02Sweet

iTrader: (4)

I have a 02 Z28 with stock sway bars. From what I understand it would be an upgrade to go with the ws6/ss sway bars. But is it worth it? Would I be better off just going after market.

I also noticed that the 3rd gen 1LE cars have even bigger sway bars. I found out that the rear bar is the same as the 4th gen but what about the front?

thanks

puggerton03

iTrader: (1)

it was worth it to me. i also have an 02 z28. i bought a new 32mm front sway bar off ebay for like 50 bucks shipped and then bought poly bushings and poly endlinks for the new bar and my rear bar from thunder racing. it was a big difference compared to stock for just over 100 bucks for everything.

7camaro7

iTrader: (15)

I have a 32mm front for sale. What's better about my factory one is it is hollow. Some of the after market 32s are solid and heavier.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...%3AMESELX%3AIT

Mine also includes poly bushings as pictured minus 1 bracket(which you already have) and endlinks which you can buy at autozone for less than $20. If you're going with a 32mm buy mine because it is a quality gm peice that can be had cheap!

BMR Tech2

iTrader: (5)

Like puggerton03 stated it is an upgrade to go to the ws6 bar. Your going from a 30mm to a 32mm. f you do decide to look into aftermarket bars we offer a 32mm that is 40% more rigid than the 1LE bar. All of our bars come complete with bushings and endlinks. The third gen front bar is a different width than the fourth gen. Back bars are the same. If you have any questions please let me know.

02Sweet

iTrader: (4)

so for a budget toy do you think it would be worth the upgrade. I just can't justify dropping 300 on sway bars right now. Hell I still need a stall in my car

JD_AMG

Depends on what you are looking to get out of the car. Even with the slightly larger front bar you still have the biggest weak link to the suspension, the stock shocks. The results a 32mm front bar makes are absolutely minuscule in comparison to what quality shocks will do for you.

02Sweet

iTrader: (4)

I agree, I can't wait till I have enought to get new shocks. The stockers make me cringe when I even drive the car but like a lot of people its just a function of money

vjo90rs8

iTrader: (9)

I got my new ST 35mm solid front sway bar (with poly endlinks and bushings) and a used 3rdgen 21mm solid rear sway bar (added poly endlinks and bushings and paint) all for $200.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

First, SS/WS6 bars are only different from a Z28 in the fronts, both cars use the same 19mm rear bar from GM.

And yes, a 32mm front bar helps vs. a 30mm... but it helps like better timing helps an engine, not like a cam swap. If you are going to bother changing bars, change bars and get a real change (not that a 30 to 32 is nothing).

I've got an assortment of bars that I feel are frankly the best offerings out there. They were developed not by borrowing someone else's ideas but by real testing for cars that go around corners. From there we worked on options that can save weight (we have a hollow set) or give you adjustment (a 3-way adjustable rear bar). The front bars from GM are hollow, rears are solid. My front bar is hollow which makes it much lighther than a solid bar (even a smaller 32mm bar by about 10 pounds--and with more roll stiffness).

Out back if you opt for the hollow rear you save about 5 pounds vs. stock but get about 33% more roll stiffness, which compliments the front 35mm increase very well. And when compared to a solid 21 or 22mm you save closer to 8 or 9 pounds and that's unsprung weight.

If you want something more modular that allows you change the stiffness of the rear bar, then you want the Adjustable bar instead. A popular way to use this is to stiffen it for drag launching so the car leaves more straight, but that's too much bar for the best handling--so you can soften it back. No changing bars, only moving two bolts.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

And I should add this as I forgot earlier. While 3rd gen rear bars fit, the two cars never used the same sizes stock.

Black8Banger

iTrader: (9)

Sam I just realized you offer an adjustable rear swaybar for those that drag racing and still want the ability to handle.

I see the picture with the 3 different settings. How exactly does it work? The hole at the ends of the bar are the softest and the holes further in are the stiff settings?

Im currently running a BMR Extreme Drag Bar but Im sick of the HORRIBLE oversteer on the street!

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

That's right, the longer the lever arm the softer the bar. The shorter (the more rearward the endlink is) the stiffer the bar.

This is a very common way to make adjustable bars. In fact a lot of cars from BMW's, to Porsche, even most front bars for the new Mustang adjust in that way.

7camaro7

iTrader: (15)

my front and rear SS bars can still be had for less than $100 shipped

just to add I noticed a difference in my stock bars when I added poly bushings! It was not that small... because I always noticed a difference

Alex212

Exactly what I did for my 01 Z28...new OEM front bar for $60 and poly bushings front and rear for about $50. I noticed a considerable improvement.

without a doubt

I just did my shock/spring and SB upgrade all at the same time....What a difference! and my car only has 35k mi on it.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

And that's an option. Then again, $110 is 25% of the way to a set of even stiffer hollow bars that are also lighter (and come with new links, bushings, and even grease).

It's like anything else, you get what you pay for. The difference between a 30mm front and a 32 is tangible. And a 32mm front with a 19mm rear is a well balance setup. And frankly if you were to run a 32mm front the GM one is the one to use because you don't have to drag weight around that's largely useless.

If you can get a GM hollow 32 cheap--great. But it's not nearly the same thing as a 35mm front bar (as an example).

Alex212

Totally agree...But it was a small investment for a considerable improvement.

Black8Banger

iTrader: (9)

I need to look into this adjustable rear sway bar. Any idea if any 10 second street cars have run that rear bar with good results? Of course I want the best of both worlds...a 10 second street car that handles better than stock at high speeds!!

vjo90rs8

iTrader: (9)

If you want to save some money get the ST front bar and keep the stock rear bar. Will only cost you about $130 with poly bushings and endlinks, 30mm to 32mm is not worth it in my opinion. I was thinking about going with the 32mm SS/WS6 and am so glad I didn't.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

That's great and all, but remember that a solid 35 is some 15 pounds heavier than a hollow one, and even more vs a hollow 32 or stock hollow 30. Cheap? Yep.... but then you still need to get a rear bar to match. ST's rear is too big IMHO, and unless you can find a GM 21 (hard to get now) you're in for more money. And even then what about bushings and links?

And fwiw, a set of solid bars in 35/21 is some 20 pounds more than a set of 35/22 hollow bars. 20 pounds is a lot, that's way more than the difference between a steel and an aluminum flywheel. A Loudmouth cat-back doesn't save 20 lbs. from a stock exhaust. That's the weight of a brake rotor for an LS1 to give you a little perspective. Maybe you don't care, and that's cool... but dragging around unnecessary mass isn't helpful to performance.

Alex212

Not even taking weight into account just diameter, I read on this forum that anything above a 32 does not match well with the standard 19. That's why I stuck with the GM hollow 32 and kept the stock rear and added the poly bushings. It works for me.