blu00rdstr

What is the relative stiffness between swaybars?

I have a street C5/F45, and just added Z06 bars and metal links, which doesn't feel that stiff. Should I have gone T1? My initial thoughts were to someday go coilover/T1 swaybars, but was talked into Z06 bars by a local shop.

Has anyone experienced swaybars that were too stiff? What are the sizes and torsional differences?

blu00rdstr

Sounds like experience talking. I've seen different camps on spring vs. sway. Stiff bars and soft springs, stiff springs and soft bars.

I'm still thinking of eventual coilovers, skipping sideways on bumps in corners makes it feel like there's crosstalk on the axles.

I don't want to go T1 springs, so maybe Z06 is the way to go...

Thanks.

jmX

I'll be ordering z06 springs and swaybars pretty soon and detailing the install with photos. I'd rather just not guess and try to match stuff up so I'll buy a matching set of stuff.

I know on the fbody cars, a lot of guys would leave stock swaybars on and go crazy with spring rates, others would leave the springs stock and put on a 35mm bar up front. Do both or do neither and you are compromising handling, match them up right and you score big.

My car is my daily driver so I'm just gonna stick with z06 springs which shouldnt be harsh at all. I would like to find the spring rates and swaybar dimentions on all the different springs though. That'd be interesting to see.

jmX

The most important thing isnt how stiff they are, but how well they work with your spring rates. T1 bars with stock springs might turn out to "feel" nice, but could actually hurt performance. One of the things autoX taught me was that it was matching the swaybars/springs that was important, not just throwing on huge swaybars.

That being said, the Z06 springs and swaybars are matched up perfectly straight from GM, so if I were you I'd just get a set of z06 springs and call the job done.

97C5ENVY

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by jmX:
<strong>That being said, the Z06 springs and swaybars are matched up perfectly straight from GM, so if I were you I'd just get a set of z06 springs and call the job done.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">DITTO!

That's the route i took......Z06 Bars and Z06 Springs.......match made in heaven.....IMO! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

Godspeed

I'm running T1 bars, bilstein shocks, and Z51 springs. Unreal.

SIR

Well I have a set of those mid range BPP coilovers, Hotchkiss bars with their metal endlinks and poly bushings and VBP tie rods ends... no idea what to expect yet as they are all sitting in a closet waiting for me to put them in...ahaa
I am thinking it should be a BIG improvement.... no more monosprings...

RCswish

I have a simular setup. I have the ProShock Coilovers (same as Breathless) 400 front, 450 rear, T1 bars w/ metal endlinks, with poly bushings. The car is slammed and handles great without bottoming out or rubbing. The spring rate gives me just enough balance transfer for sqauting and launching out of turns for autocrossing. I run stock size hoosiers for AutoX and 295/35/18 rear, 285/30/18 front. This combo was after a series of trial and error with spring rates, research, and a little luck.

blu00rdstr

Thanks all. I replaced stock bars (F45) with Z06 bars and metal links. The difference is that it's a little less roll and when steered, follows the nose a bit faster.

It still has that wallow when zig-zagged, even with F45 dial to 'Perf'. Also it does seems to 'skip' sideways through fast turns when hitting bumpy areas. First the nose skips (understeers), then the tail skips (requiring correction). I think it's crosstalk through the monosprings.

To be fair, there is a undetermined cause of 'clunking' in the front suspension, even after lying beneath with a flashlight and yanking on parts.