From my limited knowledge of car handling I've learned that it's the relationship between rear and front sway bars that affect handling. Correct me if I'm wrong.

So factory setup for most cars is a slight understeer wich gives safe and predictable handling. By changing to a stiffer rear bar you get less understeer, and the ability to corner at slightly higher speed, but with a more unpredictable result when you finally loose grip.

Changing both (so the relative relation is the same) changes nothing. So what is the point in changing both?

 

Factory car are setup to understeer. Why? It's safer because like I said before a lot of people wouldn't be able to control oversteer, they would be sideways on the sightest curve.

Changing only the front bars on our cars would make it understeer even more unless you went with a smaller bar, which would be kind of stupid and still have detrimental effects.

Changing just the rear bar to a stiffer, thicker bar will create oversteer and handle a little more like a RWD car.

-17mm will supposedly give you a little play in the rear but completely controlable for the average joe.

-19mm should create a decent amount of oversteer and work well with a 27mm stock front bar.

-22mm will probably create more then wanted oversteer for the average non experienced driver and I wouldn't recommend it for a DD without upgrading the front as well.

Changing both can have either a good effect or bad, it really depends on the size of the bars you chose. If you put a huge front bar with a 17mm rear bar, it's obviously going to understeer either the same or worse. A 22 mm rear bar (with support brackets ) and a 29 mm front should give it somewhat nuetral handling while still creating an acceptable amount of oversteer.

 

w/o the brackets you kinda defeat the purpose. those brackets provide a huge improvement over the silly oem mounting point. actually, i was wondering if the brackets and the stiffer bar is making mine oversteer so much. like all in this thread, i like the oversteer ... but, i would be faster through the corners if i could get the car back to a more neutral stance.

 

well, i did a lot of driving this weekend and i'm very happy with the 19mm rear bar. the switch from a 15 to a 17mm was HUGE, this change is a little more subtle. i was afraid it might provide a little too much oversteer, but it's just about perfect. it's got more oversteer than the average driver would like, but that's what i was going for. the car handles much better powering into corners, holds VERY well (on stock suspension, btw).

for those of you looking for a stiff, well-balanced setup, i'd go with a 19mm rear bar and a 29mm front bar. i haven't driven on an upgraded front bar but i imagine that setup would be pretty neutral.

 

29mm is sport size right? so if i only go to a 19mm i wont have much oversteer, i wnat some but not alot.

 

That's what I was hoping for. I'll defenitly buy a 19mm bar.

I want oversteer damnit.