Whiteline rear swaybar on otherwise stock NA recommended?

Mr Starlet · Postby **Mr Starlet** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:24 pm

Hi All

As the topic says...what do you recon? the car is stock as a block. I guess what I like to know is how will the addition of the 16mm (stock=14mm) non-adjustable swaybar makes to the handling? will stiffen up the rear like this compromise the overall suspension setup, if so how? I'm not looking to build a race car, it's going to be for daily and occasional mountain run. Is it worth it?

Cheers
Minh

Matty · Postby **Matty** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:29 pm

It will be great if you like leaving the road arse-first...

Mr Starlet · Postby **Mr Starlet** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:33 pm

Matty wrote:It will be great if you like leaving the road arse-first...

Mmmmm no don't want that on a mountain run...so it's bad then, not recommended.

CT · Postby CT » Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:37 pm

Stock is 11mm or 12mm depending on year model. Big rear bar = dorifto as Matty says.

Matty · Postby **Matty** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:44 pm

yeah, realise that the MX-5 has balanced handling to begin with. Adding only a rear sway will decrease rear grip (and increase front grip), causing oversteer. It's not like a FWD hatchback where you're trying to balance out any inherent understeer.

If you do decide to get some sway bars, definitely get a matched front and rear set. Personally I'd go no bigger than ~14mm in the rear and 22-24 in the front.

Mr Starlet · Postby **Mr Starlet** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 1:26 pm

CT wrote:Stock is 11mm or 12mm depending on year model. Big rear bar = dorifto as Matty says.

odd, cause mines an import (Eunos), suspension is orange but looks stock. It's got a 14.5mm rear swaybar and 20mm front. Anyone got a stock Aussie delivered 5 and can measure their swaybar?

Boags · Postby **Boags** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 1:44 pm

Just been outside with the verniers...

Rear - 12mm

Front - 19mm

Boags

Mr Starlet · Postby **Mr Starlet** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 1:52 pm

Boags'MX5 wrote:Just been outside with the verniers...

Rear - 12mm

Front - 19mm

Boags

Thanks Boags...odd so does all imports Eunos comes with 20mm front and 14.5mm rear and are painted orange? or is mine weird?

Philip Lee · Postby **Philip Lee** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 2:16 pm

well my bars are black but i dunno what size.

Babalouie · Postby **Babalouie** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 2:28 pm

I had a whiteline rear swaybar, 14mm vs 12mm stock, when the rest of the suspension was stock clubman-spec, and IIRC I still had it installed when I ran Konis/Kings.

Yes it did make the back end more lively but I liked the balance and didn't think it was too twitchy.

I've gone back to stock more recently since installing Teins though, since the Teins already have a lot of rear stiffness anyway....if you were in Sydney you'd be welcome to borrow the old 'bar and try it out...it's just sitting at the back of the garage gathering dust...

Sheck · Postby **Sheck** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 2:34 pm

I'd say it wont make an instant dori machine out of it, but definately at high speed cornering you'd wanna watch out and also mid-corner lift off will be a death wish in the mountains (know someone that wrote off their 5 doing that, they were fine).

All depend on your driving style/preferance and skill, it'd be a good idea to upgrade both though.
Even if you are drifting you want a more nutral or understeery car so you can have more controll and get faster entries.

Good luck!
Dave

Mr Starlet · Postby **Mr Starlet** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:25 pm

Yeah I agree, I'd definately wouldn't want that rear end to be more twitchy than it already is.

As for the Eunos Vs MX5...so far I know kitkat and muzza2 has similar orange suspension setup to mine, theirs are imports are well, it'd be interesting to know that their measurements are.

Wonder how much life I've got on my struts (they're orange as well), they're supprisingly firm and responsive for a set that's done 100k km.

Mr Starlet · Postby **Mr Starlet** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:27 pm

mine's an 89 by the way.

Boags · Postby **Boags** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:25 pm

Mr Starlet wrote:they're supprisingly firm and responsive for a set that's done 100k km.

It's an MX5, no matter what its' nationality... :mrgreen:

They are firm and responsive by nature, even the old ones.

Boags

Slugoid · Postby **Slugoid** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:09 pm

Just changed my front and rear sways from a 89' import, and they are indeed 19mm front and 12mm rear. Black bar with black bushes. Switched them with some nice adjustable whiteline front and rear

I would not recommend changing the rear sways only, as my stock front bar look surprisingly similar to the whiteline rear bar :shock:

. Definitely upgrade the fronts as well if you upgrade the rears as Matty has said.

Btw, new bars feel great

. Definitely worth the investment.