Opinions on Swaybars with Suspension upgrade

[LieutenantDan]

So I just want some input from people running set-ups similar to mine.

I will be installing JDM GT Spec A bilsteins w/ STi pink springs on my

2005 GT Sedan. My car has a little over 100,000 miles on it and I'm

not sure what to do about the stock sway bar situation. I'm trying not

to go crazy with spending money so there's a few different ideas I have in mind.

 

1. Install new (aftermarket) rear endlinks and polyurethane bushings

and keep the stock sway bar

2. Do the above and add stout mounts

3. There is a used Rallitek 19mm sway bar I can get for a good price.

So i can do that with new endlinks and bushings. I'm not sure what

Stout mounts would do for this set-up.

 

I'm just ignorant as to what I want to do. I don't have any experience

with suspension upgrades. I'm not concerned with NVH. I just don't know

what will be overkill, a waste of money, etc. What I will most likely do is

get the rear sway bar and install that with new endlinks and bushings.

Then drive it around and see what characteristics that I would

like to improve. I won't be Auto-X'ing or racing, it's just my DD and

want to liven it up a bit

 

Let me know what you think, your personal set-up,

and how it riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidddddddddes. Thanks everybody:spin:

[Draco-REX]

With Subarus, you usually can't go wrong with a slightly bigger rear sway. For Imprezas it's the biggest bang for the buck suspension upgrade you can do. I would definitely reccomend them. The stiffer pinks will help your body roll some, but not as much as a good set of sways.

 

For the most part, your ride won't suffer and you shouldn't get any additional NVH. What you will feel (besides less body roll) is that bumps that you hit with only one wheel with be harsher, but heave won't feel any different from stock bars. Since this is a DD, I wouldn't recommend going too crazy with the sizes of the bars. Stick to something sane and a step up from stock. From what I've read about the legacy pinks, you're going to be into the upper end of acceptable corner rates; big bars would likely put you well over.

 

As far as endlinks go, those are a no-brainer with new bars.

 

I'm not a huge believer in strut braces in Subarus; especially in the front. They should be your last upgrade.

[Squiden]

+1 on the sways. I'm running Bilsteins with Rallitek springs, and needed upgraded sways to make the most of the stiffer spring rates. I would highly recommend getting a matched set of front and rear sway bars however - getting unmatched has the chance to unbalance the car in corners (leading to too much over or under steer, depending on which bar you upgrade). Most sways should come with bushings, so that is an easy (free) upgrade. Even if you have to buy bushings, they only cost ~$50 total for a new set.

 

As for endlinks, I actually would say you are fine sticking with stock (especially for a DD). I do occasional track time on mine with stock endlinks (and 25mm sways!) and have yet to break one. Yes, I know it's envitible (I have a set of AVO that can go on), but unless you are always pushing the car, the stock ones will do just fine for you.

 

And I agree with the above - strut mounts do very little on our cars.

[jagcars26]

IMO swaybars are a must Dan.It was one of the 1st mods I did with just a stock suspension at the time.

I'm now running Cusco sways F/R,Cusco front underbrace,HD Bilstiens,Sti wagon pinks ,AVO endlinks F/R and Cusco strut braces F/R.Michelin Pilot UH performace AS tires round out the suspension

I like it,semifirm sorta(wifey has no complaints) with no NVH,and the car and I just love curvy boondock country roads be they asphalt,dirt or gravel.

[berkshire40]

I am running Whiteline 20mm rear with stock endlinks. I did upgrade the sway mounts with the AVO reinforcement brackets, and got energy suspension greaseable bushings.

 

i very much like the improved handling, and i personally see no need to upgrade the front sway or endlinks.

[LieutenantDan]

So my plan as of today:

 

I'm getting a 19mm Rallitek rear sway bar w/ bushings (used from the forum).

 

I've already gotten new AVO rear endlinks. So that should take care of the rear of the car.

 

I'll have those installed at the same time and then I will most likely upgrade the front

at a later time.

 

So for the front I'm thinking of going with a 20mm or 22mm and new stock endlinks.

 

From most "matched" sway sets I believe the fronts were slightly bigger than the rears right?

[Draco-REX]

So my plan as of today:

 

I'm getting a 19mm Rallitek rear sway bar w/ bushings (used from the forum).

 

I've already gotten new AVO rear endlinks. So that should take care of the rear of the car.

 

I'll have those installed at the same time and then I will most likely upgrade the front

at a later time.

 

So for the front I'm thinking of going with a 20mm or 22mm and new stock endlinks.

 

From most "matched" sway sets I believe the fronts were slightly bigger than the rears right?

 

That's the way it seems to be for the Legacy. I do know that with the stock bars I can get the rear to step out relatively easy. The Leggy appears to have a bit more of a badonkadonk than the Impreza, so I can see why the rear bars tend to be smaller.

 

Frankly though, I wish sway bar manufacturers would STOP using the bar diameters for comparison. You can't cross-compare different ends of the chassis or even adjustable bars due to different arm lengths. They should use the deflection rate of the bar. Because it's possible that the smaller diameter rear bar has the same deflection rate as the larger front. So someone looking for a balanced bar setup would end up getting much more wheel rate in the rear than they want.

 

Oh well, that's a discussion for another thread.

[scoobydoobie]

You will enjoy the set up. I'm on Bilsteins/pinks w/Rallitek 19mm RSB and Kartboy endlinks. Real happy with the handling/drop.

[LieutenantDan]

^^^Sweet!

Thanks for the input everybody. Hopefully I'll have everything in hand by this

weekend. I can't freaking wait. This is something I've always wanted to do

and through luck and some hard work it's coming to fruition. I will definitely

report back to compare it to a completely worn out stock suspension:lol:

[Ryandigi]

Similar set-up by I have rallitek springs and went with Perrin 25 front and rear sways and the sways alone helped autox quite a bit...my contact patch in the front and rear has improved greatly in tight turns.

[joeblow]

I'm running Perrin front and rear 25mm sway bars, Rallitek endlinks, AVO rear mounts, and Tein H-tech springs on stock struts.

 

I love the way the back end follows the front around turns. The body roll is cut way down. Its infinitely better than stock.

 

You can't go wrong with any sway bar upgrade, especially since this one is just your DD and you aren't planning on tracking it.

[boymk123]

I went with rear JDM bar, big change!!

 

stock endlink and front bar (I have H&R springs)

[mustangendsley]

get the avo rear mount!!!!!!!

[LieutenantDan]

AVO adjustable endlinks arrived today. Those suckers are heavy duty.

All that's left is my 19mm Rallitek rear sway bar. Then installation!!!!!

Thanks again for all of your tips and input everybody

[mustangendsley]

you also may want the avo rear mount. just buy it and you never have to think, man is that rear bar going to brake thoes flimsy pices of nothing or is it going to be okay!!!

[LieutenantDan]

I've got one more question but there are a lot of variables involved

which may keep it from being a simple answer. Once again, just interested

to hear other peoples' solutions.

From my extensive research, I've read that the JDM tophats will slightly

raise the front end of USDM cars. The rear end of my car is saggy as it

is and I would like to raise it to at least make it level or slightly higher than

the front. I'm not sure what the pinks will do in terms of lowering the car

as they are almost identical in height (from what i can tell) with the JDM

GT Spec A springs. I would just go ahead and get the 1/4" spacers as they

are the cheapest because they don't require extended studs, but I'm not

sure that these will give me the raise that I am looking for. I could just

install everything w/o spacers and see how everything sits but I'd really

like to do the install in one fell swoop.

[LieutenantDan]

$90 bucks seems a little steep to me for insurance that I'm not sure I need.

I just saw these on FBP and they are $30 cheaper and from what I can tell

will do about the same job.

http://www.fredbeansparts.com/index.php/suspension-parts/progress-subaru-legacy-gt-rear-sway-bar-reinforcement-brackets.html

I'm not entirely convinced I need either of them though.

 

you also may want the avo rear mount. just buy it and you never have to think, man is that rear bar going to brake thoes flimsy pices of nothing or is it going to be okay!!!

[Draco-REX]

I've got one more question but there are a lot of variables involved

which may keep it from being a simple answer. Once again, just interested

to hear other peoples' solutions.

From my extensive research, I've read that the JDM tophats will slightly

raise the front end of USDM cars. The rear end of my car is saggy as it

is and I would like to raise it to at least make it level or slightly higher than

the front. I'm not sure what the pinks will do in terms of lowering the car

as they are almost identical in height (from what i can tell) with the JDM

GT Spec A springs. I would just go ahead and get the 1/4" spacers as they

are the cheapest because they don't require extended studs, but I'm not

sure that these will give me the raise that I am looking for. I could just

install everything w/o spacers and see how everything sits but I'd really

like to do the install in one fell swoop.

I don't know the intricacies of JDM leggy stuff. Impreza stuff is pretty much all the same. If you are worried about the rear being too low, I'd recommend Paranoid Fabrications. They make "saggy butt" spacers of varying thickness. You can set you car on the pinks, let them settle, then decide how much you want to lift the rear.

[Ryandigi]

I'm running Perrin front and rear 25mm sway bars, Rallitek endlinks, AVO rear mounts, and Tein H-tech springs on stock struts.

 

I love the way the back end follows the front around turns. The body roll is cut way down. Its infinitely better than stock.

 

You can't go wrong with any sway bar upgrade, especially since this one is just your DD and you aren't planning on tracking it.

 

Except for the Tein H-techs (rallitek springs instead) that is the same set up I have. The rallitek endlinks work very well, basically super strong and slightly shorter stockers, and I agree, the car is perfect mix of DD and the occasional track buddy.