CKGuY914

For a while I wanted to get a DC carbon steel strut bar but since then I kept reading how strut bars don't really make much of a difference but rather than are for looks only.

I am a performance first and looks second guy, so what are the two suspension mods that would make the most significant difference to a smoother ride?

tckurt

Tthan a strut bar is not for you... get sways for a performance difference... and of course springs or coilovers.

chucksu

Springs + Shocks + Sway Bars is what you are looking for. Springs there are a good deal of pics, shocks not to many. Sway bar, go for a progressive 22mm rear sway bar & call it a day.

THE_DON

Call Ken at TRDsparks and get the Hotchkis Stage 1 setup. I believe it's on sale for like $300 right now.

That includes Hotchkis coils, new bumpstops, and front and rear swaybars. Done!

www.TRDsparks.com

-THE DON

HotWheels

Tein Coilovers at least basic...

and a good set of wheels and tires...yes, for the ride

these two mods made me realy like my car a lot...before it was dull

fsr20det

strut tower bars do make a big difference even on stock suspension. imo it is one of the best bang for the buck mods on any car. strut tower bars are used to make the chassis stiffer. imagine your engine bay being a square with no top : l_l not vey rigid right? the stb is like the top of the box, it connects your strut towers together and eliminates some of the flexing your chassis normally does and forces your suspension to soak up the bumps instead of your chassis. everytime i would go over a speed bump at an angle in my car you could really feel the chassis flexing as each tire went over the bumps. after i installed the stbars I could feel like the whole front end lifting together when going over bumps. thats why roll cages are good for the suspension also, it makes the whole chassis a lot stiffer. stb's are NOT just for cosmetics and roll cages are not just for safety. i even got one for my moms 98 corolla cause the stock suspension is so crappy.

TXboxdriver

don't go overkill on spring rates or wheel size
this is a lightweight vehicle (~2500lbs)
tuning needs to be done accordingly

gnar-de-gwar

agreed with fsr20det, he's right on the dot. But I do have to say that unless you drive mountain passes or anything that has alot of turning involved...why get one? That, IMO is where you really feel the difference when getting a STB. Just my two cents.

jomo

From my experience, balance is the key.

Simply put, stiffen the front (springs, swaybar, strut tower) or soften the rear (springs, spacers) = more understeer (less oversteer). Stiffen the rear (springs, swaybar) or soften the front (springs, spacers) = more oversteer (less understeer). Swaybars have more impact (except for that wimpy Hotchkis rear sway), others are more subtle. Neither understeer or oversteer are necessarily good. But you can use the above to dial in how you want your car to feel.

Since both the XA (and especially the XB) understeer from the showroom, apply the general guidelines above to work on the understeer first. Unless you want more understeer....

The XB is pretty stiff in front with a heavy sway bar and strut towers close to the firewall (acts as shear panel). Stiffen the front further with a stock rear suspension and you will put even more grip in the rear and the front will scrub like a hockey puck. The worst setup IMHO....unfun and low performance.

Stiffen the rear too much and you shift the grip to the front.....oh so fun oversteer. The huge problem with oversteer is that it is dangerous in panic situations. You can really get yourself in trouble. The Progress sway is pretty stiff so watch out if you have springs like H-techs (soft front, stiff rear) and a Progress rear sway. A nice upgrade though when balanced with other upgrades (strut bar, rear spacers).

gnar-de-gwar

im looking into that actually, getting the progress rear sway, along with a 4 point chassis brace...I want my baby to handle the mountains better, and some new adjustable shocks too. So far the strut bar has dont wonders for my handling, it doesnt feel so loose when I enter the turn or when going through a sweeper...it feels good.

HaVoK

The 2 most significant suspension mods for an xB would springs / coilovers and sway bars. As "jomo" said you must find a balance and choose the correct set up for what you want.

As for the strut tower bars, on an xB the difference they make is very minimal. Although "fsr20det" is correct with the square without a top, the problem is that it mounts to far back. The strut towers are too close to the firewall so the effect is very minimal, therefore it's more for looks. It does, though, help tie together your front suspension and kind of forces it to work together. I'd put the strut tower bar towards the end of the suspension mods list on an xB, as I am also a performance over looks person.

Forgot to add, some performance shocks would also help.

BlueBubble666

I just got the Hottchkis system myself. I'm waiting to install it.