Swift Sway Bars - Anyone familiar with them?

[Captain Redbeard]

 Is anybody familiar with these sway bars? If so, any thoughts about them, good, bad, or indifferent?  I thought they were zerosport when I ordered them only because seems to be the same green paint as zerosport.

I bought them on ebay last week, haven't installed them yet.  Looks like they came from a dismantler in California.  The pics showed an Outback XT with some front end damage.  The bars measure 22mm front and 18mm rear.  I cannot find any info on the web for them.

ebay listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/134585947717

Included a pic from the listing.  I'm guessing this is the car the bars come from.

Thanks,

Redbeard

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Captain Redbeard

[BoozeRS05]

I bet they’ll be great. A rear sway bar is my #1 recommendation for a new modder, easy to install and immediately noticeable improvement. Taking it a little further with a paired f&r setup, solid end links, and rear bracket braces - it’s a huge improvement.

[m sprank]

Look to be in decent shape. Should be an improvement over stock. Rare JDM import find. 

[Enlight]

Yes, this is a quality part, I have them on mine. They are solid, not hollow. Swift is also the preferred spring maker for some quality coilovers out there. I paid more for a single sway bar than you did for the set (found a vendor with new old stock). Great find.

[KZJonny]

I've never driver my GT without the aftermarket RSB it came with, but I did drive my OB with the factory noodle, and it sucks.

If you're upgrading fom stock, I suspect you're really going to like the difference.

[Captain Redbeard]

Fantastic!  Thank you all so much for the replies.  Looking forward to installing the bars soon.  I'll try to report back how they change the feel of the car.  Started with stock suspension with dampers that had 100K miles. Currently sitting on pink springs with koni yellows and replaced most of the suspension bushings.  This has already dramatically changed the feel of the car. 

And here is a pic of my LGT looking out over Budd Inlet

[BoozeRS05]

LGT wagon with RPF1s, Konis and pinks, and adding sway bars - you’ll be very happy!

[KZJonny]

It may or may not be worth the money to find a set of RSB mounting point reinforcing brackets.

AVO used to make them, and Cusco still does. The factory mount points are a little bendy.

Not expensive, and just a little peace of mind.

[BoozeRS05]

I’ve had Cobb’s version of these on my wagon for a decade and they’ve been great, but they’re a little more substantial. There used to similar knock-offs on ebay too, had a no name set on my specB 
 

https://awdadventure.com/products/2000-2008-outback-legacey-rear-sway-bar-bracket-reinforcement

[m sprank]

If you can find or make a reinforcement bracket forthe rear DO IT.  

Imho sway bars make a more dramatic change than springs+struts. 

[blackobxt]

11 hours ago, m sprank said:

If you can find or make a reinforcement bracket forthe rear DO IT.  

Imho sway bars make a more dramatic change than springs+struts. 

If I knew how big of a change it made it would have probably been the first thing I did to the car.

[Febreze Mee]

Just don't order through CKE SSP. I put in an order just after New Year's Day this year, and after many promises, and 6 months time, I have had zero fulfillment in my order. And absolutely zero communication with the company on multiple different platforms for the past 65 days. 

[rhino6303]

21 hours ago, Febreze Mee said:

Just don't order through CKE SSP. I put in an order just after New Year's Day this year, and after many promises, and 6 months time, I have had zero fulfillment in my order. And absolutely zero communication with the company on multiple different platforms for the past 65 days. 

That's unlike him. His username is traildogck on most forums if you haven't tried. It doesn't look like he's been active here for a year.

[Febreze Mee]

16 minutes ago, rhino6303 said:

That's unlike him. His username is traildogck on most forums if you haven't tried. It doesn't look like he's been active here for a year.

I didn't think it was either. I've heard of one other anecdote, in person, of a similar experience. And a second one on the internet. My transaction with him has been on the Outback.org forums, where he is much more active, since January. The last email I sent to him:

Traildogck,

I placed this order with you three months ago, and was told it would be ready to ship to me two months ago. I understood the lead time, and I understood the personal time needed for any health concerns. I don't understand the ability to keep expanding products/business without taking care of the client(s) in front of you, let alone if you are still having health issues. 

I've come to you for business because I've been led here by so many others in our community. I have been very understanding and patient. I've become frustrated with this shopping experience, as I do not feel my order is being taken seriously. I was told my order went in to paint on Jan 21, and would be shipped one week later. I was expecting a tracking number by Feb 1 at the latest. I was told, again, on Feb 18 that my order was being painted -- a month after I was already told it was being painted. We spend the next week and a half chatting and sharing pleasantries, to the end of February. A month goes by, and there have been no attempts at making contact. I am now reaching out after another week in attempt to get an update, to express my issues with this transaction, and to inform you that I will need to cancel this order if too much more time passes without fulfillment of the order.

I hope you can understand where I am coming from. I know none of this is in bad faith, as you have a great reputation that speaks against that, and you have put up a very hospitable and accommodating face throughout our communications.

I have emailed this to the email posted on Paypal as well.

Sincerely, 
Febreze Mee 

I have received no response still, and haven't for weeks before sending this. 

[Captain Redbeard]

@Febreze Mee

That really sucks man. I hope you get your parts soon or a refund.

I ordered the sway bar reinforcement bracket https://awdadventure.com/products/2000-2008-outback-legacey-rear-sway-bar-bracket-reinforcement and it arrived within a week. 

I will say I was a little bummed that the bracket came bare steel. The website states all parts are powder coated except nut backing plate. Overall seems like it will do what it is designed to do.

[KZJonny]

FWIW I picked up a set of the Cusco bracket that perform the same job as well as the brackets that adapt the JDM Spec B trailing arms for use USDM cars for ~$150 CAD, delivered.

So, around $30 more than this kit, but almost double the hardware. Not saying anything negative about Traildogck, since I've benefitted from his knowledge over on outback.org, but if this is the kind of customer service you are going to get today, for whatever reason (we don't know, I'm not judging here...). There are other options.

Granted, my stuff definitely took the slow boat from Japan, but it did get to me. (needed to drill a new hole in them as our brackets don't line up perfectly with the JDM ones apparently, but that was a minor enough thing.

[Captain Redbeard]

Has anyone tried these?

Progress reinforcement bracket. Looks like it bolts to the sub frame like AVO.

https://www.andysautosport.com/products/progress__65.232.html

[Captain Redbeard]

I can happily report back, she handles like a dream. She did before but now just a little bit better. Very neutral and the polar moment feels just that much more crisp.  The new Conti DWS 06 plus help too, sooo much better than the firestone indy500 AS that were on it. Thanks again everybody for the feedback.

[BoozeRS05]

I was gonna say, get ready to struggle with removing the OEM endlinks, but damn that thing is clean underneath. Even your heat shields look like new. Aside from the 5eat, that’s a sweet wagon