Sway bars

[FyreDaug]

I'm soon getting into the market for some nice big sway bars but I dont have a stock one on the back, will the ones I buy (assuming I have some options) come with all the hardware to hook one up? Or do I need to find a 3g with a stock swaybar and take the hardware?

So next question: What are my options? Something big and thick since I dont think my drop springs will be too much stiffer than stock

[Vanilla Sky]

the ST bar is the only thing commonly available now. if you can get the addco rear bar, jump on that. i'm not sure about the mounting hardware, but i'm sure you can come up with it somewhere for practically free.

also, the 88/89 LXi has a larger rear bar (only by 1mm, bit when working with such small bars, it's a large percentage of increase). good cheap alternative. it will surprise you at how much even the smaller 86/7 bar helps.

[FyreDaug]

Im sure it will surprise me, but if Im gonna make a jump on any sway bar, I want the best. ST is all I have? What is the size of the 88-89 one and the ST? For the rear?

I guess I should also know what the size of my front one is, and one I have available aswell.

If you dont know the ST sizes thats fine, I can email them. But if you do, saves me a step. Thanks

[Vanilla Sky]

The ST bars are 15/16" front (1/16" thicker than stock ain't much bigger) rear ST bar is 5/8" (1/8" thicker than stock)

of course that's roughly converted to standard measurement.

86/7 has a 12mm bar, and the 88/9 has a 13mm rear bar

[FyreDaug]

86/7 has a 12mm bar, and the 88/9 has a 13mm rear bar

And the front one never changed? Front has been 7/8" all the time? Why dont they make bigger ones than just 1/16 bigger?

I should make me a set of urethane bushings, that will probably help the most. lol

EDIT: Any chance another car's sway bar would fit? I should get exact dimensions of each one, and then try one of the larger ones. As long as the length is the same I shouldnt have a problem right? I just need to connect the rest of the bar to the body of the car and the 2 ends to the sway bar bushings... for the front anyways...

[Vanilla Sky]

i believe the front also increased.

all DXs have a 18.5mm bar
86/7 LXi has a 20.5mm bar
88/9 LXi/SEi has a 22.5mm bar

[FyreDaug]

That puts my front around 11/16 and rear 0/16.

By any chance do you know the length from hole to hole on the front sway bar? Otherwise I'll measure tomorrow and hold off on the email tonight. But I should be able to find something about an inch thick that should work.

How much of a difference will going from 15/16 to 1" make? Would that actually be worth it?

I'll see what ST stocks and gather up a couple part numbers. If it works, hey thats one moer contribution to this forum when I let yall know

EDIT: The only ones I see that would work are:

4600283 Prelude 92-96 (non 4WS) $270 shipped
DIAMETER: 1 ⅛" FRONT - 1" REAR

or

4600273 Accord 90-97 $300 shipped
DIAMETER: 1 1/16" FRONT - 13/16" REAR

I hope for dear god that those prices include both. But I'll email them later and see what they say.

[AZmike]

Torsional stiffness is a function of diameter^4 so even a seemingly small change in bar size makes a substantial change in the stiffness.

[paso100]

Here's the link for the S/T bars.
http://www.stracing.com/agps-final/stag082504.htm
I have them on my 88 LX-i. You WILL notice a very big difference. I put them on w/ stock springs/shocks before getting S/T springs and revalved Bilsteins. Even w/ the stock springs/shocks it cornered flat and steering response was greatly improved. Very impressive for such a "small" change.

[FyreDaug]

Yeah thats cool. If I can get an even bigger one, then I will. Thanks for the help and I'll let you know what they say

[Vanilla Sky]

i say you should start smaller then go up. grab both of the LXi bars and try those first. i'm lucky enough that i have all of the bars from all years and trims here. that's a pretty big help if you want to run in a stock class in solo2

[FyreDaug]

If anything I would be in a modified class, Im too far past it to go back and get smaller bars to run stock.

[Oldblueaccord]

Not much help other than there is a company that makes sway bars for cars that cant get then. I guess they copy the path of the original bar. I cant remember where I saw there add, maybe GRM, but I think I was going to look into getting them for my 74 Plymouth Scamp since theres not much performance wise for them either.


wp

[EricW]

This company makes custom sway bars http://www.sanerperffab.com/products.htm

[Zufer]

Have you guys ever seen the Grassroots Motorsports magazine? well if you regularly read it you'll know that they have a lot of low budget ideas in their articles. One of there suggestings for sway bars was to weld a plate of metall onto the sway bar to stiffen it up. Then to tune it just grind away excess metal.
Not my idea but i figured i'd bring it up for discussion.

[mr eff]

grassroots tends to have a lot of interesting ideas. i don't know enough about suspension to argue what you just proposed, but to an untrained ear it sounds like a good idea.

[POS carb]

i just got an LXi/SEi rear bar and it has made a definite improvement
The mounting holes were all there
You would need the two brackets that mount the sway bar to the rear crossmember, possibly the two "endlinks" on the bar as well, depends on if the bar you purchace brings those as well. The bushings should be provided with the bar since it is a larger diameter than stock

[Justin86]

bigger rear sway bar is a must!!!

[AccordNut]

to help me confirm my thoughts, all LX-i and SE-i have a stock rear sway bar right? Where is it located id like to take a look at it

[truetune]

the 88 lx-i stock rear bar looks wimpy compared to a addco rear bar..........now that has got some ballz to it. the custom sway bar link is a killer. I was lookin to find a company that did that with that tune-ablity like that you have nothing to worry about espicily on the track you could weight jack with something like that exteremely easy. and the price they ask is CHEEP compared to how much they help.


I know my spelling is like rotten eggs.........it really stinks

[Busted_Blue]

hey fryedaug,

Can you enlighten me more on the information about the rear 90-97 rear sway bar working. I'm in the mood for a new rear sway =)

[bobafett]

yaeh this thread has got me thinking.. time to find adco stuff!

[FyreDaug]

Well ask yourself this: What does a sway bar do?

I dont have the most technical way of saying this, but it connects to each side of either the front of back and to the body of the car.

All that is needed to make it work, are the proper length part holes. Even with a little modification I dont think the 90 accords are much wider suspension wise.

Its all trial and error, I havent recieved a response, but I did receieve a couple BS bills that I know I have to pay to my insurance because they are a bunch of dicks and I am unable to complete this right now.

Basically, all it takes to find out if this will work is to measure the distance of the holes of a stock 90 sway bar, and compare them to an 89 sway bar. They probably wont be direct fit, and you may need a custom bracket to connect to the frame, but who knows. I wish I could help out more you guyys.

[Busted_Blue]

I know openloop justanothermike's brother did it to the white coupe with the 4th gen accord rear swaybar. Now I just gotta go trial and error that.

[cody509]

how much would stock larger dia. rear anti-sway bar cost at a bone yard you think?