I have the Comptech STB, but I am hearing great things about the Mugen Sway bar.

Do you need both? Or should I sell the STB and get the sway bar?

 

What is the specific problem that you are trying to solve?

Does your car understeer? Oversteer? Does the front end feel too loose, like it needs to be more rigid?

Figure out what the problem is first, then look for the solution.

 

I am interested in the Mugen sway bar to bring the car to a more neutral stance, if not towards an understeer tendency.

My question is basically will the larger sway bar have the effect of the STB in that it smooths the car out over rough surfaces and generally "tightens" up the car.

 

I've talked to the guys at King motorsports about the Mugen sway bar. I'd give them a call. they always have come across to me as being very honest even though they sell the stuff. For me, from what I've heard, if I were autocrossing the car I'd DEFINATELY do the sway bar. Being that I'm not auto-xing, I'm doing the STB to help smooth things a little bit.

 

I will add that I will be doing many track events next season. Not autox, but real track time at places like Road America, Blackhawk, Gingerman, Gratten, etc...

 

Does anyone that has done a lot of track time (not auto-x) have any comment on the x-brace / sway bar issue. Before and after comments?

I track my car and have had few problems with over or understeer. But I'm far from an expert on car setup.

I don't plan on auto-xing, but hope to do 8-12 track days a year. So I'm really on the fence aboug getting an x-brace /sway-bar.

On one hand, it's working pretty well now, why change? On the other hand, maybe it would be a bit more stable with one or both of these bars.

 

I have the Comptech STB and the difference that I noticed was very very subtle. I hear others who claim the Spoon X brace has had a very dramatic effect on the rigidity of the front end. I would say the STB is almost more for aesthetics, Meat, which is something that I know you are mostly interested in...

Seriously, as I have said in other threads, I have driven Nick's S2000 with the thicker Mugen sway bar and there was a VERY noticable difference. Some had accused me of contradicting myself, but I'll say again that yes, of course, I would throw the tail around on the track. I was defending the car for not being "tailhappy" ... There is a difference when you are saying "tailhappy" as opposed to slight oversteer. So what I was saying is that it is a matter of degree. The car handles beautifully stock, the car handles even better with the Mugen bar. I have hard cold experience with it!!

I don't see how the both would hurt, unless you want to sell the STB and pour that cash into the more expensive Mugen bar. If you were going just to do one of them? Get the Mugen bar, hands down.

My deux francs...

 

Hey guys-

Read the flame infested thread "coilovers vs. Springs" from a few days ago. We went into detail about the hollow 31.8mm Mugen swaybar that weighs the SAME as the stock bar...

-Nick

 

These two devices have different primary functions.

The tower brace and x-brace reinforce the structure and reduce flex (the little there is). I installed both because of the stability it adds on the rough roads I regularly drive on. The effect on smooth roads is much less pronounced except for (the x-brace) noticeably making the steering more responsive.

The sway bar is for a different reason although they may have some slight effect each other

 

Mugen seems to make bars of different widths, which is the preferred one?