I disconnected the RSB on my 01 by removing an end link long ago. It's got some understeer at times, but I love how predictable it is. This approach is probably not for everyone, but since it's so easy and cheap, I think it's a great place to start.

 

Thanks for the input. Managed to get a 2005 rear sway bar (311 lbs) from Ebay for £35 delivered! Will fit that instead of the MY02 392/lbs current rear sway bar, - will see how that works out. Always have the option to disconnect sway bar as you say in the future if need be.

 

I'm one of the few that decided to get the Godspeed FSB, haven't installed it yet as it's currently en route.

Going to try it out on MY04, not expecting anything too much, I'll more than likely get the Moddiction/Saner one later on.

Will post up reviews once it's on later in May/June of this year.

 

Yeah, I've thought about it before doing the swap...but then I thought it might have too much body-roll. Gotta have something back there and I don't want this car to sway too much.

 

As stated prior, here is my updated on the Godspeed FSB:

Initial finish: some cheap metallic red coating, arrived with some light scrape marks, all cosmetic, light paint chips, nothing major, and no damage to the bar itself.

Fitment: 10/10 - no issues installing this, make sure you clamp down the end link area so you can undo the nuts on each side to swap out the sway bars out.

Feel: Compared to the oem AP2 (non-CR) I definitely noticed a difference, these are non-adjustable, but they are definitely thicker than the OEM ap2 bar. which leads me to say you cannot use the oem sway bar bushings, so the rubber bushings that were included I had lathered up in lithium grease to prevent the rubber squeaking noise.
At low speeds you don't notice anything really, but on tighter turns or definitely on areas such as the on/off-ramps on the highway, you notice just how much more planted the vehicle feels.

For the price I paid for the bar (bought it off on a whim just to try out on Amazon.com), definitely worth it.

 

2 year update. I've probably done 10 or so track days and daily driven through 2 Northeast winters. Bar still looks as good as new. Bushings squeak just a tiny bit for the 1st 10 mins when it's very cold out. Plan to loosen the bushing brackets and reapply some grease which is 2 years old at this point. Otherwise, no other complaints.

In terms of driving feel, it definitely shifted the balance slightly towards understeer which is why I got this in the first place. I think on an AP2v2 staggered setup 225/255 RS3, this is the perfect bar for road course use if leaving everything else stock like I have. Any stiffer and there would be too much understeer for my tastes. Though, at that point, I could go slightly stiffer in the rear but with the street/roads around here, I prefer to have as much rear droop travel as possible since there is a TorSen back there which goes full open if you lift a wheel.

There are a couple of (3rd gear) corners at my local track where I would prefer just a little more front end grip but the balance is perfect everywhere else (4th gear and above). I'm hoping the extra 1.5 degrees of front camber (currently -1.7) I've added for this year will make the car's balance perfect everywhere. Here's an in-car video with the steering wheel and shifter in view so you can try to gauge which corners I'm talking about that undertster slightly. The other corners are pretty much neutral and I can make the car oversteer with just a slight change to driver input.

I assume I'll have to get a much larger front bar if I ever get a 255/255 square setup. But OEM stagger, it is ridiculous to see people spending several hundred dollars on a front sway bar when there is a economical and proven bar available for almost 1/10th the price. This thing is $70 shipped nowadays, lol.

 

I have a 2002 AP1. I need help getting an answer that will greatly make my decision whether it's worth spending money on getting only the front sway bar installed with rear oem swaybar. After doing some research, I want to run an EIBACH Front Sway Bar + Hardrace end links (non-adjustable), with already having a fairly new Michelin sport all season sport tires (205/225) put onto the stock rims. It is basically everything stock with only having to change the 2002 oem front sway to Eibach 32mm Front Sway and newer end links. My question is, will I be able to feel a difference in better handling and less body roll alone in turns or what not? without having to play around with any aftermarket springs, shocks and coilovers for now. Also most importantly with this basic setup, will I also lose any grip in the front or rear tires? someone whos knowledgeable on this, I would greatly appreciate it

 

New to the car and the group. I have a soon to be SC AP2 with Buddy Club suspension. I think for canyon carving, from what I can surmise, I should leave the rear sway bar as stock and maybe go a little stiffer on the front to reduce body roll. I'm not going to track the car, but I want to be as aggressive as possible slicing up the canyons. Any recommendations on tuning this suspension for this type of driving? Either front rear or both and what manufacturer. Thanks in advance, links appreciated.

Cheers

 

Hi,
Quick question: I just purchased the godspeed sway bar from Amazon (thanks for the link), but it did not come with any bushings and such. I am assuming I can reuse the existing OEM hardware? Also, great driving skills, btw. I have a stock AP2 (2004) and want to try and see how this sway bar can help.

Thanks,