Sway bars affect ride?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 800
Likes: 3
From: Port Orange FL
Sway bars affect ride?
If I take the Z51 sway bars off of my 87 track car and install them on my 94 convertible with poly bushings are these going to adversely affect the smooth comfortable ride I enjoy on the vert?
I guess theoretically they shouldnt, perhaps the poly bushings even have less friction than the rubber factory ones.
Does anyone have any actual experience with something like this to give me the heads up?
Thanks
Royi
I guess theoretically they shouldnt, perhaps the poly bushings even have less friction than the rubber factory ones.
Does anyone have any actual experience with something like this to give me the heads up?
Thanks
Royi
Racer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 420
Likes: 1
From: Janesville WI
Stiffer sway bars will not "ruin" the ride, but the difference will be felt.
Particularly when only one side hits a road irregularity. For instance if your right front hits a pot hole, the sway bar will force the left wheel initially down, then back up again to follow the movement of the right. There is a reason luxury cars traditionally have small sway bars and soft springs. Every thing is a compromise.
That said, bigger sway bars w softer springs will normally make for a better ride than say higher rate springs, while keeping a smoother ride.
Particularly when only one side hits a road irregularity. For instance if your right front hits a pot hole, the sway bar will force the left wheel initially down, then back up again to follow the movement of the right. There is a reason luxury cars traditionally have small sway bars and soft springs. Every thing is a compromise.
That said, bigger sway bars w softer springs will normally make for a better ride than say higher rate springs, while keeping a smoother ride.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
I installed a Z51 sway bar from an 84 into my 86, and what I noticed was a firmness up front, and more control into the turns.
i also noticed that the bumps were a little harsh if I was in a turn and the road is uneven.
The original sway bar was tubular, in that it was made out of steel tube, then heat treated.
The 84 sway bar was a solid bar, and weighed 3 times as much and was harder to install by myself due to the weight.
I had to use coat hangers to hold up one end while I played with the other end.
The poly bushing kit comes with US std. hardware, and the original bolts were larger metric.
I had to drill out the bushing adapters (the little H brackets that bolt to the control arms) to make it alll work.
The car had to be on totally level ground to keep from fighting with the bar and the car to get the bolts in.
i also noticed that the bumps were a little harsh if I was in a turn and the road is uneven.
The original sway bar was tubular, in that it was made out of steel tube, then heat treated.
The 84 sway bar was a solid bar, and weighed 3 times as much and was harder to install by myself due to the weight.
I had to use coat hangers to hold up one end while I played with the other end.
The poly bushing kit comes with US std. hardware, and the original bolts were larger metric.
I had to drill out the bushing adapters (the little H brackets that bolt to the control arms) to make it alll work.
The car had to be on totally level ground to keep from fighting with the bar and the car to get the bolts in.
Last edited by coupeguy2001; Jan 11, 2009 at 09:00 AM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 800
Likes: 3
From: Port Orange FL
Roy
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,768
Likes: 33
From: Van Steel Corvettes
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
I didn't notice any additional harshness in the car, but mine rode pretty rough as it was. I had also added the R&D camberbrace and crossbar for extra chassis stiffness. 
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 20,974
Likes: 261
all the braces totaly changed my vert. riding over uneven bumps felt wierd at first being so stiff,. I don't have big bars yet, but I will if I still have it.