Hey fellas, I was just wondering, would the car need an alignment after putting on front and rear sway bars? Also is there a recommendation for a stiffer sway bar for an ap1 with the factory sized tires? I have read all about the saner, gendron, and eibach bars but have also read that the only cars that benefit are from larger tire sizes. I was kind of looking for something that would help the chassis transition/settle faster while entering a set of turns, less body roll would be great too (although it is definitely reduced vs stock).The car currently has bilstein pss coilovers with an altered UK alignment and everything else is stock. The car is mainly a weekender/canyon cruiser and will probably see autox once a month and maybe a track event here and there.

History of the car
Front camber -1.8 to -1.9
Rear camber -2.5
rear toe 0.2deg total
front toe 0
caster is stock if I remember correctly
Fender to centercap measurement is 13.5 inches in the front and 14inches in the rear
Continental DW Extreme contact x4 in stock ap1 sizing

 

Sway bars do not affect alignment.

 

As Dan stated changing sway bars does not change the alignment.

A good choice to stiffen the sway bars on your '02, would be to add either a '00-'01 front sway bar or a CR front sway bar.

You current front sway bar has a spring rate of 300 ft/lbs. The '00-'01 front sway bar has a spring rate of 393 ft/lbs. The CR front sway bar has a spring rate of 392 ft/lbs.

You can pick up used '00-'01 sway bars dirt cheap.

A new '00-'01 or CR front sway bar with bushings will run under $150 if you shop around.

Your '02 rear sway bar is already stiffer than the CR rear sway bar, and almost as stiff as the '00-'01 rear sway bar, so I wouldn't change it out.

 

thanks guys, guess ill start shopping around for cr/early ap1 sway bars then

 

I would certainly recommend something more stiff than the CR/MY00 front sway bar if you want to autox. A difference of 93 ft/lbs will not net you much, even though the softer rear bar of your MY02 will help. I wouldn't go Gendron or Comptech unless you are serious about autox. A used Saner is always a good choice, though can be a bit annoying on a DD because they are known for being clunky (I know mine certainly is). All others will still be a substantial upgrade over the CR/MY00 bars. Just look for something substantially stiffer than stock.

If autox isn't a focus, then the CR/MY00 bars will tighten it up on sweeping corners a bit.

 

The Eibach bars are very reasonable.

 

thanks for the input but you guys do realize that I plan on keeping stock ap1 sized tires right? Ive always read that upgrading your front bar on stock tires only induces more understeer? Do you guys think otherwise?

 

As I meantioned you don't really need a stiffer rear sway bar. So stiffening your front sway bar is the course you have. And yes going with a stiffer front sway bar would induce more under steer. What it will give you is the ability to go with less rear toe, and possibly more front camber. It also will help with your car transition better which you said was your goal.

I would recommend you look into going to stock AP2 size wheels and tires.

 

gotcha, thanks TTMartin.

 

For autox, that's the point!