Help w swaybar upgrades

**C1iffyp** · 10-01-2012 09:46 AM

I've looked into upgrading my sawybars obviously.

From what I've found 22mm is the best size for the rear, I would be getting new endlinks as well. Both from whiteline

Swaybar part # bar33z
Endlinks part # kfc26

My question is what is the best mm for the front. I've seen a ton of people speculating on 22-24mm in the front.

Does anyone have any personal experience from Amy of these sizes?

I'm in a 2002 wrx at stock ride height. Looking to lower soon on some type of spring/strut combo.

Anyone have an opinion to throw around?

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**C1iffyp** · 10-01-2012 09:54 AM

I wo ld also like to add that my car will mostly be used for street use. Mostly a dd.

I'm leaning towards a 24mm in the front for more responsiveness in the front. Really just wanting someones personal experiences on the topic.

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**spirited09wrx** · 10-01-2012 10:20 AM

I have whiteline 24F/22R with Kartboy endlinks. I have everything on the hardest setting and I drive my car at least 40 miles/day. I love the responsiveness and sharp turn in with this setup.

**C1iffyp** · 10-01-2012 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by spirited09wrx

I have whiteline 24F/22R with Kartboy endlinks. I have everything on the hardest setting and I drive my car at least 40 miles/day. I love the responsiveness and sharp turn in with this setup.

Thank you for this verification spirited. Exactly my thoughts on the responsiveness. Glad to hear good things about the products.

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**zax** · 10-01-2012 11:13 AM

24mm/22mm f/r is ideal. However, if you can find adjustable 22mm, you can set the front to stiff and the rear to mid for the same effect. Make sure you replace your endlinks.

**Rambo** · 10-01-2012 11:28 AM

I have 24/22 F/R Whiteline swaybars on my 2003 WRX. I have stock endlinks in the front (until they break), and Whiteline endlinks in the rear. The front bar is 24mm non-adjustable, and the back is 22mm adjusted to the softest setting. Springs and struts are stock.

It's a very solid setup. The ride is a bit harsher than before, and you'll need to pay closer attention to hitting speed bumps head on. As the suspension arms move together much more closely now, if you hit bumps unevenly, then the suspension will shake pretty violently as the bars are much more torsion-resistant than the stock ones. These are pretty small cons though.

On the plus side, turn-in sharpness is DRAMATICALLY improved. You will be able to corner much faster and harder. There is very little understeer now, it's basically neutral, fading to controllable oversteer at the limit. On harder rear settings, you can bring in oversteer more quickly, although I recommend starting soft, then gradually adjusting as you see fit. It will handle MUCH differerently, and you do NOT want snap oversteer, especially for a street car.

My stock front endlinks have held up on DD duty for the last six months. I'll replace them when/if they break. The stock rears are plastic and should be replaced with the bar.

Installing the rear bar is pretty easy. I did it in the garage in about an hour with the car on the ground, no ramps needed. I didn't need to remove the axleback either. The front bar requires removing the bottom front subframe. You will need to have the car on ramps (you MUST have the suspension compressed at install to ensure the linkages fit properly). The front bar took me a good 4 hours. It's not very hard, just time consuming.

I'd recommend getting your alignment checked afterwards. I'd just had an alignment done one month prior to the install, so I decided against it, and nothing you'll be working on should affect it, but if you haven't had one in awhile, it's not a bad thing to get done afterwards.

**zax** · 10-01-2012 11:34 AM

Swaybars, bushings, and tires will provide the most dramatic improvement in handling. Stiffer springs and properly matched struts will add the icing on the cake, but quality sways and grippy tires will get you 90% there. The only thing sways won't remedy is brake dive. Like Rambo mentioned: stiff sways and endlinks will greatly increase the amount of side-to-side motion while driving over uneven terrain.

**Rambo** · 10-01-2012 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by zax

The only thing sways won't remedy is brake dive.

Truf, although that's not really something you can change in our cars a whole lot other than stiffer springs and balancing the weight as much as possible (relocating the battery, basically). Since the engine sits forward of the front wheels to accomodate the in-line AWD system, we end up with a pretty significant forward weight bias compared to a RWD car where the engine and trans can be placed further back toward the firewall.

My parents' BMW, for example, has basically zero brake dive, as the car has near-perfect weight distribution (an important design goal for BMW). They achieve this by pushing the engine as far back as possible, and then moving things like the battery to the rear (there's an access hatch for it in the trunk).

**zax** · 10-01-2012 11:46 AM

TRANS-LATERAL MOTION!

**C1iffyp** · 10-01-2012 11:52 AM

Thanks for the very informative replies my friends. I do think I'll be doing the 24f and 22r set up now. Coupled with a decent set of springs and struts I'll be good to go!!!

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**zax** · 10-01-2012 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by C1iffyp

Thanks for the very informative replies my friends. I do think I'll be doing the 24f and 22r set up now. Coupled with a decent set of springs and struts I'll be good to go!!!

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I would do bushings/alignment/endlinks before springs and struts. However, if you have the money to spend and don't mind the drop in ride height, do it all!

**Rambo** · 10-01-2012 12:01 PM

OP, what tires are you using? If you're using the stock ones, I'd recommend upgrading those before anything else, even swaybars.

**FMS** · 10-01-2012 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by Rambo

OP, what tires are you using? If you're using the stock ones, I'd recommend upgrading those before anything else, even swaybars.

This ^

Tires being the actual connecting point between the road and car this is the most important aspect of the suspension. That being said your original question is which sway bars would you install up front? I would recommend a 24mm adjustable bar for the front with a 22mm in the rear. If you looking to save money hit us up and we can let you know the pricing on these items.