Removing front sway bar
Removing front sway bar
04-18-2003, 11:50 AM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Webberville, MI USA
Posts: 148
It improves weight transfer for drag racing but makes the car handle as if it were posessed by satan.
A better solution is to just remove the end-links at the track and then put them back on before you go home. Anyone who says this mod does not positively wreck the handling of the car must be numb up to the shoulders and drive like Aunt Bea.
A better solution is to just remove the end-links at the track and then put them back on before you go home. Anyone who says this mod does not positively wreck the handling of the car must be numb up to the shoulders and drive like Aunt Bea.
04-18-2003, 12:10 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Sac, CA
Posts: 674
Dropping the front sway bar does two things ... First and foremost it reduces weight, specifically weight in the front end - stock sawy bar adn end links is about 14-15 lbs. Any weight reduction up front will improve the weight transfer.
Second, the sway bar by design is going to inhibit the motion of the front end. By removing the sway bar, the front end is free to release.
As far as wether to remove or just pull the end links, it only takes 4 more bolts to remove. Personally there is as much or more to gained by losing the weight - if you're going to make the effort to do it you may as well do it all and get the full advantage.The first time is a bit of a pain on the driver side, you have to remove a plate - 2 bolts and a nut - and slit the shroud so the bar will drop straight down. After that, unless you put the plate back on, you will spend more time jacking the car up, putting it on stands and taking it back down, than you will actually spend taking the sway bar off. I do it when I put on my skinnies.
Driving without the front sway bar is no big deal, as long as you don't plan on going autocrossing or tearing up the hills - and you could still do that, just not as well. For normal routine city driving you will barely notice. It will feel like you're driving around on a set of bad front shocks ... it actually handles better than my '59 Ford did ...
Good Luck
Second, the sway bar by design is going to inhibit the motion of the front end. By removing the sway bar, the front end is free to release.
As far as wether to remove or just pull the end links, it only takes 4 more bolts to remove. Personally there is as much or more to gained by losing the weight - if you're going to make the effort to do it you may as well do it all and get the full advantage.The first time is a bit of a pain on the driver side, you have to remove a plate - 2 bolts and a nut - and slit the shroud so the bar will drop straight down. After that, unless you put the plate back on, you will spend more time jacking the car up, putting it on stands and taking it back down, than you will actually spend taking the sway bar off. I do it when I put on my skinnies.
Driving without the front sway bar is no big deal, as long as you don't plan on going autocrossing or tearing up the hills - and you could still do that, just not as well. For normal routine city driving you will barely notice. It will feel like you're driving around on a set of bad front shocks ... it actually handles better than my '59 Ford did ...
Good Luck
Last edited by V6toZ28; 04-18-2003 at 12:13 PM.
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