Swaybars (aka Antiroll Bars)

November 4, 2005

Following from a topic in the Yaris section,here

i thought i'd post this in general so that those who don't read the Yaris section can benefit from the info there.

Q. What do swaybars do?
A. Swaybars.. or Anti-Roll bars as they are called in the UK (Swaybars is the Aussie name).. link the 2 corners of the suspension together.. when you corner, and your car tries to go down on one side, the car resists this rolling tendancy (bodyroll).
Most cars are designed to slightly understeer.. as this is easier for the average driver to cope with, rather than having oversteer where the back end can step out and catch you by surprise.
The stiffness in the rear is increased, which loads the rear wheels uneavenly and reduces their grip a little, this allows the front to be more evenly loaded and gives a lot more front end grip. Remember.. it's the front that steers the car.
A rear anti-roll bar on a FWD car will give better traction through the car and generally reduce understeer.
Also.. on a car that has been lowered quite a bit (more than 30mm) an uprated rollbar will stop the suspension from bottoming out.. ever seen a lowered car "bounce" round corners and bends?.. this is because of the bodyroll. the car leans over and compresses the suspension, then when the car hits undulations and bumps in the road, the wheel leaves the ground and the car looses grips because it has ran out of suspension travel. an uprated antiroll bar goes a long way of preventing this and keeps the suspension working as it should be.
This must be one of the best mods you can do to improove the handling of your car, and i would (after speeking to Yob on many occassions) highly recommend getting them before lowering a car.

Get a list of dealers in the UK from http://www.whitelineautomotive.co.uk/ There is also a lot more information on Swaybars and all other types of suspension parts in the Tech Talk FAQ's section
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All it is is an uprated antiroll bar. I have added links to more info in my post above.
For the lazy amoung you..
Shocks faq.
Springs faq.
swaybars
Wheel Allignment
Wheels and Tyres
Everything else
There is a LOT of good information in these links.. some of which will open your eyes to the importance of certain aspects of your modified (and standard) car.. well worth a read.. and remember, the info is from a company that designs, builds and supplies both the parts AND the training to the worlds leading retailers (the training comes into it so that the retailer can give you the correct information on the parts you inquire about)
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If any of the mods feel this inappropriat for whatever reason.. feel free to delete it.. if not, delete this line.