Help with sway bars

[Sci-Fi]

quote:Originally posted by turbomangt

I posted this on the suspension section put little traffic there to respond. Can someone comment on where to buy the sway bars, and do we need the front as well (seeing we already have one there) I was quoted $429 on a set Not installed. It sounded high. feedback anyone? Gary

The going price for a F/R matched set is about $300 and if you need the rear sway bar installation kit, add another ~$100. What brand are you looking at? H&R anti sway bars will cost the most ($224.10 for the front bar and $179.10 for the rear bar). Eibach is the most popular at the moment. Progress Technology was the sway bar set most PT owners got when the PT first was introduced. Visit my website and see the various anti-sway bars that are available and the part numbers:
http://sci-fi.ptenthusiasts.net/photo6.html

Addco can be ordered locally through your local PEP Boys and is a long time and respected sway bar manufactorer. Price will run about $300 or less for the set, but you have to order each bar separately.

Note: many people talk about the diameter of the bar, larger being better, *BUT* the materials used or chosen by the manufactorer is more important. Better alloys can result in a smaller diameter, lighter in weight sway bar that matches or even exceeds the performance of the larger diameter bars using less expensive metal alloys. Some sway bars are not solid bars but are hollow, so read up on which bar you are interested in. The larger diameter may be necessary to get the desired handling if the sway bar is hollow. A larger diameter and/or stiffer bar may also cause other problems or excessive stress on parts, like breaking the rear end links. If you are racing then it's not a problem since the car is usually torn down after every race and parts are inspected and replaced routinely. Look at how many racers retired because they have broken their sway bars or links during any race. For a daily driver, one has to make a choice what is better for the long term or what they personally prefer. Also some bars are formed (cold or hot) as one piece with forged ends. Those are the strongest and longer lasting than bars with "welded" ends.

A few url's or comments below (do a search for more retailers):

Eibach (cold-formed, high-strength aircraft-grade steel):
http://www.ultrarev.com/ecart/shopdi...iser&Year=2002

H&R (special 50CrV4 spring steel, bushings made of special urethane/teflon composite):
http://www.jdmautogames.com/index_1646_3188.html

Hellwig (hot formed and heat treated 4140 chrome moly steel, generally priced lower than other makes)

Intrax (includes greasable fittings/bushings)

Suspension Technique (largest diameter bars available, but many imports use reinforcing/replacement brackets to handle the extra stress)

Mopar Performance Stage One (KW designed and made exclusively for Mopar)

[turbomangt]

Sci Fi, did we need to replace the front bar? what bars do you recommend, my car is an occassional driver, no racing, just cruising. Gary

[Sci-Fi]

quote:Originally posted by turbomangt

Sci Fi, did we need to replace the front bar? what bars do you recommend, my car is an occasional driver, no racing, just cruising. Gary

I would change the front. The rate or amount of roll for the front bar will be different than the rear bar, so the body will be actually twisting a bit instead of the bars acting in concert with each other to control/limit the body roll and weight distribution in the turns. The exception would be if you added the OEM rear sway bar. The general rule is to buy and install a matched set, unless you know what you are doing or want a certain handling characteristic.

Think of the sway bars as a torsion bar or even springs. The amount of pounds per square inch varies depending on the amount of deflection. The materials/alloys used also affect the rate and that's another reason why you want matched sets.

The main differences between the various sway bars manufacturers, besides bar diameter and alloy makeup, is mainly in the rear bar. The arm length varies by manufacturer. The longer the arm the more predictable the transition. It doesn't mean that you will have less handling with longer arms either. Eibach and H&R offer 2 or 3 adjustment holes for their rear sway bars. In general for a daily driver or occasional racer, you would want to use the adjustment hole that is the farthest away from the axle or the last hole. In rainy or snow conditions, you want a more forgiving, predictable transition so you have time to "catch it" or make steering corrections to maintain control. If the setting is for maximum control or the bar is too stiff, then there is a real possibility that you will swap ends or experience over-steer in less than ideal conditions. How many modified imports or high performance cars have you seen in the rain or snow being driven very carefully (and slowly) or seen them handling very squirrelly in turns or even lane changes? It's not very fun or safe if you don't know what your car is going to do.

Eibach is probably the easy choice to make. H&R is considered a step up but harder to find and a lot more expensive. Intrax is another good choice along with the KW designed Mopar Performance, and Addco. Hellwig is a good low cost alternative for those that want better handling than stock but not as good as the group above.

If you don't mind the additional stress, Progress Technology and Suspension Technique would be your choice. I have seen "some" Progress bars break at the weld and/or bend/break the end links, but other Progress owners have not experienced any problems, so your mileage may vary. The jury is still out on Suspension Technique, but from past history, their bars will be the stiffest you can buy and may affect the ride comfort.

All-in-all, changing the F/R sway bars will transform the PT into a good handling machine with noticeably quicker steering responses. I have the Addco installed (Eibach, H&R, etc wasn't available at that time) and can keep up with or out-handle many BMW's in the twisties, much to their surprise. The choice of which sway bar to buy is still up to you. People can only tell you their opinions and experiences with certain products and/or supply or direct you to as much information as possible. Plus there will always be something new being offered later that people will start singing praises for.
[8)]

[turbomangt]

Where is the best source to buy the Eibach bars? Gary

[Sci-Fi]

quote:Originally posted by turbomangt

Where is the best source to buy the Eibach bars? Gary

Offhand UltraRev
http://www.ultrarev.com/ecart/shopexd.asp?id=6048
$265.01 plus shipping
Tire Rack has it for $278 plus shipping
Shox.com @$279 plus shipping