Sway Bar Upgrading Questions

[whiteguy3]

I have a 94 ATX and I'm thinking of upgrading the sway bar combos. I took an open ended wrench to the front and rear bar and got 7/8 in the rear and 3/4 up front. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, equals a 19 front/22 rear combo.

Question is can I use the bar from the rear, move it to the front and buy a 26mm rear bar??? I'm doing this to achieve a stiffer suspension and less body roll. I've read a 24/26 would be the best improvement, but that 22/26 would also be great with less understeer...

Comments???

 

[LOUDSHO92]

No the front and rear are different.

 

[rubydist]

The bars are substantually different, front to rear, so I don't believe you can move them front to back or back to front. See the photo in this listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1989-95-Taurus-SHO-Sable-24mm-F-26mm-R-SWAY-BAR-SET_W0QQitemZ290206096672QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item290206096672

 

[whiteguy3]

Thanx guys. I'm hoping to find something a little cheaper in price for the two if possible. If there used not a problem. I'll just repaint them myself. I might post in the WTB section.

 

[bubba]

Get the 24/26 setup. www.Shosource.com has them!

 

[92inPA]

I wouldn't get rid of the 19mm front bar. Just change the rear bar to a 26mm. I use the 19/26 setup on my track car and it works great.

 

[Lightning]

I wouldn't get rid of the 19mm front bar. Just change the rear bar to a 26mm. I use the 19/26 setup on my track car and it works great.

How does the handling differ than a 24/26 (which I have) set up?

I am guessing better turn in, with less over steer.

 

[sandrew]

I believe a 19/26 combo would involve a bit MORE oversteer than a 24/26.

 

[zak]

Make sure not to measure the front bar on a curve. 19 mm bars are very rare, only found on very early MT5 Tauri IIRC. Your front is likely either the 20.6 or the 22 mm, most ATX's got the latter on the front. I would not run a 19/26 combo on an ATX car the engine is further forward and up higher, you are asking for snap oversteer. Also, rear sizes are 21, 23 25 and 26 IIRC. zak

 

[1993MTXSHO]

Yeah I have the 24/26 on my mtx, and it plowed pretty bad when I first got it (understeer), but then i learned how to drive with it and I love it

 

[hawkeye18]

I run 22/26, and the car is almost perfectly neutral, trending toward oversteer. The car rotates beautifully, and once the tires break the nose keeps pointing in the direction of the turn and just slides sideways. It's awesome. I don't have to hardly correct at all. Of course, I also have a front STB, which helps a lot.

p.s. wrenches are a notoriously inaccurate way of measuring sway bars. Get a caliper set; they're cheap, and they're actually useful for an amazing number of things. Advance Auto sells one that's actually pretty damn good in the $20-$30 range. It's digital, zeroes anywhere you want it to for differential measurements, and does inches/cm. Even comes with a spare battery!

 

[Lightning]

I believe a 19/26 combo would involve a bit MORE oversteer than a 24/26.

Oops, wrong wording, I was meaning to say less understeer, which is what I would like to try to achieve.

 

[92inPA]

My 19/26 setup really frees the car up. In fact when the tires are cold it can sometimes be "snap" loose. Once the tires get some heat in them it settles down to just loose in and neutral out. It does make for exciting times if you try to trailbrake entering a turn. But at least it doesn't push.

My 19mm front bar came from a station wagon.

Over this winter I installed stiffer springs on the car, so the first track event of the season just might be exciting. Think I will take the old springs with me to swap back in if this setup is too loose.

 

[JEM]

19/26 is tail-happy as all **** with an MTX. Autocross car, sure, but on a real track that's going to be awfully prone to lift-throttle oversteer.

My standard recommendation is 22/26. 24/26 works with a Quaife but it's still very understeer-biased.

I guess the rules with an ATX might be a little different.

 

[92inPA]

19/26 is tail-happy as all **** with an MTX. Autocross car, sure, but on a real track that's going to be awfully prone to lift-throttle oversteer.

You're spot on with that comment. And that's just the way I like it.
Loose = Fast

 

[1993MTXSHO]

19/26 is tail-happy as all **** with an MTX. Autocross car, sure, but on a real track that's going to be awfully prone to lift-throttle oversteer.

My standard recommendation is 22/26. 24/26 works with a Quaife but it's still very understeer-biased.

I guess the rules with an ATX might be a little different.

I got some tail lift oversteer with my 24/26, I think its all about how you drive each setup too, I didn't expect taillift with my combo, guess thats how it ended up in a guardrail

 

[1993MTXSHO]

You're spot on with that comment. And that's just the way I like it.
Loose = Fast

"Loose is fast and on the edge of out of control" Guess the movie that quote thats from.

 

[SHO Continental]

My '93 ATX on 24/26 held the streets pretty well on 19s. I never took it 'xing though. When it was on slicers it'd under steer through the canyons, so I'm thinking with the 245s on it I just haven't pushed it hard enough yet. I'm installed a 28 rear soon though.

 

[Lightning]

"Loose is fast and on the edge of out of control" Guess the movie that quote thats from.

Unfortunately, I know that one. One of the worst movies involving cars and racing ever made. did the same thing for circle track racing that Top Gun did for fighter jets...

Hmmm, upon reflection, that could be where my inate hatred of NASCAR :zoom:comes from...


Mmmmm, I can feel the flames from my last comment already...

 

[sandrew]

Mmmmm, I can feel the flames from my last comment already...

Nah. A quote I saw somewhere else that I liked:

"If I wanted to watch Nascar I'd flush a bag of Skittles down the toilet
and bet on which color would win."