Anti-roll bars

[Farabomb]

I touched on it in this (http://www.liquidninjas.com/bbs/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&threadid=5275) thread but I'd like to get more input so I moved it over here.

I've been reading about the affects of the rear roll bar and what I got from it was possible to have a bar that's too stiff. Most cars for the USDM are set to either understeer or neutral handling. Seems most people can't handle the rear stepping out too much. They panic, stomp the brakes and end up in the weeds. How much did the rear bar affect handling? That's the next on my list of things to do and there is a huge $$$ difference between a whiteline adj swaybar and a 18mm bar I can get off a junked WRX. I know you have a different car but the logic should be the same.

I was reading here (http://www.spdusa.com/suspensi.htm) about rear bars. Wonderful place for info BTW, scooby owner or not.

When I was reading in some Subaru forums I was going to get a nice big adj. bar and some strong endlinks. I'm still going with the solid endlinks first, it should improve the response with my stock bar. I kinda know the theory of the roll bars from playing with my RC cars but controling a car with a trigger and wheel is a little different. :) I don't mind my car being "tail happy". With years of driving rwd cars and 3-wheel ATCs I'm used to having the rear step out a little.

I'm pretty sure I don't have the LSD drivtrain from subaru (yet ;) ) so I assume I dealing with open differentials. With my current 15" steelies and tires I get a lot of understeer (seems to want to "push" through turns) and a lot of wear on the outsides of my tires. Afaik I have a 13mm bars front and rear. I don't have a "sport" model, they didn't offer any "sport" models till the RS in 99 (I think?). Anyone that has played Gran Tursimo have seen the older WRXes and STis. Japan had some crazy Scoobys back in the day but they didn't ship any of them here. :( The chassis is same just some different parts went into them.

I want to bring the supension up to WRX standards before building power into the car. The RS/WRX/wagon came with a 18mm bar and I think the new STi has a 20mm. The price difference between a bar from a junkyard and a aftermarket is enough to make me think about my options.

Just wondering about peoples experencies in seting up their supension. I know my AWD car differs a bit from a FWD or RWD but I like to listen to people's opnion before making a purchase.

[NorthernYankee]

The Sway Bar that I threw in to my Elantra is actually a bar from a 2003 Tiburon V-6 SuperSport. It is a perfect match for the suspension setup of my car with the stock front bar...previously my car had a lot of understeer and would push through turns.

Now the car will grip and will not overdteer until its at its very limits, somtimes I can actually get a 4-wheel drift going and can lift the inside rear tire off the ground.

Personally I would grab a bar off a junker car and save the cash for other mods...and if you do decide to go aftermarket don't go too far over 20mm there is a point where you can have too thick of a bar and the car will oversteer too early. But if you plan on doing the front bar too... try to get a matched set and do it all so that the car will have a nice neutral handling.

--NY

[amdrules770]

Heh, I am planning on sometime getting a 1 3/8" (thats about 35mm for you import guys) sway bar for the front of my truck. I know that it is a truck, but I plan on doing a 1"/3" lowering, and I know that a truck can handle decently well if it has a well done suspension. Just so ya know, 35mm isn't that big of a sway bar for a truck, the stock one has to be at least 20mm. I'm debating if adding a rear sway bar would be worth it on a truck. I need to make up some traction bars first to stop my wheel hop.

[unacceptable_risk]

Hi guys, ok so Fara, as I understand it, your awd system runs 50/50 front/rear, if the front wheels spin power continues to be delivered normaly to both ends, however if the rear spins up, power is robbed from them for the front, until they regain traction.

So unless you really back it into a corner and drop the clutch near apex, it will do its suby thing of arresting the slide and boosting neatly out of the other side of the corner. Fwd for a moment, as such.

the front outer tire wear suggests that you enjoy spirited, even agressive driving, but I'm not sure that equals regular sideways missions. If you really want to arc the back up sliding on exit, I would suggest checking the price at the wreckers on a complete wrx rear end, bar, lsd, shocks the lot. It will likely be worth saving up for the lot in one go.

If you rather appreciate the point and go nature of the standard setup, I would grab the bar and spend next dollars on better rims and tires. followed by front brakes and so on.

You can make a really cheap adjustable setup for your front bar in many cases. I have not done one for the impreza, usually another front stock bar from the wreckers can have the ends cut off and small brackets made up that attach the shortened one under the origional at 4 points. So you can nearly double the torsion of your front end, or by moving the bracket points, adjust the effective spring effect.

front caster camber kits should be available for your front struts, they will (when tuned) give you the turn in your missing and distribute tire wear evenly on the front. Please bear in mind, if you do this mod then drive sedately, you will wear the insides out instead.

Hmm I just remembered, the wrx diff will likely be a different ratio to yours, meaning front diff would have to be replaced at the same time. Bugger that doubles the cost. To be honest, raving sideways only lasts about 14 months in any impreza before rebuilds are required. so yeah go mild.

I am constantly amazed at what one of those cars can do in stock trim, a few tweakings here and there should be great.
Cheers, _U_R_

[unacceptable_risk]

Amdrules, the swaybar will reduce tramp itself, but its a rude thing to ask of it unassisted. it would really show its benefit with a heavy load on back.

I wish I had a truck, I would tow cars around with it.

Have fun..._U_R_

[amdrules770]

ah, I see what you are saying. Yea, I have too much fun in my truck. I went offroading over a 1foot tall grass mound in my friends front yard, I doubt a car would appreciate that too much :D