Ive heard thru some other posts that this bar may cause negative effects on handleing for a g-body, My car is mostly street driven and how well it corners is important to me . I have the sway bar brand new in the box and did not want to install it if this is the case.. Any suggestions or opinions?????????
H&R rear sway BAD for handleing??????
- Thread starter TEST MY 6
- Start date
TEST MY 6 said:
What you heard IMHO is hogwash..... I installed mine and noticed an immedient sp? difference in handling.... I can take a new cloverleaf entrance ramp going out onto the interstate nearby my old work at 65 mph..... posted speed limit is 30 mph..... It is awesome. Usually things good for handling aren't necessarily good for drag racing.... I believe this product is an exception.
If you put on the H&R and did some testing, before and after, then you would have some good evidence. But I haven't seen that done. The stiffer aftermarket bars that are good for drag racing tend to be too stiff for optimum handling. They will feel good, up to a point, like the car is "riding on rails" because they almost completely stop body lean. But they transfer so much weight from the inside rear wheel that the car can go from understeer to oversteer very quickly, without much warning. Not real safe, but that's the kind of thing that will show up on a slalom test. Maybe the H&R is not that stiff, I haven't seen any specs on it. I know the ATR bar is about six times stiffer than the stock bar, and that seems like a huge jump to me. Using boxed lower control arms and poly bushings also adds to the roll stiffness in the rear, so it's easy to get too much.
Ormand said:
Ormand.... the HR Bar is very stiff.... but it doesn't bind the suspension up like the ATR bar does... it doesn't even tie into the lower control arms.... IMHO... the ATR bar attempts to make the LH LCA do whatever the RH LCA is doing.... and it binds the suspension big time....
The H&R bar is totally different. It is alot closer to a racing anti-roll bar than it is to a sway bar.
I had a ATR bar and did not think much of it. Too much binding and the car still handled like crap with the front bar off. Then I put on the HR bar and it was night and day better. Handles like a slot car with the front bar off. It is well worth the money.
Gary Wells
White turbo Buick trailer park trash
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2002
I run the FTS&S bar rear sway bar, which is virtually identical to the ATR rear sway bar, along with BMR tubular rear fully adjustable UCA's with the spherical bearing at the frame (front) side & factory rubber at the rear side, Global West tubular LCA's with the spherical bearing on the front side & the Del-A-Lum bushings at the rear, Kirban front & rear stock height replacement stiffer springs, installed the missing body bushings with factory rubber, including the GNX bushings, Bilsteins, SCnC Street Comp II package, GTA rims, and I love the way the car now handles with the suspension mods that have been done. Before the FTS&S 1 3/8" rear sway bar, I had the 1" Global West rear sway bar, and the car just simply leaned too much in sweepers such as medium to tight freeway on & off ramps. I would have liked to try a 1 1/8" or a 1 1/4" rear sway bar, but none is made for our cars that I am aware of. I have no detectable suspension bind whatsoever, let alone any that I can attribute to the 1 3/8" rear sway bar. HTH
If you really want to talk about handling check out the forums at www.Pro-Touring.com. Does the H&R bar work ? yes it does, for drag racing. the Spohn bar is nice too , for drag racing. the H&R bar will make the car handle better but is way too stiff for OPTIMAL handling.
you really need to know exactly what you want your either going to handle like a rally car or stand on the bumper in a straight line not both, there are parts that cater to each and the H&R bar caters to drag.
will you be happy with the H&R ? I don't know that's really a matter or opinion. Me personally I'm aiming for handling I wanna go road racing so I think I will just wait for a more handling oriented bar to hit the market
you really need to know exactly what you want your either going to handle like a rally car or stand on the bumper in a straight line not both, there are parts that cater to each and the H&R bar caters to drag.
will you be happy with the H&R ? I don't know that's really a matter or opinion. Me personally I'm aiming for handling I wanna go road racing so I think I will just wait for a more handling oriented bar to hit the market
I guess to answer the original posters question.... IMHO... and apparently pro-touring.com's opinion.... is it has no negative effect on handling..... but it is taylored more for drag racing.... I can agree to that....
I love mine.... I want my car to launch straight without all that twisting up.... and still have good street manners..... airbags would probably negatively effect the ride.... with the HR Bar... you don't need any bags....
I love mine.... I want my car to launch straight without all that twisting up.... and still have good street manners..... airbags would probably negatively effect the ride.... with the HR Bar... you don't need any bags....
H&R parts sway bar
it helped my car out alot. i ran around with no front sway bar for a couple of years and wish i would have bought one a long time ago. i can go around a curve now with some speed and it tightens the car big time. i do agree that it is geared more straight line performance though...................Bob
it helped my car out alot. i ran around with no front sway bar for a couple of years and wish i would have bought one a long time ago. i can go around a curve now with some speed and it tightens the car big time. i do agree that it is geared more straight line performance though...................Bob
my opinion
I removed my front sway bar to try and make the car hook better ,with little success. Regular high spees driving on the highways also got a bit scary. I put on the hr bar 2 weeks ago and noticed a major difference in handling. The car seems alot tighter corners are able to be taken alot faster without the tires screaming in pain. High speed driving on straightaways is great, I'm glad I took my friends advice and spent abit more for the hr bar took awhile to get it but was worth the wait. I also installed metco lowers, waiting for spring to do the metco adjustable uppers, My opinion stop stalling and install the thing If not I have a friend who would like to buy 1 lol... good luck
I removed my front sway bar to try and make the car hook better ,with little success. Regular high spees driving on the highways also got a bit scary. I put on the hr bar 2 weeks ago and noticed a major difference in handling. The car seems alot tighter corners are able to be taken alot faster without the tires screaming in pain. High speed driving on straightaways is great, I'm glad I took my friends advice and spent abit more for the hr bar took awhile to get it but was worth the wait. I also installed metco lowers, waiting for spring to do the metco adjustable uppers, My opinion stop stalling and install the thing If not I have a friend who would like to buy 1 lol... good luck
T-CHRGD
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
One more Opinion
I have my '87 "T" since new. Never been to the Drag Strip with it, but I have run it in dozens of Autocross races. It has always been set up for handling. Based on my experience: Lower the car, Stiffer springs, Heaviest Front Swaybar - I have a 1 3/8" bar on now, will be trying a 36mm Hollow Bar soon - Bilstein Shocks absolutely the best, and I've tried them all, and as for the rear sway bar - stay with the stock bar! I used to have a heavy rear bar on the car until it Broke! Snapped off at the mounting bolt! While I was waiting for the replacement I put the stock bar on and the car handled better!!!! Noticably better! A much more balanced feel and a smoother transition from side to side. I remember Car Craft doing a project on an 85/86? Olds 442 to do 1G on the skidpad. They ran a 1 1/2" front bar and actually went smaller 5/8" on the rear. These are front heavy cars. FYI: I also have a Hotchkis rear trailing arm kit which does pretty well in keeping the rear planted under acceleration. Baer Racing 12" Discs on all 4 wheels really make this a nice road handling car! Sorry if this info only confuses things more!
I have my '87 "T" since new. Never been to the Drag Strip with it, but I have run it in dozens of Autocross races. It has always been set up for handling. Based on my experience: Lower the car, Stiffer springs, Heaviest Front Swaybar - I have a 1 3/8" bar on now, will be trying a 36mm Hollow Bar soon - Bilstein Shocks absolutely the best, and I've tried them all, and as for the rear sway bar - stay with the stock bar! I used to have a heavy rear bar on the car until it Broke! Snapped off at the mounting bolt! While I was waiting for the replacement I put the stock bar on and the car handled better!!!! Noticably better! A much more balanced feel and a smoother transition from side to side. I remember Car Craft doing a project on an 85/86? Olds 442 to do 1G on the skidpad. They ran a 1 1/2" front bar and actually went smaller 5/8" on the rear. These are front heavy cars. FYI: I also have a Hotchkis rear trailing arm kit which does pretty well in keeping the rear planted under acceleration. Baer Racing 12" Discs on all 4 wheels really make this a nice road handling car! Sorry if this info only confuses things more!
T-CHRGD said:
I think the car you are talking about is the FE3X Olds it was actuially a GM concept car for anyone wanting to see this article check out www.FE3X.com after the intro click magizine articles at the top of the page and select car craft to see the article.
Roger said:The H&R bar gave me a full 5 mph in the roundabout I go thru every day to work. The posted speed is 15 mph & I take it at 35.
I noticed a similar improvement on my car..... I know it wasn't optimized for handling.... but it seems to be a decent improvement in the handling dept....... even though it was more taylored for drag racing.... kinda like having your cake and eating it too.....
