Explain Sway Bars please:)
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 11,467
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From: 972 and 405
Explain Sway Bars please:)
Basically I want to know why certain sway bars are "better" and why some of you chose what you did. I am not too familiar with this part. However I do know that the effectiveness of the sway bar has to do with the weight of it, thickness, material, etc. So for those that chose to go with a C5Z, C6Z, or aftermarket sway bar setup, why, and what changes were observed? Thanks guys
-Alex
-Alex
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,179
Likes: 2,306
From: Wesley Chapel, FL Las Vegas, NV
Basically I want to know why certain sway bars are "better" and why some of you chose what you did. I am not too familiar with this part. However I do know that the effectiveness of the sway bar has to do with the weight of it, thickness, material, etc. So for those that chose to go with a C5Z, C6Z, or aftermarket sway bar setup, why, and what changes were observed? Thanks guys
-Alex
-Alex
The heavier/stiffer the bar the flatter the ride (and also stiffer) so you have to use a bar that is a compromise between anti-roll and stiff ride.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,058
Likes: 99
From: Southeast, Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
not to oversimplify the answer, but what it does is stiffen the ride and keep the car more level when cornering. basically the differences pretty much come down to the amount of stiffness you desire. the thicker and heavier the sway bar the stiffer it will be. please keep in mind this explanation is an extremely simplified one.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,738
Likes: 10
From: Austin, Texas
By no means an expert, Alex, but as I understand it, the larger (diameter) the sway bar, the less body roll you will have. Thats pretty obvious, but the caveat is the width of the tires. Less body roll isn't necessarily a good thing with narrower tires. With less rubber on the road, they are more apt to break free, with less body roll. And of course the shocks also have a say in how much "roll" occurs, so that is why some shock/sways are "tuned" together for certain cars, knowing the size of the tires on those cars.
Of course, I could be completely out in left field!!!
Just put '04 Z06 shocks and sway bars on my '02 Coupe, and I love it. It now feels like a real sports car. It had the FE1 suspension, and that was way to "floaty" (for lack of a better term).
Of course, I could be completely out in left field!!!
Just put '04 Z06 shocks and sway bars on my '02 Coupe, and I love it. It now feels like a real sports car. It had the FE1 suspension, and that was way to "floaty" (for lack of a better term).
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver BC
In essence, a sway bar connects the left and right suspension to improve handling. I disconnect the front sway bar on my Jeep all the time for offroading for better flex, but road handling definitely suffers when disconnected. For ultimate performance, a thicker sway bar (less flex) would be better (like the Z06) - less body role.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,868
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From: Kelso Washington
St. Jude Donor '09, '13, '15
Think of it as a torsion bar because torsion bars (suspensions) twist the bar to achieve spring flex.
The anti-sway bar is anchored to the frame in the middle and both wheels flex or twist the bar against each other in turns.
Wikipedia starts like this:
"A sway bar (also stabilizer bar, anti-sway bar, roll bar, or anti-roll bar, ARB) is an automobile suspension device. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring. A sway bar increases the suspension's roll stiffness—its resistance to roll in turns, independent of its spring rate in the vertical direction"
I had an old '79 Honda Accord with a stock front bar only...very thin. I added a 1" Quickor brand bar to the front and a 7/8" bar to the rear.....holy moly....what a great difference! I always said it cornered like a pancake...FLAT! Then I installed shorter, stiffer springs.....very nice without compromising ride quality.
The anti-sway bar is anchored to the frame in the middle and both wheels flex or twist the bar against each other in turns.
Wikipedia starts like this:
"A sway bar (also stabilizer bar, anti-sway bar, roll bar, or anti-roll bar, ARB) is an automobile suspension device. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring. A sway bar increases the suspension's roll stiffness—its resistance to roll in turns, independent of its spring rate in the vertical direction"
I had an old '79 Honda Accord with a stock front bar only...very thin. I added a 1" Quickor brand bar to the front and a 7/8" bar to the rear.....holy moly....what a great difference! I always said it cornered like a pancake...FLAT! Then I installed shorter, stiffer springs.....very nice without compromising ride quality.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 738
Likes: 2
From: Richmond VA
Also, bear in mind that when folks talk about the ride being stiffer, they are referring to the ride while in a turn or hitting bumps with one wheel at a time. Anti-sway bars have almost zero effect when traveling in a straight line since the wheels on both sides of the car will be going up and down together.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,150
Likes: 6
From: NS
Rather than typing it all again, here is a response I posted to another thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1572670031-post21.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1572670031-post21.html
. That's one of the first mods I did, fatten up the front/rear sways. 
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: Should this thoughtful, valuable contribution meet with no acknowledgement or 'thanks' this post----
All above is correct. Only thing I will add is it is possible to take this concept too far. The result is you no longer have independent suspension, so a delicate balance is required by engineering vehicle tests. Again, this is way oversimplified but is well known in the automotive industry by chassis engineers.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 422
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From: California
Not to jack the thread but while we are on sway bars, what would be a good combo sway bar for upgraded hotchkis shocks? Other than the shocks, my only "handling" upgrade is my 19" CCWs with 275 30 fronts and 305 30 back yokohamas. What sway bars would you guys recommend?
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,179
Likes: 2,306
From: Wesley Chapel, FL Las Vegas, NV
All above is correct. Only thing I will add is it is possible to take this concept too far. The result is you no longer have independent suspension, so a delicate balance is required by engineering vehicle tests. Again, this is way oversimplified but is well known in the automotive industry by chassis engineers.
HaHa! You are right that bigger and stiffer is not always better. (for a car that is)
me too
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 76
From: Florida
I installed the C6Z51 bars on mine last fall and would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone thinking about upgrading the standard C5 suspension. The upgrade was low cost, an easy install and greatly improved the way the car feels in a corner. They reduced body roll with a minimal negative impact on the ride quality.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,283
Likes: 16
From: Katy Tx
one more factor on sway bars Alex -- its important to have the right balance between front and rear bars -- the end with the greatest roll resistance (stiffness) will slide First in a hard corner - so too big of a bar on one end (like putting a C6Z06 bars on a C5 without the much larger rear tires of a Z) can make it oversteer or understeer badly.