Coilovers 101 - UPDATE- articulating mount issue solved!

[TimboSHO]

A quick update: The fronts started binding again before I put it away this winter, so I'll need to grease them again. Also, the right rear spanner nuts came loose and the end of the sway bar link hit my wheel. Luckily I was 1/4 mile from work and it just left a little scratch on the inside lip. I checked the rest, and the left front was also loose. So, it would be good to check these more often!

 

[SHOspazz92]

Keep in mind, too much front swaybar will make the car understeer or push (you try to turn into a corner but the front wheels tend to slide). This is the safer condition for most street drivers. Too much rear sway bar, and the car tends to oversteer (the back end comes around and you spin). This is how race drivers like it, but it can be dangerous on the street.

Mike, methinks you have this backwards. Too much front swaybar leads to oversteer and that is when the rear comes around, while too much rear swaybar leads to understeer. On my GC Hemi I put on a larger rear sway bar and the understeer was terrible. I then added the larger front bar and became neutral. When I installed Koni FSD's, went back to stock bars since the ride was too rough and bouncy with the bigger bars, and all is great. It is easy to replace the front bar on almost all cars, except of course the SHO !

On a FWD Car, you certainly want a larger rear swaybar to aid in rotation. A Large Front swaybar in most cases will assist in fast transitions but can have a negative effect on the ability to put power down on corner exit, especially when the outside front corner is loaded up. Finally, swaybars really should not have zero effect on ride quality. If they do, then something is likely in a bind.

 

[TimboSHO]

I guess I should update again. While I was on the Pittrace road course, the swaybar mount rotated on the left front a cut the inside of my tire. Toolman told me I should rotate the swaybar mounts all the way down to the lower spanner nut to keep this from happening again. This is right after I checked all of the spanner nuts, I didn't even think to check the swaybar mounts. I'm still learning!