I've heard that civics naturally have understeer when they come off the lot. In order to fix this should I buy a rear sway bar, or rear upper tie bar? And are there any that you can recommend?

 

Nearly all front drive cars are engineered to understeer. This is becuase the average Joe can't control dangerous oversteer. But yes, a rear sway bar will stiffen up the suspension. A tie bar wont do much unless used in conjunction with stiffer springs and a sway bar. As for a model.. assuming you have a 6th gen...I like comptech's as it is adjustable and intergrates a rear lower tie bar, but it's rather pricey (~$300) neuspeed and suspensions techniques also make them, but im not sure about prices

 

BUT ALL cars/trucks.

Thank you Mr. Ralph Nader.

You should see the POSTIVE camber curve on 68-77 GM A Bodys (Chevelle+others) under suspension compression.

Understeer is way easier to regain control from. Just lower speed.

Oversteer usually = wreck in the hands of unprepared (99.5% of all drivers) by the time they try to correct, way too late.

I've wrecked my Civic twice from oversteer, because once rear steps out and your not ready, too late! (see ITR wrecks with semi rookie drivers)

Throw me in a F body Camaro/TA and I'll do just fine controlling slide job.


I would suggest a sway bar COMBO for both front and rear. Just a rear bar is bad for most drivers.

 

suspension techniques makes a rear sway bar with an integrated rear lower tie bar and is adjustable i saw it for i think $270 or something like that on option auto's site. their site is http://www.optauto.com if u wanna chk it out. kinda agree with mista bone on this one oversteer can be a dangerous thing!!!!

 

the only thing sway or strut bars do are prevent body roll on cornering. I recommend them, i have no breaks, but rear strut bars, and i dont break around corners anymore.

 

IMO -- Youre a Idot.

 

Well, he is only 16 according to his profile. I am cutting him some slack.

 

A fat rear sway bar will induce oversteer, but it's not the best way.

The best way to induce oversteer is to increase the rear spring rates. Even Eibach, Neuspeed, H&R, etc. have bowed down to the Naderists with their "high performance" springs. Pick up a typical "high performance" spring set and you will see rates like 257 lbs front and 145 lbs rear. Ach! That's terrible! What you want for proper FWD handling is something like 257 lbs front and 385 lbs rear (insert what rate you want, but keep a similar ratio f/r). It's the *ratio* between front and rear spring rates that produces oversteer or understeer. In a Honda Civic, stick to a 2f/3r ratio and you'll do fine.

The purpose of sway bars is transitional stability. I'm not saying that a fat rear sway bar won't make the back end kick out. But when sway bars are "employed" for other things (like oversteer), the result is a performance compromise. Of course, inducing oversteer the "correct" way results in a compromise in ride quality...

So you have to decide what's more important. Ain't no way to have your cake and eat it too in the world of suspension tuning.

 

Well you can increase your front tire PSI and lower your rear to help but stiffer springs and sway bar in your rear will give the best results. Oh yeah don't forget tires, sticky grippy tires help too.

 

so for example, with my koni yellows, I can adjust the stiff rate. Ii would be better to have them at there stiffest in the back and not as stiff in the front to help with understeer ?

 

yes.

and oversteer is easy to control, just gotta know what your doing.

 

is there a way to eliminate this problem ? or make barely noticeble ?

 

I don't think you'll ever get it perfect and still be able to drive it on the street. On the Koni's, for autox I give it a turn in the rear and half a turn in the front on harder street tires. On azenis I'd go 1.5 rear and 1 front. For the street I'd try just half a turn in the rear and see what that does first. I never really push mine hard enough on the street to induce understeer...not autox is a different story...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ewaugh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">. I never really push mine hard enough on the street to induce understeer...not autox is a different story...</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was talking more on the onramp to get on the highway. the ones in my area are all real small and tight.