I'm trying to partially address my 99 Miata's tail-happy autocrossing behavior by disconnecting the rear sway bar. Is this something I can simply pull and forget about it or should I just disconnect the endlinks before an event and hook everything back up for every day driving? What am I giving up by not having one back there while I go to work and back or take a spirited romp through my favorite two-laners?
-
April 16, 2010 11:13 p.m. Claff New Reader
-
April 16, 2010 11:15 p.m. aussiesmg SuperDork
Run a course with it installed correctly, then run it without, try it out and see for yourself.
-
April 16, 2010 11:27 p.m. amg_rx7 Reader
It should be enough to disconnect the end links to feel the difference
-
April 17, 2010 12:18 a.m. Greasyman New Reader
I have a disconnected rear sway and a Jackson Racing front bar and I leave them the rear disconnected on the street. Today I took a little blast down some very twisty roads and I didn't once even think about the sways, the car felt fine. I only removed my end links and left the sway on, because at first I thought I might reconnect it. That was months ago and I haven't once done so. I suppose taking it off would save some weight, maybe I'll do that while I'm thinking of it.
-
April 17, 2010 7:10 a.m. moxnix Reader
Pull and forget about it. I did on my 90.
-
April 17, 2010 7:36 a.m. wbjones HalfDork
actually all you have to do is disconnect one end... (if it's not connected at both ends it's not doing anything...
)
-
April 17, 2010 9:36 a.m. z31maniac Dork
On my S52 swapped E30, we upped the rear spring rate and ran no rear bar. The rear end was still plenty easy to rotate with ~235whp on tap, and the car rode MUCH better.
Even with much stiffer springs, think we were running 550/750 f/r on the E30.
-
April 17, 2010 11:39 a.m. Keith SuperDork
I find a Miata with no rear sway to feel dead, personally. All of my cars run them and I find them a lot more fun to drive. But in the last year or so, that's become unfashionable. I can see why autocrossers do it, but outside of that particular subset of automotive dynamics I haven't found the appeal.
It doesn't take long to try it, though. Give it a shot. Drive it on the street with the rear sway connected and with it disconnected. Takes about as long to try it and make up your own mind as it does to ask the question on a forum
-
April 17, 2010 1:13 p.m. wbjones HalfDork
the standard answer is (and remember this is generic and YMMV) no bar on the end that has the drive wheels...
-
April 17, 2010 1:22 p.m. njansenv Reader
Hmm. I know that loads of front bar is a "good thing" in many FWD camber challenged cars.
-
April 17, 2010 4:30 p.m. wbjones HalfDork
hadn't thought about that ... I have adj A-arms so have ~ 3 1/2° neg camber in the front
and I have heard of some FWD cars using larger front bars, just never gone that route myself...
-
April 17, 2010 5:03 p.m. splitime Reader
I run a big front bar and no rear bar on my turbo track miata. I like it.
-
April 17, 2010 6:47 p.m. wbjones HalfDork
that's the "standard" way... RWD=large front bar.... FWD=large rear bar
but as njansenv pointed out not all cars fit the "standard"
-
April 17, 2010 9:00 p.m. Claff New Reader
Pulled the endlinks off today and will be running it tomorrow. We shall see how it goes.
-
April 17, 2010 10:17 p.m. maroon92 SuperDork
I have a pretty large rear bar on my mustang. I like a car that drives a little loose though.
