EF HB , 2400lbs with driver, 350F/450R , 215/50/15 tires.

I'm getting a 22mm rear sway bar for my civic. An adjustable one is $240 and non-adjustable one is $180. Both are 22mm

I'm just curious wha experianced members think about spending the cash on an adjustable rear sway bar? I'm a new driver and would rather spend money on track fees where I can but IF in the long run people always end up upgrading to an adjustable rear sway bar, I might as well get it now.


One of the suspension shops here said that even when they get a car in with an adjustable rear sway bar they almost all the time set it in a "neautral" setting rather than pre-load setting.


Thoughts?

 

Some people are (obviously) against sway bar adjustments. I have raced with a number of higher-end race teams now, both in production-based cars (yes, Hondas), as well as GT/Prototype-style cars. Every single car I've driven for a whole weekends has gone through changes that were adjusted via the front and rear sway bar-- the production cars more than the prototypes. The latter usually uses the sway bars in a middle position to start and the driver adjusts them as the tires wear to balance the car.

I'd say get them.

 

in the short run, its probably wont make much of a difference. But as you gain experience you will wish you had the adjustable option...i say go for it.

 

Pre-loading is done through adjustable endlinks.

An adjustable swaybar has multiple mounting locations for the endlinks, to adjust the bar's stiffness.

They don't relate to each other.

The adjustable bar is a nice feature, since it gives you another tool to fine tune suspension with. You can also fine tune through spring rates as well, but it is easier (and cheaper) to move a bolt to a different hole than swapping springs out...

 

I was happy with the OEM ITR bar on my DC. I was debating at the time weather to get a adjustable one or not as well but I got the ITR bar for free so I went with that. IMO, it worked out well since I only did track days here and there.

 

Thank you for helping me clearify that. I meant to say "adjustable endlinks"

 

$60 isn't a deal-breaker. Go for it, you'll appreciate having the option in the future.

 

If the car won't be corner balanced, then adjustable endlinks really don't provide much benefit.

 

help me out here, what do you mean by corner balanced?

 

This will get you in the ball park.
Keep in mind you get this done in conjunction with an alignment.
Id only recommend a reputable race alignment specialist.

http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Performa...nerbalance.htm

Its an easy read and pretty much explains it in laymans terms.
There are some threads on alignment here too, some racers even do their own alignments.
Im told its not terribly difficult, but I need to learn this one day myself

 

" just set it, and forget it!"

I currently have an adjustable bar and did two seasons without adjusting it. I put it into a neutral position this year and there was a big change in all my geometry.
I'm now finding I have too many different things to adjust and made myself a log.
For a beginner get the adjustable but set it to the softest setting and work your way up after you have become comfortable with the car. For instance I waited a while to start messing with mine. Though my learning learning curve is large.

In summary. Get the adjustable but don't touch it.

 

^
shouldnt you be on track right now!

 

I was in class.

 

Good link... thanks for all the help guys.

 

If you do testing and lots of track time and spring changes yes.

 

is the only ways to adjust a bar by the end links? because I don't have links..

 

You can adjust the stiffness of a anti-roll bar if it has multiple holes in the arms. The further away the bolt hole is from the pivot, the softer the bar will be. Usually there are only 2-3 holes so the adjustment is kind of limited in that regard.

Adjustable length end-links allow you to take away any pre-load you might put in the bar when the car is at rest, basically ensuring that you don't put any preloaded twist in the bar as you set the car back down on the ground. This can be useful even if you don't corner-balance your car. But if you do corner-balance, adjustable end-links can be considered a necessity since pre-loading the bar would change corner-weights.

 

hmm.. lemme get a pic. cuz I think I'm f***ed.
The short story of my car is my motor puts me out of any class. So I am building the suspension and all safety (while doing lap days around here with Drivers Edge) as if I were going to compete. Then, when/if the time comes, I will drop in a rule compliant motor and go for it.
So, back to the bar...


They mount with extension brackets in the middle (#9) and studs directly out of the bar end into the lower arm (#1/4/6). I could possibly swap out the lower arm with a DA, but the rules still warp my brain.

 

Number 9 is your endlink? If so just loosen the 27 nut, edit not sure on that hard to tell how it all goes together in the diagram

 

no, where other bars have a 3 or 4" ball joint links, I have nothing, the bar bolts directly to the lower arm. I am wondering though if you can adjust a bar by the middle 2 mount points. #9 is the bracket that the U bushing then mounts to. The bracket could be easily custom fabed into different length bolts, changing the 'height' of the bar on the inside. would that achieve some of the desired effect in adjusting one?