What do you have to say about sway bars?

Initial Z · 03-11-2012, 03:56 AM

On my 95 300zx, I had stillen and they worked great. Since I may do an occasional track day here and there, I am by no means a weekend warrior heh.

I will probably go with stillen again seeing as hotchkis is more hardcore then I thought (1st choice).

Greg

PaulZ370 · 03-11-2012, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firstZ

How long would you say it takes to install? Eibachs are coming in today!

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaienZ34

A lift, the right tools, and 30 mins, done.

On my fairly new 370 (less than a year old with 9K miles on it), not a daily driver and only driven in fair to good weather, all nuts and bolts are not corroded and still in good clean shape. Install time, about a couple of hours with ramps and another guy helping. On a 40th Anniversary driven in Florida exposed to beach sand and sea salt, corrosion and binding nuts were a huge problem. Total install time about 3 hours+ with Ramps and another guy helping + pneumatic tools.

The Rear Sway bar is the most complex installation. We dropped the muffler drum out of the way and removed the A-arm support as well, and we were able to sneak the old sway out and sneak the new sway in fairly easy. Again, all sway bar nuts and bolts are VERY HARD to break loose, so make sure you have at least an 18" cheater bar wrench. We also used a pneumatic wrench and a battery powered handheld nut driver - makes life so much easier running those nuts and bolts in and out.

Couple of pieces of advise for you - before removing the old rear sway bar, note exactly how it is connected and laid out... it's a little confusing putting the new one on - AND, spray all nuts and bolts threads with WD40 once you take them off. Makes running them back in so much easier also!

Good luck with the installation. We installed EIBACHs by the way and they are worth it!

KaienZ34 · 03-11-2012, 09:51 AM

Must have been the salt and sand. We have swapped mine from stock to hotchkis and back again on both of my 370's without a big problem.

PaulZ370 · 03-11-2012, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaienZ34

Must have been the salt and sand. We have swapped mine from stock to hotchkis and back again on both of my 370's without a big problem.

Even on mine, which is in pretty good shape, those sway bar nuts are on extremely tight. Did you find those to be super tight on yours?

firstZ · 03-12-2012, 08:25 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I installed the fronts myself and the nuts were a pain. I had a hard time doing the rear so I took it to z1 motorsports. It feels much better than stock. I set the front to the softest setting and the rear was set in the middle. @ Paulz370, what setting are your eibachs set at?

PaulZ370 · 03-12-2012, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firstZ

Thanks for the info guys. I installed the fronts myself and the nuts were a pain. I had a hard time doing the rear so I took it to z1 motorsports. It feels much better than stock. I set the front to the softest setting and the rear was set in the middle. @ Paulz370, what setting are your eibachs set at?

I put mine at stiffest setting on both front and back. The car is still very responsive on quick side to side or "S" turns (that's the whole point of stiffer sway bars) , and I even tried to see if it will over-rotate if I pushed it, and I could.. the back end felt it was coming around and the VDC kicked in... so understeer at those settings did not appear to be a problem. I went home and did some Math (virtue of being an engineer) and here is what I come up with - very simple, but sorry if I bore you!

Stock Sway Bar settings: Front @ 416 lbs/Sq Inch, Rear @ 374 lbs/Sq Inch - Ratio Front to Back = 416/374 = 1.1123 or 11.23% Front being stiffer than Rear (Understeer Baseline)

Eibach Sway Bar Settings (Stiffest): Front @ 900 lbs/ Sq Inch, Rear @ 860 lbs/Sq Inch - Ratio Front to Back = 900/860 = 1.0465 or 4.65% Front being stiffer than Rear (Less Understeer than Stock Sway Bars by 6.58%)

So in effect, at the stiffest settings on the EIBACH's, I dialed out 6.58% less stiffness in the Front or that much less under-steer... AND now I also dialed out the little plowing as well... so she is solid but still turns on a dime... not a bad deal...

firstZ · 03-12-2012, 10:50 PM

not boring at all. Maybe I'll drive around for a few weeks with my current settings and then try your setting. Shouldn't take long to adjust.

PaulZ370 · 03-12-2012, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firstZ

Thanks for the info guys. I installed the fronts myself and the nuts were a pain. I had a hard time doing the rear so I took it to z1 motorsports. It feels much better than stock. I set the front to the softest setting and the rear was set in the middle. @ Paulz370, what setting are your eibachs set at?

I calculated your settings to be on the Oversteer side by approx 1.5% - that's a total change of 12.71% over stock - from understeer by 11.23% to oversteer by 1.48%... let me know how she does - keep an eye on the VDC and see if it kicks in more often than before...?

ps - you are running stock springs right?

firstZ · 03-12-2012, 11:59 PM

swift springs. I took a sharp turn today where VDC usually kicks in, but it didn't with the eibachs

PaulZ370 · 03-13-2012, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firstZ

swift springs. I took a sharp turn today where VDC usually kicks in, but it didn't with the eibachs

Then you are probaby dead on with the springs and sway bar settings... I am running stock springs, so things would be a little different between your vehicle and mine. Take care my friend!

cycy89 · 03-13-2012, 05:49 PM

pm me for cheap whiteline sways! my friend told me about this super cheap site with awesome customer service. i bought my whiteline sway there.

B&W_Evader · 03-16-2012, 11:13 AM

Did a little bit of calculation to get estimated weights (based on cross sectional area comparison)

D (mm) d (mm) Area mm^2 Wt vs Stk
STK FNT 26.416 18.796 541
WL-F 27 0 1145 212%
Stl-F 26.9875 14.2875 823 152%
Eibach (Guess ID) 32 25 627 116%
STK RR 24.003 17.399 429
WL-R 24 0 905 211%
STL-r 25.4 15.8496 619 144%
Eibach (Guess ID) 29 22 561 131%

Eibach ID was guessed based on stiffness numbers and a comparison if moment of inertias. It should be within 1mm.

My pick remains Eibach. I'll be picking them up once the drivetrain warranty expires.

B&W_Evader · 03-16-2012, 11:14 AM

Man format changes once it posts... Sorry for the look of the data.

ZMan8 · 03-16-2012, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B&W_Evader

Man format changes once it posts... Sorry for the look of the data.

Make it in excel and paste it in as image

B&W_Evader · 03-16-2012, 11:35 AM

OK... Image attached and I added the moment of inertia numbers.
BTW, don't expect it to match exactly to swaybar manufacturer's since it's the stiffness of the bar and does not factor in the hole positions on the ends.

View Poll Results: Top choices of sways bars
Whiteline	60	28.17%
Hotchkis	48	22.54%
Cusco	12	5.63%
Eibach	47	22.07%
Stillen	36	16.90%
Tanabe	1	0.47%
Other	9	4.23%
Voters: 213. You may not vote on this poll

03-11-2012, 03:56 AM	#31 (permalink)
Initial Z Base Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ft. Worth, Texas Posts: 227 Drives: 11 Nissan 370z GM M6 Rep Power: 14	On my 95 300zx, I had stillen and they worked great. Since I may do an occasional track day here and there, I am by no means a weekend warrior heh. I will probably go with stillen again seeing as hotchkis is more hardcore then I thought (1st choice). Greg __________________ 2011 Gun Metallic 370Z Base w/ Sports Package 6MT Mods - [K&N Drop in's] [AAM Short tails] [Swift Springs] [H&R Spacers 15mmF 20mmR]

03-11-2012, 09:51 AM	#33 (permalink)
KaienZ34 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: LA. not L.a. Posts: 21,652 Drives: Z34 Tour/Sport Rep Power: 178	Must have been the salt and sand. We have swapped mine from stock to hotchkis and back again on both of my 370's without a big problem. __________________ *"These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends"* http://www.the370z.com/members/kaienz34-albums-z34.html

03-13-2012, 05:49 PM	#41 (permalink)
cycy89 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: 120mph somewhere Posts: 1,097 Drives: #TTURBOZ Rep Power: 30	pm me for cheap whiteline sways! my friend told me about this super cheap site with awesome customer service. i bought my whiteline sway there. __________________ Fast Intentions Twin Turbo Kit GT2860RS, 677WHP\|FI 34 row oil cooler\|F.I. CBE\|Fast 500E return fuel system\|FI trans cooler\|FI billet aluminum flex plate\|Excedy clutch packs\|ENKEI RP03\|BC BR coilovers\|SEIBON Carbon\|EVO-R Rear fog light\|GTR push start\|Whiteline sway bars, Diff bushing\|DSS axles\|ECUTekW/FlexFuelTune

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03-12-2012, 08:25 PM	#35 (permalink)
firstZ Base Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: atlanta Posts: 30 Drives: 11 370Z touring Rep Power: 14	Thanks for the info guys. I installed the fronts myself and the nuts were a pain. I had a hard time doing the rear so I took it to z1 motorsports. It feels much better than stock. I set the front to the softest setting and the rear was set in the middle. @ Paulz370, what setting are your eibachs set at?

03-12-2012, 10:50 PM	#37 (permalink)
firstZ Base Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: atlanta Posts: 30 Drives: 11 370Z touring Rep Power: 14	not boring at all. Maybe I'll drive around for a few weeks with my current settings and then try your setting. Shouldn't take long to adjust.

03-12-2012, 11:59 PM	#39 (permalink)
firstZ Base Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: atlanta Posts: 30 Drives: 11 370Z touring Rep Power: 14	swift springs. I took a sharp turn today where VDC usually kicks in, but it didn't with the eibachs

03-16-2012, 11:13 AM	#42 (permalink)
B&W_Evader Track Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: CA Posts: 972 Drives: slower than before Rep Power: 387	Did a little bit of calculation to get estimated weights (based on cross sectional area comparison) D (mm) d (mm) Area mm^2 Wt vs Stk STK FNT 26.416 18.796 541 WL-F 27 0 1145 212% Stl-F 26.9875 14.2875 823 152% Eibach (Guess ID) 32 25 627 116% STK RR 24.003 17.399 429 WL-R 24 0 905 211% STL-r 25.4 15.8496 619 144% Eibach (Guess ID) 29 22 561 131% Eibach ID was guessed based on stiffness numbers and a comparison if moment of inertias. It should be within 1mm. My pick remains Eibach. I'll be picking them up once the drivetrain warranty expires.

03-16-2012, 11:14 AM	#43 (permalink)
B&W_Evader Track Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: CA Posts: 972 Drives: slower than before Rep Power: 387	Man format changes once it posts... Sorry for the look of the data.