Sway Bar?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 7
From: Kanata ON.
Sway Bar?
I have an 88 roadster with the Z52 option. Watchig the Dream Car Garage Show this morning they replaced the sway bars with ADCO hollow tube sway bars. I'm in the midst of replacing my shocks wiith new Z51 type Bilsteins and wanted to replace the sawy bars with the larger Z51 sway bars and poly bushings, but they are both solid bars front and rear. I would have to assume the solid ones are better?
Which one is the optimum one to use?
Which one is the optimum one to use?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,019
Likes: 568
From: Conroe Texas
your assumptions are correct. the purpose of a sway bar is to keep one side of the car from deflecting in ride height from the other. the bigger the bar, cross sectional area of steel, the stiffer the resistance to change. go with the z51, its solid and the z52 is hollow. 
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,348
Likes: 233
From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
The benefit of a hollow bar is that it can be lighter than an equivalent solid bar....but, in order to be equivalent, the hollow bar will be slightly larger in diameter. (even so, it will still be lighter)
So, the answer to your question is; no, the solid bar is not better, if only for the fact that it is slightly heavier than a hollow bar having the same stiffness.
Larry
code5coupe
So, the answer to your question is; no, the solid bar is not better, if only for the fact that it is slightly heavier than a hollow bar having the same stiffness.
Larry
code5coupe
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 10,864
Likes: 196
From: Southern CA
Is there an equivalency chart to convert solid bars to hollow? For example a solid 30mm bar (mine) equals a 40mm hollow (just guessing). I'm just wondering if you end up with some seriously big hollow bars to save the weight over a solid.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 7
From: Kanata ON.
Originally Posted by froggy47
Is there an equivalency chart to convert solid bars to hollow? For example a solid 30mm bar (mine) equals a 40mm hollow (just guessing). I'm just wondering if you end up with some seriously big hollow bars to save the weight over a solid.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,491
Likes: 1
From: prescott AZ
The metal at the very CENTER of a solid bar offers ZERO strength or resistance to bending/twisting. The maximum strength or resistance to bending is at the surface. Your lose very little strength by hollowing out the bar but it does have to be slightly thicker. It gets to a point where weight is a consideration, to go to a larger solid bar. This all can be calculated but not by me.
The only reason I am aware that GM went to a hollow bar was to save weight.
From what I have read the best bar for the Corvette when max handling is wanted is the 30mm front and 26 rear-and do it with a GM bar. The bushings that GM makes for the 30mm bar is a firmer rubber than for the standard bars. Don't forget, Chevy really wanted to win the Challenge Cups and if a 32mm or larger bar would have helped them win they would have dropped the 30/26 bars real fast. I think all these aftermarket companies make 32mm and larger bars just want to create a new market product whether it is better or not and just to get their market share in a typically creative marketing way, I heard some companies do not use metric sizes for the top end link bushing sleeves which adds play to the suspension.
The only reason I am aware that GM went to a hollow bar was to save weight.
From what I have read the best bar for the Corvette when max handling is wanted is the 30mm front and 26 rear-and do it with a GM bar. The bushings that GM makes for the 30mm bar is a firmer rubber than for the standard bars. Don't forget, Chevy really wanted to win the Challenge Cups and if a 32mm or larger bar would have helped them win they would have dropped the 30/26 bars real fast. I think all these aftermarket companies make 32mm and larger bars just want to create a new market product whether it is better or not and just to get their market share in a typically creative marketing way, I heard some companies do not use metric sizes for the top end link bushing sleeves which adds play to the suspension.
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Pro
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 732
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From: Baxter MN
Depending on your intended purpose I would suggest that this is a case where too much of something could be a bad thing. For example, if you wanted absolutely zero lean during any type of cornering, remove your shocks and springs and replace them with solid steel rods. You'll hate the ride, but you sure will corner flat - until you spin out or tip over.
Obviously that isn't a practical solution. So we compromise. How much ride comfort you are willing to exchange for super-flat cornering and "twitchy" handling is up to you.
Glen
Obviously that isn't a practical solution. So we compromise. How much ride comfort you are willing to exchange for super-flat cornering and "twitchy" handling is up to you.
Glen
