Front Sway Barless

[Majyk]

This is something I've yet to see in the Mazda community, is there anybody not running a front sway bar on the Protege? I have a buddy with a Scion XB that ditched his during his last go around with tuning his suspension. I read into it a little bit and Volkswagen doesn't run one on their autox Golf and GM doesn't run one on their time attack Colbalt SS. Is there anybody not running one or have a good reason why it would be a bad idea to ditch it.

 

[tweety2300]

I had an end link break so I went without one for a few days, handled like s***. Lots of body roll and wanted to walk to the outside of turns.

 

[Majyk]

Hmm, interesting. I've read that before with Proteges. I've also read that people have had them break and never noticed until they saw it while fixing something else on the car. Everything I gather is that it should create more oversteer.

 

[Knox Joe]

There is so much more grip with no front sway bar. Removing the bar allows the wheels to move more independently, therefore planting the tires more when the suspension is being compressed. It works great in auto-x, and the mountains from my experience. Most of the time, the people running it like that have the spring rates to compensate for running without the bar. The only difference I have noticed is the steering feels sluggish, and it makes the stering wheel a little harder to turn.

 

[Majyk]

Thanks, Knox Joe, thats what I was waiting for. That is what I read about just about everywhere. It makes sence on a FWD car to want a little extra sway out of the front to keep both front wheels planted a little better. Do you daily drive you car with no front sway? If so any complaints?

 

[Knox Joe]

Like I said, the steering is just not as sharp on turn-in, as it would be with the bar, but keeping the tires planted was more important to me. I don't DD it, so I can't say wether it would be bothersome ore not, but i don't see any downside as long as you're not a 100lb weakling. I mean, it still has power steering, so it's not all that bad, even at parking lot speeds.

I do have the front sway hooked back up, as I was experimenting with the suspension, and last time I just left it on. It's just four bolts to disconnect it though.

 

[tweety2300]

Maybe it's because my rear sway bar isn't hooked up? I hated how it handled

 

[Majyk]

That might be it, tweety2300. That would be allowing quite a lot of body roll. But I have heard similar complaints on my search for people just not running the front sway. It just made me really curious.

 

[protegedude25]

dont do it. i tried it suxks bad in turns.