skorch1ss

iTrader: (3)

I'm looking to upgrade sway bars on my 99 camaro. I'm not really sure who to choose. I've looked at spohn umi and Bmr. All about the same price. So far I have koni yellows and bmr lowering springs all the way around. I'll also be getting lca with relocation brackets. I've noticed that bmr has hollow bars while the other two have solid bars. Can someone tell me which is better and why. I'm not looking to drag race the car, it's a street driver and I want to be able to take some sharp corners. Im like everyone else looking for the best for what I want while feel like I'm getting a good deal. Any representatives feel free to chime in. I'm sold on results so if anyone has any good info point it my direction. Thanks

ThoR294

iTrader: (6)

I have heard nothing but good things about strano's bars...

http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...=129&ModelID=8

skorch1ss

iTrader: (3)

I didn't even look at srano bars. I've noticed that they are all the same size 32,22. My next question is what is the importance of what the bars are made out of. Spohn and umi are using 4140 chrome moly

JD_AMG

Look again, they are not.
Strano and UMI (UMI developed their swaybars after Sams design, they work together on some projects) are both 35mm front, 22mm rear.
Spohn is 32mm front (which is stock on WS6/SS/firehawk cars) and 22mm rear.
BMR is 35mm front, 25mm rear (drag bar).

Stock Z28/trans am have 30mm front, 19mm rear. Stock SS/WS6/Firehawk have 32mm front, 19mm rear. Some 1LE cars were equipped with 35mm front, 21mm rear swaybars.
A neutral balance is generally something like 32mm front, 19mm rear. Or 35mm front, 21 or 22mm rear. Any bigger in the rear, or smaller in the front is asking for understeer or oversteer on an otherwise neutral setup.

skorch1ss

iTrader: (3)

good point, i completely overlooked that. so now the four are really putting me in a complex.
strano 35,22 hollow
spohn 32, 22 solid 4140 chrome moly
umi 35, 22 solid 4140 chrome moly
bmr 35, 25 hollow
hotchkis 37, 25 hollow considerably more
umi and stranos maybe similar design in development but they are different in solid and hollow, in which im willing to bet the material they are made from are completely different. As for strano and bmr bars, i cant find what they are made from in the description.strano says they are the only company offering 35, 22hollow bars, not true, bmr does. i dont care to save 5 pounds if a solid bar is more functional also want to point out, i really like umi's heavy duty sway bar mounts rather than the stock slim steel strap. id like to see some really knowledgeable suspension gurus chime in on this

skorch1ss

iTrader: (3)

no one???

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

35/25 work well if you have a 275/315 staggered tire setup otherwise, a 25 is too much rear bar. The 35/22 works better with the 315/315 or 275/275 and keeps the car neutral balanced.

The 25 helps with the understeer present on a 275/315 setup. You can keep the understeer if you like since it's safer and run the 22 there as well.

And I'd only look at hollow bars. The strength comes from the OD, not the inner material. So, save some weight and do the hollow bars.

dockSS

Strano bars are good I hear but cost more money. The umi's are less and can be bought at strano's

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

I think we had gone back and forth on another thread and I just didn't get a chance to respond... but help me understand what your reasoning is for why adding a 25mm bar is going to help combat the understeer and all of a sudden make the car neutral. I'm not seeing it.. maybe you understand and I don't, so that's why I'm asking the question.

This is what I see happening if you put on the 25mm bar with the offset tire setup. With more roll resistance combined with that wider tire.. all I see is a really fine line between traction and no traction. Aka your car will hold really well and understeer.. or once you break free, you will break free pretty suddenly. I'd think I'd have a nightmare on my hands if I took that combo to my local circle track events...

I think you were arguing that a softer bar will add snap oversteer. I can see this happening if you think that the compression of the suspension approaches the bumpstops too quickly. Is this what you are thinking will probably happen with a 315 in the back? If that's the case.. then will it really matter? 315 or 275 in the back.. your unsprung weight stays the same regardless.

I don't think I have the answer here nor am I claiming to. But if I don't, then I'd like to understand why so that I know in the future

Flubyux2

There's a local guy selling a "wonderbar" off an 86 iroc. It's 24mm diameter. Only thing I don't know is if it's a solid or hollow piece.

Also, my moser 9inch doesnt have the mounts so I need to add those. I thought about just fabbing some up from scratching using some 3" exhaust clamps, 1" cold rolled steel flat stock 0.125" and just some off-the-shelf bushings. Thoughts?

skorch1ss

iTrader: (3)

There has to be some method to the madness on this subject. I'm going to get a hold of the guys at koni and see if they can give me some foresight on this ill let u guys know what I figure out

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

Bumping this back up.

Midnight02

iTrader: (8)

Bump -- I would love to hear more of the explanation behind going with a 25mm bar in the rear for a staggered 275/315 setup. I'm in the same boat and am trying to determine if I would be better off with the 22mm or 25mm bar in the rear.

Flubyux2

In my last post, I erroneously called the iroc bar a wonder bar. Lol.

I picked up the iroc bar and it measures out to 23mm diameter, solid. Right now I have no bar. The car handles like a drunken rhinoceros. My poly bushings are on order and I hope to have that bar mounted up in a day or two. I'll report back with handling results though.
Currently, I have a non staggered tire setup. Eventually I'll be going wider in the rear when I find a deal on some 305's.

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

Where? Just street driving or on the track?

Seems like removal of the rear swaybar is a popular circle track modification with some folks. I've swapped to the 19mm stock bar in the rear just to see how much more controllable the back end is when coming fast out of the corner. I've made quite a few runs and haven't really come to a conclusion yet... everytime I'm out there, theres usually some other factor that randomizes things.. aka fluid on the track, sand, temperature, my tires getting old, etc

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

Put either a Strano or Hotchkis adjustable rear swaybar on it.

Hotchkis rear adjustable: 3 adjustment settings, 225, 240, 255 lbs/in..
Strano rear adjustable: 3 adjustment settings 200, 230, 275 lbs/in..

02TransAm/Batmobile

iTrader: (32)

What about Hellwig bars? We always throw out Strano, BMR, UMI, Spohn or Hotchkis as suggestions but I never really hear of Hellwig being recommended. Aren't they 35/22?

As for me, I have the Strano 35/22 adjustables as I'm running a 275/315 setup and I like the adjustability of the rear bar.

RJDio

I just installed a set of ST Suspensions front and rear bars. HEAVY DUTY!!! They are solid bars. front is 1-3/8 inch and the rear is 1". Some stores show a pic with green bars but they are a dark grey metallic for the Fbodies. I know drag racers like the V6 and hollow bars, but if you want stiff sport suspension look into them. I paid $320 for the set and the fit was perfect and the hardware was all included.

nitroheadz28

iTrader: (3)

Hellwig bars are very similar to Strano bars. Differences being that they only offer an adjustable rear, the finish is hammertone black instead of Strano's gloss, no clearance for Watts link, and possibly the hardware being different. Hellwig manufactures Strano's bars.

Flubyux2

This is just on the street. Without the rear bar, my car just wallows around the corners. I felt like I was driving a minivan. I would hesitate to take any turn with any amount of speed, let alone try to accelerate through it. I would literally slow down for every turn (not sweepers or fast bends), coast thru the turn and accelerate after the lateral g subsided. For higher speeds, I jus wouldn't attempt fast corners at all.

I put on the iroc 23mm solid today. I used 3" exhaust clamps. I welded 1.25"x0.125" flat stock to the back of the clamps to serve as the backing for the bushings. I ordered energy suspension black poly bushing kit for the 3rd gen iroc 23mm bar. I needed the elongated bolt holes on the new bushing shells because the Oem iroc shells were too small to clear my axle tubes. With the mounts fabbed and painted, it all bolted up like stock. My only issue is that my bar literally rides against the diff housing. If it becomes a problem, I'll have to fab up thicker backing plates on the mounts.

The car is so firm and planted now. I can easily push the limits of my tires... Michelin pilot sport cup 2 which are pretty good tires. It pushes editing the turn and the rear steps out after the apex of the turn. I currently have only 245s out back. Once I get my 17x10 bbs and 305s on there, the handling will even out very nicely. But that this point, I'm second guessing my need for a front bar.

Btw, the iroc bar was $60. Pretty good score IMO.