View Poll Results: What front sway bar do you use?
Voters: 181. You may not vote on this poll
STR Prep - Sway Bars
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,881
Likes: 6
From: Near Philadelphia
It's a compromise. No rear bar equals tons of rear traction but sluggish response in transition. Miata bar with 5-600 lbs rear Springs equals slightly less rear bite but much better weight transfer in transition. Our Bsp car feels better with the bar. Different driving styles will be different results. The bar on would be faster on a transition heavy course
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4
Generally I think you could build a car that could win nationally either way, with or without that bar. Personally after going a year with and a year without I think next year I'll have the bar most of the time, but sometimes disconnecting it.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
Agree with what both other folks have said.
It's certainly not the critical point of our setup, it just sort of worked out that we don't run one. It's got it's positives and negatives. I've got some things in mind to help our car transitionally next year *and* make our power-down even better than it is now...and completely unsure if that'll result in us putting the MX-5 bar back on or not. I can't imagine running a bar any higher rate than that.
It's certainly not the critical point of our setup, it just sort of worked out that we don't run one. It's got it's positives and negatives. I've got some things in mind to help our car transitionally next year *and* make our power-down even better than it is now...and completely unsure if that'll result in us putting the MX-5 bar back on or not. I can't imagine running a bar any higher rate than that.
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 400
Likes: 2
From: weston
One thing that I think has changed more than anything since the early setup days is that people are running much softer setups than previously.. Our Bsp car now has substantially less front and rear bar(Hollow gendron instead of solid saner and gendron and miata rear instead of OEM rear) yet it seems to work well. We are currently on 800/600 Springs with cheapo shocks. Before next season we will be in doubles with 1000/900 or something in that general area.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4
Registered User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 529
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by ConeKiller2' timestamp='1379543875' post='22785607
One thing that I think has changed more than anything since the early setup days is that people are running much softer setups than previously..
-Marc
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,531
Likes: 3
From: Tucson
Originally Posted by BirdShot' timestamp='1379544918' post='22785623
[quote name='ConeKiller2' timestamp='1379543875' post='22785607']
One thing that I think has changed more than anything since the early setup days is that people are running much softer setups than previously..
One thing that I think has changed more than anything since the early setup days is that people are running much softer setups than previously..
-Marc
[/quote]
I guess I am the odd man out with 950F/750R firm setup. An extremely stiff front sway bar is definitely not needed for STR IMO. I'm running the Comptech at full stiff which is about 900 lb/in.
From and old post of mine (still holds)... "I am liking the miata bar on the rear. With the current setup (rear bar on) it is very neutral on most surfaces and course features. It can push a bit on slow tight turns, but adapted to via driving change (new... or reducing front rebound). If the back end is loose at all I just disconnect one end of the bar to get back to neutral. It's a nice balance overall currently.
I'm sure the adjustable rear bar can achieve this and more. I just feel the difference between the miata bar on and off is very subtle and useable."
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 401
Likes: 0
From: Pewaukee, WI
Originally Posted by sirbunz' timestamp='1379546172' post='22785637
[quote name='BirdShot' timestamp='1379544918' post='22785623']
[quote name='ConeKiller2' timestamp='1379543875' post='22785607']
One thing that I think has changed more than anything since the early setup days is that people are running much softer setups than previously..
[quote name='ConeKiller2' timestamp='1379543875' post='22785607']
One thing that I think has changed more than anything since the early setup days is that people are running much softer setups than previously..
-Marc
[/quote]
I guess I am the odd man out with 950F/750R firm setup. An extremely stiff front sway bar is definitely not needed for STR IMO. I'm running the Comptech at full stiff which is about 900 lb/in.
From and old post of mine (still holds)... "I am liking the miata bar on the rear. With the current setup (rear bar on) it is very neutral on most surfaces and course features. It can push a bit on slow tight turns, but adapted to via driving change (new... or reducing front rebound). If the back end is loose at all I just disconnect one end of the bar to get back to neutral. It's a nice balance overall currently.
I'm sure the adjustable rear bar can achieve this and more. I just feel the difference between the miata bar on and off is very subtle and useable."
[/quote]
I agree with Rob regarding the Miata bar. I don't really take it off a lot, but I bring tools with me just in case I need to at large events. My setup is 850/650 with the 1.25" hollow Gendron bar. I don't feel that the car is too stiff. I wouldn't go up in spring rates anymore, however. Not sure how some people can get away with stock bars on the rear. Seems like it would be very loose that way.
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 369
Likes: 3
From: Central Ar.
I think conversations about rear bars can't be had without also mentioning what diff (and if adjustable what is it set at) on these cars. My car as an example, still on stock diff, with the mx5 bar and 625f 400r and about .25* rear toe in, was very loose on small asphalt lots but pushy with the bar disconnected. So I tried the NA maita 19mm front bar on the rear (not quite a bolt on but close) and it seems to work well. This year I went to 8300's with 800f 625r (still stock diff) and it seems to work very well. I like a looser setup whereas my co likes what I consider pushy but he is a lot faster than me so I set it where he likes it and try to drive more like him. But with a Gikes Cusco etc. I'm betting they want a stiffer rear bar and/or less split between spring rates.
Edited current spring rates
Edited current spring rates
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 401
Likes: 0
From: Pewaukee, WI
I think conversations about rear bars can't be had without also mentioning what diff (and if adjustable what is it set at) on these cars. My car as an example, still on stock diff, with the mx5 bar and 625f 400r and about .25* rear toe in, was very loose on small asphalt lots but pushy with the bar disconnected. So I tried the NA maita 19mm front bar on the rear (not quite a bolt on but close) and it seems to work well. This year I went to 8300's with 700f 625r (still stock diff) and it seems to work very well. I like a looser setup whereas my co likes what I consider pushy but he is a lot faster than me so I set it where he likes it and try to drive more like him. But with a Gikes Cusco etc. I'm betting they want a stiffer rear bar and/or less split between spring rates.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Random1' timestamp='1379568019' post='22785985
[quote name='sirbunz' timestamp='1379546172' post='22785637']
[quote name='BirdShot' timestamp='1379544918' post='22785623']
[quote name='ConeKiller2' timestamp='1379543875' post='22785607']
One thing that I think has changed more than anything since the early setup days is that people are running much softer setups than previously..
[quote name='BirdShot' timestamp='1379544918' post='22785623']
[quote name='ConeKiller2' timestamp='1379543875' post='22785607']
One thing that I think has changed more than anything since the early setup days is that people are running much softer setups than previously..
-Marc
[/quote]
I guess I am the odd man out with 950F/750R firm setup. An extremely stiff front sway bar is definitely not needed for STR IMO. I'm running the Comptech at full stiff which is about 900 lb/in.
From and old post of mine (still holds)... "I am liking the miata bar on the rear. With the current setup (rear bar on) it is very neutral on most surfaces and course features. It can push a bit on slow tight turns, but adapted to via driving change (new... or reducing front rebound). If the back end is loose at all I just disconnect one end of the bar to get back to neutral. It's a nice balance overall currently.
I'm sure the adjustable rear bar can achieve this and more. I just feel the difference between the miata bar on and off is very subtle and useable."
[/quote]
I agree with Rob regarding the Miata bar. I don't really take it off a lot, but I bring tools with me just in case I need to at large events. My setup is 850/650 with the 1.25" hollow Gendron bar. I don't feel that the car is too stiff. I wouldn't go up in spring rates anymore, however. Not sure how some people can get away with stock bars on the rear. Seems like it would be very loose that way.
[/quote]
Geoff Walker's car is apparently stock CR bars front and rear (!!). Those who have driven it have nothing but positive things to say about it (Jason Collett, Berry Langley), so I'm curious what he's going going on to make that work. He didn't seem thrilled with the car at Lincoln, but unsure whether that was the car or his driving. He *kills* on most east coast sites.