Sway Bar????
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 324
Likes: 157
From: Maine
Sway Bar????
So I was trying to replace my sway bars to early Z51 specs and I had bad information that a base C6 matched the early C5 Z51 size so I got and was confused. The front was 25.5 mm ok cool but the rear was 17.5mm???
With more research I found that it is the normal size for a C6 with the FE1 set up.
So I started thinking 25.5 front 17.5mm rear 8 mm difference what were they going for.
C5 FE1 is 23 and 19.1 so 4 mm diff and that seems to be the about the norm for all other set ups 4mm difference front to rear the ZO6 6mm.
Again 25.5 to a 17.5??????????? I know someone in this group will know the why on this one.
With more research I found that it is the normal size for a C6 with the FE1 set up.
So I started thinking 25.5 front 17.5mm rear 8 mm difference what were they going for.
C5 FE1 is 23 and 19.1 so 4 mm diff and that seems to be the about the norm for all other set ups 4mm difference front to rear the ZO6 6mm.
Again 25.5 to a 17.5??????????? I know someone in this group will know the why on this one.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 324
Likes: 157
From: Maine
So I found this today
Rear-wheel-drive cars allow the rear of the car to pivot around the front, and as such, they tend to oversteer. By increasing the stiffness of a rear-wheel-drive car's front sway bar you can help to decrease oversteer in a corner. Since, in this case, the rear wheels are driving the car, we want to keep them planted. To reduce body roll, however, the front sway bar can be stiffened without negatively affecting suspension dynamics.
Could be the why reduce body roll but keep the ride FE1 soft
Rear-wheel-drive cars allow the rear of the car to pivot around the front, and as such, they tend to oversteer. By increasing the stiffness of a rear-wheel-drive car's front sway bar you can help to decrease oversteer in a corner. Since, in this case, the rear wheels are driving the car, we want to keep them planted. To reduce body roll, however, the front sway bar can be stiffened without negatively affecting suspension dynamics.
Could be the why reduce body roll but keep the ride FE1 soft
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
Suspension design 1.01 - by an ex-designer.
Increasing front roll stiffness increases understeer
Increasing rear roll stiffness increases oversteer
does not matter if it's front, rear or all wheel drive.
Increasing front roll stiffness increases understeer
Increasing rear roll stiffness increases oversteer
does not matter if it's front, rear or all wheel drive.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 691
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From: NW OH
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2017
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From: Hickory NC
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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St. Jude Donor '17 thru '26
Unfortunately, as you have found out, the information you were provided about the C6 base suspension sway bars (actually anti-sway bars),matching the C5 Z51 was not even close.
As you have probably discovered, the bars are actually: C5 Z51 (97-99): 25.4 mm-front / 21.7 mm-rear; C5 Z51 (00-04): 28.6 mm-front / 23.6 mm-rear.
Remember, along with the info you found and that jackthelad and Elektro provided, the bar diameter is only part of the equation. The anti-sway bars are designed to work in conjunction with myriad factors including spring rates; shock jounce/rebound rates; wheel/tire specs; sway bar wheel rate/sway bar motion ratio; etc.
By the way, one of the most common C5 suspension "upgrades" are matching C6 Z06 shocks with C6 Z51 sway bars. Probably hundreds of C5 owners are running that set up as a nice compromise for street driving coupled with some track time.
Best wishes with finding the anti-sway bars that provide the best possible handling for your C5 as you prefer it.
As you have probably discovered, the bars are actually: C5 Z51 (97-99): 25.4 mm-front / 21.7 mm-rear; C5 Z51 (00-04): 28.6 mm-front / 23.6 mm-rear.
Remember, along with the info you found and that jackthelad and Elektro provided, the bar diameter is only part of the equation. The anti-sway bars are designed to work in conjunction with myriad factors including spring rates; shock jounce/rebound rates; wheel/tire specs; sway bar wheel rate/sway bar motion ratio; etc.
By the way, one of the most common C5 suspension "upgrades" are matching C6 Z06 shocks with C6 Z51 sway bars. Probably hundreds of C5 owners are running that set up as a nice compromise for street driving coupled with some track time.
Best wishes with finding the anti-sway bars that provide the best possible handling for your C5 as you prefer it.
