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Sway Bars: opinions?

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Old 08-16-2005, 07:56 PM
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Car: 1989 RS Camaro
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Sway Bars: opinions?

I would like opinions from 3rd gen owners on sway bars, what have you guys bought and are they good, im thinking about Hotchkis, but i have the Eibach Pro Kit springs. So i was kinda thinking i might go with the Eibach sway bars that are tuned to go with the pro kit springs, any opinions are much appreciated
Old 08-16-2005, 11:27 PM
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grab a set off a ws6 formula or trans am, cheaper and does the same job, if oyu must go aftermarket though, go with spohn
Old 08-17-2005, 09:29 AM
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Car: Building LS3, T56 Z28
Engine: LS3
Transmission: T-56
Axle/Gears: Moser/ 4.11
I have a 91 Z28. It had every preformance option short of 1LE. How much better is sphon's front bar, than my stock hollow one?

$ is not too big a deal. It is a street car. just want to know if I would feel a difference....or if you think I would.
Old 08-17-2005, 12:11 PM
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Probably not noticeably better. If you have the 34 or 36 hollow, stick with it.
Old 08-17-2005, 12:14 PM
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he'd have the 34, only the ws6 got the 36mm hollow, i doubt you;d notice a difference
Old 08-18-2005, 04:20 AM
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thanks for your opinions guys. now how about Torque arms, i've heard good things about spohn adj. torque arm. Also Sub Frame Connectors as well, any help is appreciated
Old 08-18-2005, 06:31 AM
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Yes you have herd right. I would not spend a dime on anyone elses TQ arm. Very nice piece. I have one. As for SFC, there are more otions there. I have competition engineering weld in ones and I like them very much.

Hope this helps at all.
Old 08-18-2005, 12:34 PM
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I went from a stock hollow 34mm to Spohn's solid 34mm and I did notice a difference. It you go with spohn and have stock springs, get the 25mm rear bar as will. You'll like it.
Old 08-18-2005, 11:06 PM
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Car: 1989 RS Camaro
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well im probably going to end up getting a spohn sway bar set and a spohn torque arm. I know that when i do get sfc's i want them to be the triagular ones so it completely ties the uni body together, then im going to get some tubular rear LCA's, and i also need a adj. panhard bar. Then Eventually i'm going to get some PA Racing Chromoly Tubular front LCA's w/ Bilstein struts/shocks to go with my Eibach spings.
Old 08-19-2005, 07:43 AM
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Car: Building LS3, T56 Z28
Engine: LS3
Transmission: T-56
Axle/Gears: Moser/ 4.11
Wow that is all almost EXACTLY what i have in my car. Still on the wall about what sway bar.

It is 100 % street car, if you wanna call a 500 HP 383 a street car.
Old 08-19-2005, 07:59 AM
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LOL vrooom!!!!

I would honestly spend the money on SFCs first if you don't have them. Bring the car to a frame shop, have them straighten the car to spec, then weld on the SFCs. This will give a far more noticeable difference than the swaybars and torque arm.
Old 08-25-2005, 05:56 PM
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Car: 1989 RS Camaro
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thanks for all your replies guys, what would youz say the car would do on the skidpad as far as Gs, with 17x9.5s w/ 275/40YR17s, I'm hoping at least .90 Gs
Old 08-25-2005, 09:13 PM
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I just did my suspension overhaul this spring, and through lots of reading on this site, I decided to go with spohn in amost everything (sway bars, LCA's, panhard, and sfc's).....now I love accelerating through turns and feeling it hug, unlike before when it was a scary thing going into a decent turn with speed.......very tight steering (and I still could put on a wonderbar and strut tower brace)
Old 08-26-2005, 11:31 AM
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Originally posted by kretos
he'd have the 34, only the ws6 got the 36mm hollow, i doubt you;d notice a difference
I got the 36mm on my Z, stock.
Old 08-27-2005, 05:41 PM
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Car: 91 Z28
I got the 36mm stock too.
I went to Summit today to get new bushings and links and the parts I got were all wrong!
Does anyone know where to get 36mm bushings and the sleeves on the links were about 2 3/8" long?
The Energy Suspension stuff summit sells was wrong.
Old 08-28-2005, 07:26 AM
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Some Firebirds were equipped with the 36 hollow/24 solid from 86-92, some Camaros from 89-92. If you can find them--and they're not all that rare--pick them up. I bought several pairs in the $50 to $75 dollar range. I had mine powder coated. As for the bushings and end links, try a board sponsor, TDS. Lon, IIRC, carries both.

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Old 08-29-2005, 11:34 PM
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Curious

Bare with me on this one ok .. lol

IF someone would be able to get hold of thick hollow metal .. and bend it ... could one make say 38 mm or bigger front swaybar ? .. or even 26 or 27 mm rear ?

When is too thick too much ??
Old 08-30-2005, 07:04 AM
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Car: Building LS3, T56 Z28
Engine: LS3
Transmission: T-56
Axle/Gears: Moser/ 4.11
That wold be REALLY hard to bend the right way. And then heat treat it correctly to make it flex the right way. If you want crazy sway bars, just use a nice thick that allready exists and use race endlinks and you will be riding rough and carving it up more than any diameter bar with poly bushings.
Old 08-30-2005, 09:02 AM
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Re: Curious

Originally posted by vorgath
Bare with me on this one ok .. lol

IF someone would be able to get hold of thick hollow metal .. and bend it ... could one make say 38 mm or bigger front swaybar ? .. or even 26 or 27 mm rear ?

When is too thick too much ??
It doesn't really work that way. Swaybars are sort of like springs.
Old 08-30-2005, 09:10 AM
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no 'sort of like' about it.... sway bars ARE springs..

ive only started to play with them on various cars... but im finding that i like the 'normal' 36mm factory bar... but with stiffer coil springs all the way around...


just be sure to buy good shocks before you upgrade the coilsprings.. unless you like hopping. lol
Old 08-30-2005, 09:10 AM
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Axle/Gears: Moser/ 4.11
Exactly. A massive bar doesn't really mean it is gonna be what you are looking for. Check out what other guys are running on race cars. You can do what they do even though it is gonna be super overkill for the street, and you are just gonna end up with more problems and downsides than any benefit that the "race" setup could give you.

Why do you wanna try and run such a massive bar?
Old 08-30-2005, 01:23 PM
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
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Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42 LS1
well

Just curious .. as I said


Right now I'm running 34 up front
Old 08-30-2005, 04:35 PM
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If you don't mind experimenting with different adjustments, Rancho used to sell a set of adjustable anti-sway bars for our cars. I found a set here a few years ago, and they are fantastic. They can be set-up to make a car over steer (sloalom and drifting), nuetral (auto cross), or under steer (so your wife doesn't wrap it around a tree). If you can find them, get them!
Old 08-30-2005, 08:51 PM
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can you happen to get a picture of those rancho bars? it would be nice to see other things
Old 08-30-2005, 10:23 PM
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: LO3
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42 LS1
Well

I still have a problem with the end links


Energy Suspension listed a set for 3rd Gen Camaro's .. and I bought them .. noticed the spacers are much longer than my stock ones ... I contacted them.... they said the part number is just their generic end link *smirk*

When I emailed them, saying that it did list it as a part specific for the Camaro, I never got another reply


So ... now I'm going to go and check it again ... with information regarding length of spacer from a much much much more reliable source than Energy Suspension ... talking about Lon from TDS ... wish he carried the parts I had to buy from Jeg's too *lol* .. since he is very reliable


for Lon
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