would gettin a larger or smaller front bar do anything to the handling
i mean would it improve or hurt the handling...bigger or smaller?

would it cause it to understeer or help oversteer with a bigger rear...
need enlightenment....doing research for the rest of my suspension

 

To me from looking at them I would think that it'll help tight up the struts, and that really would help at the response time of when you turn. I'm probably going ahead and getting the front upper strut (does something and looks nice) and also the rear strut bars (work and look nice as well). I'm probably going to go w/ the DC sports strut bars.

 

I don't think that you need to increase chasis rigidity until you get the sway bars......I bought the strut bars first....didn't do anything......took them off put on springs.....kewl!.....then put on the bars.....little bit but nothing like the springs......I am going to install sway bars next and then do the remove the strut bars and feel and then put them on and feel......I don't have any of the lower bars just the front and rear top.

EDIT: Sorry let's try and answer your question.....the front sway bar is going to add understeer and the rear is going to add oversteer (i could be wrong) the trick is to get sizes that will balance each other to your style of driving.


[Modified by Spade, 3:48 PM 11/29/2001]

 

i got a stock gsr strut bar and going to get a rear one too.... maybe a lower rear

butt on to the sway bars
do they make smaller front bars?
like 22mm or even 20mm
because im going to get a 22mm ITR rear

soo in turn if make the back bigger and front smaller would it create alittle more
oversteer character?

gettin a smaller front would it make the front unstable because of the weight?
more information....trying to find links to suspension faq's
anybody have any?

 

Not sure if many (or any) folks make smaller front bars for our cars. Most people go to a larger rear bar and tire pressure adjustments to get the rear to rotate better. I know that some folks autoxing Civics unhook the front swaybar links to improve low-speed handling, but I'd guess that would be too unstable for the street or high speed track events.

Here's one of several versions I've seen of a quick reference guide for suspension changes and effects. http://www.brainerd.net/vvr/speed/speed10.html

 

Are you people preloading the strut tower bars when you install them? You can't just bolt it on when the car is sitting on all fours on the ground.

Jack up the car by its jacking point, install the bar, lower the car and remove the jack.

 

Sway bars do a lot to handling when you didn't do much else to the suspension. I don't think they'd do nearly as much when you have springs already.

I suggest you get springs and shocks first, and then try to balance the car out with sway bars.

 

I installed my front upper one without being jacked up. What difference does it make?

 

When you jack the car in the middle, the strut towers will be forced into a position where they're more spread apart. When you install the bar, the strut towers will be locked into that position, removing their ability to flex around.

If you bolt on the bar when the wheels are on the ground, the strut towers are still free to move a bit in either direction.

Or how about this... think about a heavy U shaped rod. Bolt a bar across the top of the U and that'll stiffen it a little. However, if you support the U from the bottom middle, it'll spread the U a little bit. Now bolt a bar across that, and it'll stiffen it a lot.

 

yes, the difference is noticable too.....on my initial installation is didn't preload the bar.

 

Just keep your stock sway bar up front. Get a bigger one out back. Front bars create understeer.

Or take off your front bar, but that's kinda pushing it.

 

Suspension from most effective to least

1) Lowering with springs/shocks and camber kits
2) thicker sway bars
3) Polyurethane bushings
4) strut bars
5) roll cage and braces

 

Yep, roll cages are way less important than poly bushings

 

Notice he said effective, not important. Although I haven't had either so I won't contest your point.

 

Yes, but just think about that. It doesn't make much since does it?Effective or important, do you think bushings are more effective in resisting body roll, helping safety, etc.?No, and me either.

 

Front strut bars will help your steering response, but they also contribute to understeer if too large. I have a 22mm rear bar, so 24 up front seems to create a good neutral balance.

I would not recommend downgrading your front bar.