a Corksport REAR swaybar and brakes. I'm thinking of doing the front sway bar depending on how thick it is. I don't want to counter my progress!
Prior to this change I tracked the car full stock. It was a WHALE. Lots of body roll. I felt like I had to wait forever before turning into the next corner due to the body roll. With the simple sway bar the rear is more "connected" to the front of the car. Kinda hard to explain. It's a seat of your pants thing. The best part was that it reduced the understeer and body roll. I had more control over the back end and could get it to swing out as needed.
The only modification I have made to my car was a Corksport REAR swaybar and brakes. I'm thinking of doing the front sway bar depending on how thick it is. I don't want to counter my progress!
Prior to this change I tracked the car full stock. It was a WHALE. Lots of body roll. I felt like I had to wait forever before turning into the next corner due to the body roll. With the simple sway bar the rear is more "connected" to the front of the car. Kinda hard to explain. It's a seat of your pants thing. The best part was that it reduced the understeer and body roll. I had more control over the back end and could get it to swing out as needed.
Previously I owned a '03 VW GTI 1.8T that I tracked twice and autox'd about six times, all in stock trim. I eventually upgraded the rear sway bar and threw on a set of Eibach coilovers. Unfortunately I only had that set-up for a few months and never made it to a track or autox before parting out the car and buying a Full-size SUV.
I understand the seat of the pants feeling as I had the sway bar for about a month before throwing on the coilovers.
If you are serious about tracking the car I would suggest a couple things; #1, hit up the local autox events. You don't get the high speed fun of a road course, but you'll really learn the capabilites of the car and yourself. #2, invest in some wheels and tires specifically for racing. I driven both with and without race tires, and they make a world of difference. You'll still have body roll, but the car will stick so much better and be more responsive.
Unfortuantely you've already thrown on the rear sway bar, so you'd be out of the stock classes for most sanctioning bodies. Meaning if you were to autox or do time trials, you'd be matched up against extensiively modded cars. I'm sure you'd still have a blast, but don't expect to have competitve times.
As far as upgrading the front sway bar, most vendors develop sway bars as sets and are ment to be used together. By stiffening the front you may lose some of the ability to easily rotate the car in low speed corners, but gain stability in higher speed turns. When I first started autox'ing the GTI, I tossed around the idea of ditching the stock front sway bar to change the balance of the car.
Thanks for the response and have fun at the track!
I understand the seat of the pants feeling as I had the sway bar for about a month before throwing on the coilovers.
If you are serious about tracking the car I would suggest a couple things; #1, hit up the local autox events. You don't get the high speed fun of a road course, but you'll really learn the capabilites of the car and yourself. #2, invest in some wheels and tires specifically for racing. I driven both with and without race tires, and they make a world of difference. You'll still have body roll, but the car will stick so much better and be more responsive.
Unfortuantely you've already thrown on the rear sway bar, so you'd be out of the stock classes for most sanctioning bodies. Meaning if you were to autox or do time trials, you'd be matched up against extensiively modded cars. I'm sure you'd still have a blast, but don't expect to have competitve times.
As far as upgrading the front sway bar, most vendors develop sway bars as sets and are ment to be used together. By stiffening the front you may lose some of the ability to easily rotate the car in low speed corners, but gain stability in higher speed turns. When I first started autox'ing the GTI, I tossed around the idea of ditching the stock front sway bar to change the balance of the car.
Thanks for the response and have fun at the track!
MzThr33_2.3
Member
- :
- 2006 Mazda3 s 2.3 Speed6 wheels and alot more!!
I installed just the sway bar before i put on the pro kit, and all i can say is it will impress you more then lowering the car. but that in combination with lowering the car 
Definitely do the sways. It will only help. Besides, nothing stops you from doing struts/springs later. However, doing all at once will make the car feel "woah" - huge difference.
(stoned) (rlaugh)
mwinterhawk
Member
- :
- 2003 Protege5
If anyone has the stock springs i need them i bought a p5 and it is lowered and i don't like it
