NA front sway bar for track use

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GMC
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NA front sway bar for track use

Postby GMC » Fri Mar 02, 2012 7:37 am

Hi all
What size front sway bar are people generally using for track work on an NA - assumming R-spec tyres and approprate springs/shocks for the purpose. Thanks

GMC
Red 1990 NA MX-5

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NitroDann
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Re: NA front sway bar for track use

Postby NitroDann » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:34 am

Im not going to flame you, instead ill say that it just doesnt work that way. At all.

Mods... We NEED these stickies.

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speed wrote:If I was to do it again, I wouldn't even consider the supercharger.

deviant
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Re: NA front sway bar for track use

Postby deviant » Fri Mar 02, 2012 12:28 pm

Maybe the forum can be set up with Wiki code to make user editable stickies so we can just add common questions and answers.

As for the OP...Whiteline 24mm. Stock or no rear depending on how taily you want it.

rascal
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Re: NA front sway bar for track use

Postby rascal » Fri Mar 02, 2012 1:28 pm

deviant wrote:As for the OP...Whiteline 24mm. Stock or no rear depending on how taily you want it.

My track car has a heavier than stock Selby 14mm rear bar and isnt taily at all, just nicely balanced.
If I ran a stock or worse no rear bar it wouldnt turn in anywhere near as well.

As Dann was hinting at, spring rates, ride heights, alignment all come into effect so you cant give a generic answer to this question
You need to know all the variables.

fwiw, I have 400lb springs, 3deg neg, max castor, 0 toe, 1/2" drop at front,
280lb springs, 2.5deg neg 1" drop at rear,
on 7" +17 offset rims with R specs and run a 24mm adj front and 14mm adj rear bar.
My car's handling is very neutral.

olboy
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Re: NA front sway bar for track use

Postby olboy » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:09 pm

My track car has a heavier than stock Selby 14mm rear bar and isnt taily at all, just nicely balanced.
If I ran a stock or worse no rear bar it wouldnt turn in anywhere near as well.

As Dann was hinting at, spring rates, ride heights, alignment all come into effect so you cant give a generic answer to this question
You need to know all the variables.

fwiw, I have 400lb springs, 3deg neg, max castor, 0 toe, 1/2" drop at front,
280lb springs, 2.5deg neg 1" drop at rear,
on 7" +17 offset rims with R specs and run a 24mm adj front and 14mm adj rear bar.
My car's handling is very neutral.


Where do you set your bars
Most have them set hard at the front and soft at the back

rascal
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Re: NA front sway bar for track use

Postby rascal » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:39 pm

olboy wrote:Where do you set your bars

Mine are set to middle on front and soft on rear for high speed tracks like Phillip Island to counter my slightly higher rear spring rate from ideal 3:2 ratio and so it doesnt swap ends thru turn 1...

At tighter tracks like Winton where I want it to turn better I run middle on both front and rear
olboy wrote:Most have them set hard at the front and soft at the back

I'd suggest they have a higher FRC than factory to need that combination...
I notice that the default rates for a lot of the off the shelf coilover packages seem to rear biased (ie Teins are 7/6 or 392/336) necessitating no or little rear bar to compensate..

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Steampunk
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Re: NA front sway bar for track use

Postby Steampunk » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:50 pm

GMC, your question is a little hazy and open-ended.
You don't need to change anti-sway bars for track work, you only need to do it if you want to change the handling characteristics.

Perhaps make the query a little clearer and state what your goal/intent is, ie. you want to induce more or less understeer etc.
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Re: NA front sway bar for track use

Postby NitroDann » Fri Mar 02, 2012 4:39 pm

Id say he has no idea, and hasnt read up on it. he just thinks theres a 'best' one, just like a RS*R is the 'best' exhaust (cos its hektik..).

We need a sticky so people dont keep assuming you can just build a fast and furious catalogue car.

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speed wrote:If I was to do it again, I wouldn't even consider the supercharger.


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