Optimum Swaybar Diameters

[dantheman68]

I've been reading alot on suspension lately, and I am really looking to upgrade it, now I have no idea what my swaybar setup is since I do not have my car with me at college, but i think it is one of the things i should look at as one of my first "upgrades" to the suspension...

i mostly have been looking at this but it really doesnt tell me much as far as the optimal balence or what the "ratios" mean.

what have people found about swaybar options and what are most people running, i tired searching and that just confused the **** out of me.. i know my car has quite a bit of oversteer, and im just basically looking for a nice balence... i really hate when a FWD car plows, but thats what i get with FWD...

im pretty sure since i have a 95 that i have the 20.6mm front bar but i heard that ford just threw on whatever they had in 95 so i cant be too sure.... basically im just looking for suggestions as to what the best setup is and what kind of results i can expect



TIA

 

[NJSHO]

First you should spend the time/money to make sure ur current suspension is in proper working condition. Strut mounts, bushings, springs, shocks, ect.. is in good condition. Normally the taurus wants to understeer(plow) like the dickens, its strange that you say that you have lots of oversteer.
As far as optimal setup, its all a matter of preference.
The 26mm rear is probably the most common sway bar from a performance stand point. Running with that...
1. 20.6 front / 26 rear will give you lots of oversteer and can be described as twichy. If your ******* it in a corner and suddenly let off the gas, the back end will probably move on you. This would be more of a track setup.

2. 22 front / 26 rear will probably be the most neutral of all the setups. You can get the rear end to move if you try.

3. 24 front / 26 rear will give you the least amt. of body roll and in my opinion safest street setup. Again in my opinion its a little pushy for autox or track conditions.

Im not sure how he came up with the ratios.

 

[LOUDSHO92]

I like the 24/26 setup I have. Ihave used in in Auto-crossing and road cousing and have enjoyed it.

 

[Shoaz]

Like NJSHO said, the first thing should be to make sure what you have is in good working order: tires, bushings, struts, springs, end links, etc. Mixing up swaybars won't be very effective if the rest of the system isn't in good shape.

Yeah, 95s got pretty wimpy bars. Mine had something like 20.5/21mm front/rear from the factory. Measure what you have and if you have a smallish (i.e., ~20.5mm) front bar then you can upgrade to either the 23mm or 26mm rear bar relatively easily and reduce the amount of understeer that you're experiencing. It's not gonna help much unless the tires/bushings/struts/springs are already working well in the front (and rear).

The rear bar is very easy to change, so you might try a 23mm and see if you like it. If you drive in wet or slippery conditions on the street I'd suggest not going too far to the oversteer side (by making the rear bar too big).

 

[SHOpoor]

First you should spend the time/money to make sure ur current suspension is in proper working condition. Strut mounts, bushings, springs, shocks, ect.. is in good condition. Normally the taurus wants to understeer(plow) like the dickens, its strange that you say that you have lots of oversteer.
As far as optimal setup, its all a matter of preference.
The 26mm rear is probably the most common sway bar from a performance stand point. Running with that...
1. 20.6 front / 26 rear will give you lots of oversteer and can be described as twichy. If your ******* it in a corner and suddenly let off the gas, the back end will probably move on you. This would be more of a track setup.

2. 22 front / 26 rear will probably be the most neutral of all the setups. You can get the rear end to move if you try.

3. 24 front / 26 rear will give you the least amt. of body roll and in my opinion safest street setup. Again in my opinion its a little pushy for autox or track conditions.

Im not sure how he came up with the ratios.

This is the best reply you will see.
I personally have the 22/26 set up on my MTX and am very happy with it. My wife has the 23/26 set-up in her ATX. It's a heavier front end and seems to work well. The most popular street set-up is the 24/26.

 

[dantheman68]

well it sounds like in the spring im due for a suspension overhaul... im lookng at new springs (rear is sagging badly) and then ill probably look at the mounts too, then ill go from there


this is all really great info as far as the swaybar goes though!

 

[SHO92]

I'll agree with what NJSHO, SHOAZ and SHOPoor have all said.

I've run stock 24/22 with rubber bushings, 24/26 with TRP bushings on the rear bar and stock ones up front, and now 22/26 with TRP bushing on both bars.

I really like the current combo. I find it very neutral but I can still get the back end to step out ever so slightly if I try. This is the only combo I've had on a track, and it's been great there as well.

 

[AREA 91]

I have the stock 24/26 on my + with the Quaife. Very predictable, and will pull through the turns. I have thought about dropping the front, but have been to lazy to doo it.

 

[DeaconBlue]

Sway bars and bushing materials are all tuning devices to get the suspension just the way you personally like it. There are a heck of a lot of variables involved (some are mentioned above), others included; vehicle weight, struts, springs, chassis stiffening aids, open or Quaife, tires (especially aspect ratio and width), rim size and width, SFB material, etc..

Again as noted above and from my personal experience over the years in my car - the general consensus for a street driven normal street weight MTX (when factoring in the use of the 26mm RSB) that sees some track days is;

20.6/26 tends toward the oversteer side and can be scary at times such as fast transitions, wet lane changes and when pushing hard

22/26 is fairly neutral and tossable yet still safe - this is what I have been running on my car the last few years with poly front mount bushings and TPR rear mount bushing and link end bushings

24/26 tends toward understeer but is safer

The ATX which has a bit more weight on the nose, the 24/26 combo seems be fairly neutral and has been reported to work best.

http://v8sho.com/SHO/SHOSwayBarsSuspension.htm

As always YMMV.

 

[black92]

Where does a 22mm front bar come from? Wagon?

 

[93silverbulletSH0]

Yep, from the wagon

 

[yamahaSHO]

I got my 22mm front bar from a Gen 3 SHO. I used it as it has collars to prevent the bar from moving side to side.

I've run the whimpy 95 setup like Eric, and 22/26 currently. I like how the 22/26 handles. It is fairly neutral, however, when I need to step the rear out, it's not a problem. With my '92 I had a 24/26 and it wasn't too bad. I couldn't push it as hard as I could the 22/26, but I also had some wicked snap-oversteer problems. I don't attribute that to the sway bar setup as I'm sure something was whacky in that car's suspension...

My personal recommendation would be 22/26. I don't think you'll be unhappy with it.

 

[SHOspazz92]

I found out REALLY fast what the 20.5/26 Combo is capable of. My first hard turn in the 95 that I aquired off Eric looked like somthing out of Tokyo Drift. However Once I was used to it I liked it a lot. That sway bar combo plus the Alluminum subframe bushings makes for one quick responding car that you have to keep an eye on. When I jumped in to my 92 The next day I swear to god I thought I was driving a Bus.

-Sam

 

[black92]

What year wagons should I be looking for?
Or Gen 3 SHO's?

 

[dantheman68]

What year wagons should I be looking for?
Or Gen 3 SHO's?

uh-oh... looks like i have some competition in the area...


seriously... i have so much to do before the convention....

 

[smokin joe]

Ha i still havent gotten around to even hooking my rear swaybar up(i hate school), i have to dig around my house and it might just be out at my dads shop but i have a rear off a 92 that might just have to go on

 

[TankII]

Don't forget to pick better rear sway-bar end links.

I've posted responses to a couple of threads here, so look for me.

TankII

 

[JEM]

Personal opinion w/Eibachs, trunk-mounted battery, full-weight:

24/26 is safe and stable with a Quaife, without one it's too safe to be fun - you just get too much inside wheelspin and too much understeer. Stiff sway bars and open-diff FWD are a bad combo.

22/26 is stable but driveable without a Quaife, very throttle-steerable with one.

Some of the autocross guys like the 20.6/26 combo. I'll leave that one to them, especially Quaifed you're talking tail-happy.

 

[DeaconBlue]

JEM nailed this one on the head again - I agree with him 100%.