I'm trying to decide which ones to get... just looking to get feedback, especially from people that have used more than one type of sway bar (tanabe, ST, whiteline)
what sway bars do you use?
- Thread starter Insidious Surmiser
- Start date
I use the ST bars with all poly bushings. They keep my car flat in the turns so the tires can do their job. I got mine from summitracing.com
Based on conversations with Jose of DriftMotion who has had ST previously and now running Tanabe...he says that the Tanabe control the car MUCH better than the ST. Where he could loose control before, he says now with Tanabe, he just points the car in a direction and the car goes there.
Based onall his positive feedback of the Tanabe, i'll be getting them in the future.
Based onall his positive feedback of the Tanabe, i'll be getting them in the future.
hm... so no go for ST... (i had a feeling they weren't omn par w/ tanabe or whiteline 
I'm thinking tanabe front, whiteline rear.... does it matter if you mix n match?
I'm thinking tanabe front, whiteline rear.... does it matter if you mix n match?
ma71supraturbo said:
what are your spring rates, is running without the rear working well for you?
18/10, but would recommend 18/12 for track. Works excellent, but is pretty firm for a daily. Puts power down better in the corners though
hm... DOES anyone have good info on tanabe or whiteline bars? like supra specific info... meh, i doubt there is any, but i just had to ask ... just incase
... just incase
I made a table comparing the stiffness a couple years back, it might be in the FAQ section (not sure who reposted it after supramania crashed).
Basically tanabe are non adjustable, but are hollow (lighter)
Whitelines are burley and adjustable
ST/Cusco are basically the same and are "the standard" upgraded swaybar
Basically tanabe are non adjustable, but are hollow (lighter)
Whitelines are burley and adjustable
ST/Cusco are basically the same and are "the standard" upgraded swaybar
A quick note on the school of thought I follow:
Swaybars are good with softer springs -- they prevent lateral body roll, giving the car a sporty feel without a terrible everyday ride.
Unfortunately, they do nothing for brake dive or acceleration squat (both of which cause an increase of negative camber on the most affected tires -- decreasing the contact patch and lessening overall grip). To fix those problems, you need springs that are stiff enough to prevent extreme body movement.
Sway bars also limit the articulation of a suspension -- so if the right rear wheel hits a pothole, some of that force is transfered over to the left rear side (which means the right rear wheel isn't as free to absorb the bump). This is compounded when you run spring rates that are made to keep brake dive in check... So when you have stiff springs and swaybars and you start exiting a rough corner at full throttle, this can cause short bursts of broken traction (and once traction is broken, it is remains easier to slip -- google static vs kinetic friction).
Basically, if the car is a daily driver, running street springs and swaybars can give the car a better feel without annoying your girlfriend sitting shotgun... But if the car is being upgraded to haul ass on the track or backroad, I'd suggest limiting body roll is stiffer springs instead.
Swaybars are good with softer springs -- they prevent lateral body roll, giving the car a sporty feel without a terrible everyday ride.
Unfortunately, they do nothing for brake dive or acceleration squat (both of which cause an increase of negative camber on the most affected tires -- decreasing the contact patch and lessening overall grip). To fix those problems, you need springs that are stiff enough to prevent extreme body movement.
Sway bars also limit the articulation of a suspension -- so if the right rear wheel hits a pothole, some of that force is transfered over to the left rear side (which means the right rear wheel isn't as free to absorb the bump). This is compounded when you run spring rates that are made to keep brake dive in check... So when you have stiff springs and swaybars and you start exiting a rough corner at full throttle, this can cause short bursts of broken traction (and once traction is broken, it is remains easier to slip -- google static vs kinetic friction).
Basically, if the car is a daily driver, running street springs and swaybars can give the car a better feel without annoying your girlfriend sitting shotgun... But if the car is being upgraded to haul ass on the track or backroad, I'd suggest limiting body roll is stiffer springs instead.
Hmmm...
Im not building my car for comfort at all, so I should just skip the rear sway bar and put the money into some super hard springs? Im thinking O'lihns (Sp)or a custom set of Eibachs.
What about swaybars in an offroad enviroment, I plan on having a spare set of suspension I can swap for our mountain property that is mostly loose gravel and soft dirt (really fine powder).
Im not building my car for comfort at all, so I should just skip the rear sway bar and put the money into some super hard springs? Im thinking O'lihns (Sp)or a custom set of Eibachs.
What about swaybars in an offroad enviroment, I plan on having a spare set of suspension I can swap for our mountain property that is mostly loose gravel and soft dirt (really fine powder).
97 how do you like your setup? Is it a daily driver? And what kind of suspension do you got to go with it?
I have the ST bars with Eibach springs and KYB GR2 shocks. The car isn't a daily driver, but it's solely a street car. I initially just installed the front bar on stock shocks/springs, and noticed an immediate improvement. The car turned a lot flatter, but my old/blown shocks weren't helping.
I then installed the springs, shocks, and rear swaybar. Obviously the handling was vastly improved, but the ride is a lot rougher, especially on shitty Michigan roads. Of course, I got used to it pretty quickly and I like the improved handling and lack of body roll. My limiting factor right now are the shitty Bridgestone tires leftover from the previous owner. I've had the back end swing out on a number of occassions (and not throttle-induced). On-throttle sideways action is also quite easy now.
The KYB GR2s are the right price ($30 each), but you obviously get what you pay for. I needed a replacement right away without blowing $1200+ on coilovers, so the Eibach/KYB combo was a great $320 suspension upgrade.
I also just posted a bit about the suspension setup (with pics) in this thread:
http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33278
I then installed the springs, shocks, and rear swaybar. Obviously the handling was vastly improved, but the ride is a lot rougher, especially on shitty Michigan roads. Of course, I got used to it pretty quickly and I like the improved handling and lack of body roll. My limiting factor right now are the shitty Bridgestone tires leftover from the previous owner. I've had the back end swing out on a number of occassions (and not throttle-induced). On-throttle sideways action is also quite easy now.
The KYB GR2s are the right price ($30 each), but you obviously get what you pay for. I needed a replacement right away without blowing $1200+ on coilovers, so the Eibach/KYB combo was a great $320 suspension upgrade.
I also just posted a bit about the suspension setup (with pics) in this thread:
http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33278