Sway Bars VS Lowering Springs

[Filter]

Simply put, which will make the car handle better? Thanks

[Watch4MyBu]

my vote is for swaybars..no doubt they will make your car handle better

[SilverGA2001]

For an overall effect, springs. Sways are nice, I have them because I got a good deal, but I've had Eibachs on a previous car, and it felt like a completely different car. Once I can afford it, I'll be getting Eibachs.

[Rba007]

From a person that has both front and rear bars, and the eibachs, ill tell you: Swaybars. These puppies made the biggest difference. Once you see the stock units, vs the new bars, youll know why. The new ones are much thicker and heavier than the oem babies.

[shawn2ktats]

i have the strut towars front and back and a eibach drop omg you wouldnt believe my handleing truely amazing:thumbs:

[RAMAIR1]

My front and rear sway bars are my favorite mods. Those bad boys along with my 17" rims and 235/45ZR17 tires really improved the handling. I recently acquired a rear strut tower brace from Zoran too. I didn't expect much, but it really complimented the ASB's. I will be looking to get the front one soon. I HIGHLY recommend the ASB's, just make sure that you have some experienced help to assist you with the install of the front bar!!!

[02PONtiac!]

Originally posted by RAMAIR1
My front and rear sway bars are my favorite mods. Those bad boys along with my 17" rims and 235/45ZR17 tires really improved the handling. I recently acquired a rear strut tower brace from Zoran too. I didn't expect much, but it really complimented the ASB's. I will be looking to get the front one soon. I HIGHLY recommend the ASB's, just make sure that you have some experienced help to assist you with the install of the front bar!!! I just put the front strut tower brace and Eibach prokit on my 02 GAGT1. I can already notice the handling is much stiffer. No more understeer. Unfortunatly up here in alaska the roads are still like an ice skating rink so I can't feel it's full potential quite yet. Great improvement so far!!!

[Mystery8]

swaybars for sure...

The lowering kit would be great if you already had the sways in place!

I'd go with sways, then strut towers, then lowered...if you really wanna feel like you're driving on rails :)

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by Mystery8
swaybars for sure...

The lowering kit would be great if you already had the sways in place!

I'd go with sways, then strut towers, then lowered...if you really wanna feel like you're driving on rails :)

I started opposite that. I started from easy to hard. Strut tower braces were the first thing to go on the new car. Now I've done the rear sway myself, and I will be doing the front in the spring. Then top it all off with Eibachs and new struts. Should be fun then. :D

[02PONtiac!]

Originally posted by SilverGA2001


I started opposite that. I started from easy to hard. Strut tower braces were the first thing to go on the new car. Now I've done the rear sway myself, and I will be doing the front in the spring. Then top it all off with Eibachs and new struts. Should be fun then. :D Darn you guys!! now I want to go buy front and rear sway bars tomorrow. You got me thinking. Okay, what sway bars should I get and where do I get them. Can I get better ones that are on PFYC.com the shipping is so expensive from them

[RAMAIR1]

Originally posted by 02PONtiac!
Can I get better ones that are on PFYC.com the shipping is so expensive from them

I got the PFYC bars. Yeah, they weren't cheap, but worth every single penny. I would buy them all over again. If you do get the bars I also recommend, as I'm sure everyone else will too, that you get Energy Suspension universal greasable bushings to go along with them. They are pretty cheap...whole set of four should be under $30. If you skip the bushings your new bar will squeak unmercifully. Good luck, I say DO IT!!

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by RAMAIR1


I got the PFYC bars. Yeah, they weren't cheap, but worth every single penny. I would buy them all over again. If you do get the bars I also recommend, as I'm sure everyone else will too, that you get Energy Suspension universal greasable bushings to go along with them. They are pretty cheap...whole set of four should be under $30. If you skip the bushings your new bar will squeak unmercifully. Good luck, I say DO IT!!

Actually, I had no squeaks at all with the PFYC bushings. The grease they give you is very effective for lubricating the bushing. It's a silicone based grease and it never wore off or squeaked the entire 3 months I had them on. The problem I did run into was the bushing allowed movement inside the plate that connects it to the car. That mounting bracket and bushing combination sucks. I was getting a terrible clunking anytime the car's weight shifted. I highly advise getting the Energy Suspension bushings, you have to do some custom cutting of the bracket to make them fit, but my car is now clunk free and feels more secure then it did with the bushing the bar came with.

[Tweeter]

As some one how Races the car in SCCA races, The Sway bars are the biggest inprovement. I have the Rear bar and H&R springs and like it alot. I did not want the front of the car as tight so I left the stock bar.

[aleroboy]

I cant decide.
sweybars help with body roll
and springs stifin things up and lower the center of gravity.
both are really needed if you want good handling.
but as far as what to do.
I cant really say.
Thats like being a body builder and only working on one part of your body. you need the total package.
but
I must also add strut tower braces especially with sweybars.
I was quite impressed with how much adding strut tower braces to my car helped. I allreayd had eibachs, kybs, and sweybars.
strut tower braces still made a very noticeable difference.
now its time for bigger wheels and sticky tires.:thumbs:

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by aleroboy

I must also add strut tower braces especially with sweybars.
I was quite impressed with how much adding strut tower braces to my car helped. I allreayd had eibachs, kybs, and sweybars.
strut tower braces still made a very noticeable difference.
now its time for bigger wheels and sticky tires.:thumbs:

I think that when people put strut tower braces on a stock car and are disappointed with them, well that means they didn't need them. In my opinion, if you can't feel the difference a strut tower brace made, then you didn't need them in the first place. I've been able to notice both front and rear, but then again I get off on seeing how hard I can push the car. And with Aleroboy's suspenion mods, they can only help the situation, because with all that turning ability, just imagine what the frame was doing! So I agree with John that strut tower braces are an excellent compliment. :)

[AaronGTR]

I put the STB's on my car first and they deffinitly made a difference. Mostly in steering response and stability and tracking in corners though. Not in cornering speed or body roll. Next I added the sway bars and they made a huge difference in cornering. Perfect compliment with the STB's. The car isn't quite right yet though, and I'll be gettting the eibach springs and the front KYB struts this spring to dial it in. I'm getting wheels and tires too ;) . Btw, I haven't had any squeaking from the sway bars. You just have to put plenty of grease on them and make sure you spread it over the entire inside surface of the bushing.

[Dr_Kyle]

I don't know that having just the swaybars will do much if you're looking for the BEST handling. Most people that have posted already had springs when they put the bars in. I did the same and WOW! I think you should get both!

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by Dr_Kyle
I don't know that having just the swaybars will do much if you're looking for the BET handling. Most people that have posted already had springs when they put the bars in. I did the same and WOW! I think you should get both!

On the lines that Kyle brought up, sway bars will not change the ride characteristics of the car either. So if nose dive ****es you off, you're still going to have it with sways. Springs are the way to go for firming up the suspension. No nose dive during braking, and the ride will be slightly different. It's not stiff so much as firm. Hard to explain the difference, but springs make the car feel much more confident about bumps. You'll notice springs even in a straight line, whereas if you're simply going straight, the sway bars are not noticeable.

[Filter]

You know when you're driving down the road and you are just playing with the wheel by quickly moving it back and forth. This causes the car to rock and dive back and forth. I want the thing that will help get rid of that the most. I'll definately get both at some point, but I want the one that helps the most first cause I don't know when I'll get the other.

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by Filter
You know when you're driving down the road and you are just playing with the wheel by quickly moving it back and forth. This causes the car to rock and dive back and forth. I want the thing that will help get rid of that the most. I'll definately get both at some point, but I want the one that helps the most first cause I don't know when I'll get the other.

Then sways will probably be your first choice. My GA is pretty tight with Strut tower braces and sway bars. It'll jerk your ass hard side to side, but I still get a lot of body roll, which the springs would help with. It's really odd how the car comes flying up on the sides and yet it holds the road perfectly. :)

My old car, I had a fun little thing to do, whenever I had someone in the backseat, I'd slosh the car side to side as hard as possible and bounce them off the plastic interior panels. Before springs, the body roll alone would launch you from one side to another. After my springs, there wasn't much body roll, but the laws of motion still applied to the person's body, and they'd slam into the plastic with a thud. :D Sound like what your looking for?