ATR vs. H&R sway bar?

[GNBRETT]

Which do you like better and why? Thanx...

[BlackMetal]

Track or street car?

I think ATR is the most you need for street.

[Slow91z]

HR Bar is the bomb, ATR is cheap.

I think it depends more on your budget than anything else.

[toofastforyou]

Although they might look similar in appearance when viewed from behind the car, they're quite different in the way they work. The ATR is just a bigger diameter stock replacement bar which bolts in the same place (the lower control arms) as the stock bar, and the H&R is held under the differential housing by two clamps and have two adjustable links that bolt to the car's frame, in front above the differential. The problem with the ATR bar is that it's too stiff for the lower control arms and will eventually do some damage to them, unless you have some good quality aftermarket ones. It will still make some annoying creaking sounds though. I had one for a short period of time and eventually got rid of it. The H&R is a much more refined piece that doesn't do any damage anywhere and is completely silent. BUT...I found out that since I put my H&R bar on, the car leaves the line more level (which is what it's supposed to do) but not as spectacular as it did before...
Hope this helps...

Claude.

[GNBRETT]

Originally Posted by toofastforyou

I found out that since I put my H&R bar on, the car leaves the line more level (which is what it's supposed to do) but not as spectacular as it did before...
Hope this helps...

Claude.

Great info. How do mean tho that it was not as spectacular?

[Sweet6]

I had both. The HR bar is 100000000 times better. I ran the ATR bar without a front sway bar and the car handled horrible. It had body roll like a bus around corners. Plus I could never keep the bolts tight on it either. I put the HR bar on and the car handled better than stock even with the front bar off. The HR bar is expensive but it is worth every penny IMO.

[toofastforyou]

Originally Posted by GNBRETT

Great info. How do mean tho that it was not as spectacular?

By "spectacular", I meant that the car was twisting more when launching, with one wheel higher that the other and you had to hold the steering wheel tight to make sure that it would keep going straight... Definitely NOT the ideal setup, but the spectators loved it... ...No more of that with the H&R bar though...
The two pictures below show the difference when launching WITH NO H&R bar (pic on the left) and WITH the H&R bar (pic on the right). Both these pictures are at the same track in the same lane too...(Raceway Park Englishtown, NJ.)

Claude.

[GNBRETT]

Well u guys suk! Now I think im gonna have to order the H&R bar. That what I was wondering was there a considerable difference between the two and apparently there is.

How much does it cost? Like $600 or so? Never had to buy one b4. An ATR bar came with all the cars I have bought.

[Darkcyde]

try finding a 1.5" BMR bar, I am about to try mine out soon.

anyone ever run one?

[jasjamz]

Did you guys notice a better 60'ft ?

[GNAT87]

Brett the price is 509.00 i think!

[GNBRETT]

K, Tnx.

[Sweet6]

Originally Posted by GNAT87

Brett the price is 509.00 i think!

Worth every penny. Did you ever see how fast the used HR bars sell? I only see about 1 a year at most anyway. They go for $400+ and sell within hours or less of being listed.

[GNBRETT]

Originally Posted by Sweet6

Worth every penny. Did you ever see how fast the used HR bars sell? I only see about 1 a year at most anyway. They go for $400+ and sell within hours or less of being listed.

I hear ya. I missed one a week or so ago Did score some HR upper adj/lower control arms tho

[GSX-PKV]

Originally Posted by toofastforyou

By "spectacular", I meant that the car was twisting more when launching, with one wheel higher that the other and you had to hold the steering wheel tight to make sure that it would keep going straight... Definitely NOT the ideal setup, but the spectators loved it... ...No more of that with the H&R bar though...
The two pictures below show the difference when launching WITH NO H&R bar (pic on the left) and WITH the H&R bar (pic on the right). Both these pictures are at the same track in the same lane too...(Raceway Park Englishtown, NJ.)

Claude.

Your car looks great Claude!
Paul

[1of1547]

Still running a stocker. I have thought about one of these Wolfe Race Craft - Detail .

[Slow91z]

Originally Posted by 1of1547

Still running a stocker. I have thought about one of these Wolfe Race Craft - Detail .

Hey Doug the Wolfe bar isn't known for being a street bar more of a drag only type piece...I don't know how much you drive your car, but I've had an ATR bar on both of my cars and both have gone 1.4x's.

I REALLY want a HR bar though.

[Sweet6]

The best thing I noticed on the HR bar was the street driving. The car handles night and day better than the ATR bar. Waaay less body roll around corners. The car just feels way more stable. I do not think I got any better 60ft times. But the car feels more stable on launches. I would never go back to an ATR style bar after having the HR bar.

[KevinB]

Originally Posted by Slow91z

Hey Doug the Wolfe bar isn't known for being a street bar more of a drag only type piece...I don't know how much you drive your car, but I've had an ATR bar on both of my cars and both have gone 1.4x's.

I REALLY want a HR bar though.

I'm with Collin on this. The weld in bars are probably not the best on the street. I've been high 1.3's with my ATR but I too want a HR bar bad..

[wagon]

If you have good traction and you leave with the same boost/power, then you probably won't get any better 60 foot times. BUT, the HR bar allows you to leave with much more power, and not have to worry about twisting the car up. Claude is right about it though. It is boring to launch now. I leave with the same power I had before, but I no longer have to turn the wheel, and wrestle with the car to keep it straight. You just hold the wheel with one hand, and rest the other on the top of your door, or maybe tune the radio. It goes that straight.
Great pictures too. Shows the whole story.

[1of1547]

You are right about the H&R being more streetable. But by the time you can really utilize the Wolfe bar, your car has already lost a lot of its street manners. I know what everybody is going to say, " I drive my 10 second GN 5,000 miles to church and pick up groceries with my Mother every Sunday, yada, yada, yada." Believe me when mine is not broken I drive the hell out of it. That's why it has a pair of child seats in the back seat.

But if it is NHRA legal it has the minimum of a roll bar, if not a cage. You have to climb over a bar to get in to both front seats, unless you have swingouts. And you have already lost the back seat because of the crossbar on the main hoop unless you are a 5 year old that thinks it is a jungle gym. More than likely a 10 second Regal has at least front drag shocks, sway bar removed, and skinnys. So even though they are drivable, a lot has been already been sacrificed to go fast. But to each their own. The H&R bar is nice, no doubt about that. But if I was to spend the money for a new bar, it would be a Wolfe. Used on the other hand. I have friends that run the Wolfe style on their Mustangs with no problems.

[GNBRETT]

Originally Posted by 1of1547

Still running a stocker. I have thought about one of these Wolfe Race Craft - Detail .

I had a double adjustable Wolfe on one of my previous Stage cars and can tell you that it is not something you will want on the street. Its clanky and rattles a lot. Very annoying. They seem to work very well at the track tho but I would not recommend one for the street.

[rtviper]

Gnbrett is correct. The Wolf Bar is not street friendly IMO. Make a lot of noise and really clunks when your tires drop into a dip while driving. It does launch the car at the track.
I had been driving with no front sway bar and just the ATR style rear bar. The car was all over the road and I thought my manual steering was way to slow for normal driving. On small radius turns I would be turning the wheel like crazy to keep the car in the lane. I added a BMR Anti Sway Bar and solved all my steering problems. The car handles like a stocker on the street and I can live with the slow manual steering. Apparently when I turned the wheel the body was all over the place and it felt like the wheels weren't turning. I haven't made it to the track yet but so far a big improvement.

[yullose]

I just took an ATR bar off my car this weekend and replaced it with a stock bar.
The ATR bar was put on with spacers/washers/etc... and creaked, crunched,squeaked,rattled,etc... The car sounded like a horse & buggy every time I pulled into my driveway.

Since putting the factory bar back on, the car is comfortable and quiet now... without a single squeak or rattle.

I think if I put something different on again, it will be the HR style bar that uses end links and mounts via U-bolts on the axle tubes.

That said...
Has anyone tried adapting an F-body rear bar to a G-body ? The F-body bar mounts and works identical to the HR bar...

[Slow91z]

Originally Posted by 1of1547

You are right about the H&R being more streetable. But by the time you can really utilize the Wolfe bar, your car has already lost a lot of its street manners. I know what everybody is going to say, " I drive my 10 second GN 5,000 miles to church and pick up groceries with my Mother every Sunday, yada, yada, yada." Believe me when mine is not broken I drive the hell out of it. That's why it has a pair of child seats in the back seat.

But if it is NHRA legal it has the minimum of a roll bar, if not a cage. You have to climb over a bar to get in to both front seats, unless you have swingouts. And you have already lost the back seat because of the crossbar on the main hoop unless you are a 5 year old that thinks it is a jungle gym. More than likely a 10 second Regal has at least front drag shocks, sway bar removed, and skinnys. So even though they are drivable, a lot has been already been sacrificed to go fast. But to each their own. The H&R bar is nice, no doubt about that. But if I was to spend the money for a new bar, it would be a Wolfe. Used on the other hand. I have friends that run the Wolfe style on their Mustangs with no problems.

I have no experience with them, but they say that you will wear out the end links quick on the street...I know Mustangs do it, but maybe their lighter weight keeps them from putting as much stress on them as a Buick would.

[toofastforyou]

Originally Posted by GSX-PKV

Your car looks great Claude!
Paul

Thanks Paul for the nice comments!

Originally Posted by -Slow91z

I have no experience with them, but they say that you will wear out the end links quick on the street...

Well, when I bought my H&R bar, I had to put better quality rod ends other than the ones supplied because for some reason they had some slack in them even when new, creating some rattle, but since I did that, I never had to touch it again!

Claude.

[ttypewhite]

I have the Wolfe bar in mine and love it on the street. No rattles, sqweeks or hard banging. I don't even notice its there. Even have full 3" tail pipes on the car as well, not dumps. At the track she hooks consistant 1.3's

[turbo nasty]

HR bar changes the whole driving experience. WAAAY Better

[dwkohout]

Originally Posted by yullose

That said...
Has anyone tried adapting an F-body rear bar to a G-body ? The F-body bar mounts and works identical to the HR bar...

F-body bar is too wide. 2dr blazer bar seems to fit ok without major mods.
MalibuRacing.com Message Boards • View topic - So I built my own sway/antiroll bar* NEW PICS ADDED 3/12

[Rell87]

I take it that there is only 1 type of HR bar.?.

[Boston GN]

Originally Posted by turbo nasty

HR bar changes the whole driving experience. WAAAY Better

x2 on this!

[MNwe4]

Anyone have any pics of the H&R bar mounted up? I currently run the ATR bar and love it. Huge improvment over the stock bar and mine doesn't rattle at all, but I'm not saying they don't in general. Anyone else agree with the ATR bar doing damage to the control arms like previously stated?

[Gary Wells]

Originally Posted by MNwe4

Anyone have any pics of the H&R bar mounted up? I currently run the ATR bar and love it. Huge improvment over the stock bar and mine doesn't rattle at all, but I'm not saying they don't in general. Anyone else agree with the ATR bar doing damage to the control arms like previously stated?

Yes, definitely. If you are running the ATR or ATR replica rear sway bar and mounting ot stock control arms, you need to change out the control arms that the ATR mounts to or block them asap. Or go to a nice set of aftermarket control arms. I run the Global West Del-A-Lum's and the spherical rod end bearings / bushings. There are less expensive sets out there. The ATR bar is no match for any of the other differently designed ones for handling atributes in general, and specifically even traction applications such as race. HTH

[scojack_2001]

I put a ATR-replica swaybar on my car back in February. Along with dual airbags. Also have boxed stock LCAs with rubber bushings in them. Best 60' to date is a 1.571 on a 255/50/16 MT DRs (10.5") on a virtually unprepped track, with a somewhat soft launch. My car leaves straight as well. Cant beat it for $159...

Nothing against the H&R bar at all, just too rich for my blood right now.

[charlief1]

Keeping my eye on this for now.