hey all,
I've been browsing this forum for some time now and I'm getting ready to order a tc but though I would ask for suggestions/experiences. I don't plan on purchasing the suspension/springs add on but I am considering either the rear sway bar or the rear sway bar and the front strut tie bar. In light of the fact that I am not planning on upgrading the suspension which would be recommended, both, just rear sway bar or neither? (I realize that there are some conversations about this in the forum but they all focus on the rear sway bar/front strut tie bar AND the upgraded suspension).

thanks very much for any comments/suggestions/input!

 

I'd get both - they are cheap and easy to install yourself. You will still have some body roll left riding on cushy stock springs, but steering response will be better, as well as cornering stability (tires will have less tendency of letting go of the road).

 

thanks much for the reply - what exactly is needed for installing both (keep in mind that I am very very far from being a "car" guy)? Also, are these something that it is is easy to screw up installing, e.g., if I do it myself how badly could I conceivably screw things up? Also, for anyone who has had these both done at the dealer, approx how much were you charged all said and done (e.g., installation charges)? Thanks very much for any and all input! (and like I said any opinions about the benefit of installing these are still welcome, even those saying "don't do it" - still somewhat in doubt as I won't be messing with the stock suspension).
thanks again.

 

I think they both come with manuals - just do it step by step and you won't screw it up. They are very hard to install wrong - they just won't fit

I'm a computer nerd by trade (software development) and don't consider myself a car guru by any means. But I can follow printed directions with pictures

 

zoltiz,
thanks much I wasn't sure what kind of documentation they came with (also in software development trade, but have the added benefit of a number of years of carpentry and such related work so rather familiar with those tools at least). My understanding is that they are pretty much just bolted on? Is there anything that needs to be removed/drilled to attach them or do they bolt on to existing holes/brackets?
thanks much.

 

Everything bolts right up. No drilling/cutting/etc.

Front strut brace requires the removal of plastic cowl (between hood and windshield), and wipers, then it's just 6 nuts and you are done. Rear one might require jackstands and removal of one of the wheels. I did mine together with springs, so did not pay much attention to the difficulty of its install - both come with the manuals and cost about $130 each from http://www.mcgeorgeparts.com

 

zoltiz,
thanks much for the info, appreciate it - after reading through the forum some more it seems like there are some very conflicting reports/estimate on the effectiveness of either of these upgrades to supply any real benefit, my understanding is that since the car is fwd the rear sway bar would have the most impact on the actual driving. If I were to only go with one which would be the most impactful? (rear sway bar I assume?)

 

Do the RSB. Front strut towers on the tC are very close to the firewall, so there is not a whole lot of flex to start with. I had my rsb on "mushy" for a little while, but it was not enough, so I moved it to "tight" and like it much better now

 

Do you feel getting the strut bar is worth it? I can get that installed for $188, if and when I decide to get a tC.

 

Thanks for searching! Yes, sway bars will always have a bigger impact than strut braces. Sway bars act directly on the suspension and can change the handling characteristics of a car substantially. Strut braces (or any other braces) only have an indirect effect that can vary depending on the model of car you're putting them on.

I have yet to install my rear sway bar, but I don't even have plans to order a strut brace at this point.

 

Not worth $188, but well worth $130 when you are getting all other suspension stuff done. The bar by itself is more of a visual thing

 

so overall the rear sway bar would be provide better handling than the front strut bar? i asked a tC expert and he said the front strut bar since its a FWD. i'm confused.

 

Before you make any changes to your suspension, you should probably to some research on how suspensions work and what the different parts do. I'm not telling you what to do, but once you have a good base of knowledge you'll understand how to make changes to give you the end result you want.

Back to the topic at hand...

If by "better handling" you mean the car will understeer less with the stiffer rear sway bar, yes, it will. If you want a car to understeer less/oversteer more, you stiffen up the rear sway bar/springs/etc. or soften the front. Stiffening the front will make the car understeer more/oversteer less. Stiffening the front and rear equally will not change the balance of the car but should provide better handling at the cost of ride comfort. Even a stiffer sway bar lowers ride quality some, as it makes the left and ride sides of the suspension less independent. A front strut brace on the tC probably has such a small effect on handling that I doubt it will cause any additional bias towards understeer. However, if you slapped on an oversized front sway bar (with no change to the rear) I'm sure you'd be unhappy with the result.

 

hmmnn...I guess it sounds like the best bet is to get the tc and drive it for awhile and see how I like the ride and handling and then add the rear sway bar if I find the stock handling to be lacking for what I want (and it sounds like the rear sway bar is easy enough to install on one's own).
thanks for all the very helpful input!

 

Now, I understand that installing the rear sway bar reduces the body roll while cornering, giving it a more kart like ride. How does it do this? My understanding is that it connects the two rear shocks so, when turning, instead of having all the pressure on one shock, it distributes it to both sides, leveling out the rear of the car. Is this right? And if so, is this in essence transforming the fully independend rear suspension on the TC to a sort of semi-independent system? Does this defeat the purpose of having a fully independent rear suspension? :?: