So, I've just recently installed a suspension techniques rear sway, and I'm very much satisfied so far. Ride isn't all that harsh, and the car now stays pretty flat in the corners...in the rear anyway, the front feels kinda wobbly now.

Anyway, I noticed on the progress tech and trd rear sways that there are metal pieces on the bar it self that butts up against the bushings that appear to keep the actual bar from moving left or right under the car. The suspension techniques bar doesn't have this, so it appears the bar could actually shift left or right. Would this happen during cornering? And would it have any impact on handling?

Hope this makes sense...

Thanks

 

They're called stopper rings. They're on the TRD bar, and the stock sway as well. Are you sure your bar doesn't have them?

Have a pic or a link to a picture of this bar?

 

Hotchkis has them too. I think it would shift from left to right and vise versa if the bar doesn't have it and knowing that the end links move like a human being's arm. Maybe that's the reason why popular brands have them.

 

I'm positive it doesn't have these rings. I didn't think to bring my camera with me to the shop where I put it on, so I don't have any pics of this.

I'm back at college now (drove to a shop with a lift to do the install), so here are some not so good pics of the bar taken with car sitting on the ground.



and another, which shows the other side of the bushing that the first pic doesn't really show



Now, if the car is going down a straight line, I would guess that the bar would center itself as there is (roughly) and equal amount of weight on either wheel...well, maybe more on the left because of driver weight...but under cornering, it seems like the imbalance of weight may cause the bar to shift left or right. What effect would this have?

Talked to a buddy who knows a little more about these things than I do, and he seems to think it will have no effect, but I'm not so sure.

 

On a sidenote, I haven't been able to find anyone on this forum that has this bar...so here's what I think:

Other than the above issue, I have no problems with the bar. It has definitely stiffened up the rear and made the car's handling completely neutral. Hard cornering results in both front and rear wheel loss of traction. The car is much more composed during high speed curves and gives me a lot more confidence.

However, my car is still wearing the OEM tires, and I feel like those are the only thing holding the car back. It's almost as if the car handles as well as it possibly can handle with those tires, and the only thing that would make it better is new tires.

That said, I haven't ridden in or driven another tc with a different brand bar, or any other sway bar...so I really have nothing to compare the bar to.

Paid 159 for it shipped, and got it from JK Motorsports in Greenville, NC.

I'd highly recommend the bar to anyone IF this no-stopper-rings-problem turns out to be no big deal. I suppose there's really no way to tell if it shifts left or right during cornering, and from my imprecise eyeballing of the bar, it seems centered while the car is sitting still.

EDIT: Forgot to mention this, but during the install, it was hard to get the bolts on the end-links to go through the holes on the bar. Had to take a drill and bore out the hole a little bit as the powder-coat made it nearly impossible to get the bolt through.

 

the bar cant really go anywhere. If it shifts t the right the end links pulling down pull it back int a vertical plane. Your fine. Also rear sway only is a nice setup on our cars. These things have way too much understeer fr my taste.

 

Makes sense, thanks