sway bar benefits and kinds

[irondiezl3]

ok newbie post i need full explination of a sway bar, why do aleros have a front and rear? what happens if you only get a front? where does it go other cars ive seen on top of the motor connected to each strut tower seems to be different on aleros also from the serach ive done you cant get them anywhere?

[AJules]

I think you're getting strut tower bars and sway bars confused

sway bars go underneath your car and connect between your wheels to reduce body lean when you corner

strut tower bars are what I think you're talking about though

those are supposed to prevent your strut towers from flexing, but from what I've heard, they don't seem to do a whole lot

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

I think you're getting strut tower bars and sway bars confused

sway bars go underneath your car and connect between your wheels to reduce body lean when you corner

strut tower bars are what I think you're talking about though

those are supposed to prevent your strut towers from flexing, but from what I've heard, they don't seem to do a whole lot
the strut tower braces do indeed help with keeping your car firm. Though, if you don't autocross or race on road courses, they're not really worth it.

as for Swaybars...check out these sites:
http://www.stealthtdi.com/SwayBars.html
really in depth, and you might not get it if you're not into automotive physics.

http://liljerk.morpheus.net/350Z/350evo_sways/
shows an installation of sway bars so you can familiarize yourself with at least the location and look of the parts

[[ion] C2]

but from what I've heard, they don't seem to do a whole lot

You fail. I noticed a HUGE difference the moment I put my front STB on.

[Redog]

^^ Plus I beileve the tower brace kept my car from being totaled when that dumb, stupid, jackass, can't drive prick asshole lost control of his car and hit mine, spinning my car 2.5 times going 60 MPH

[AJules]

C2;342584']You fail. I noticed a HUGE difference the moment I put my front STB on.

different people have different opinions occasionally buddy

[[ion] C2]

as seen by your handpainted car

however the usefulness of a strut tower bar is a fact, not opinion. you know how much force goes through those towers? body roll? linking them together with a solid brace will definitely do something...

A strut bar or strut brace is a mostly aftermarket car suspension accessory used in conjunction with MacPherson struts on monocoque or unibody chassis to provide extra strength between the strut towers.

With a MacPherson strut suspension system where the spring and shock absorber are combined in the one suspension unit, the entire vertical suspension load is transmitted to the top of the vehicle's strut tower, unlike a double wishbone suspension where the spring and shock absorber may share the load separately. In general terms, a strut tower in a monocoque chassis is a reinforced portion of the inner wheel well and is not necessarily directly connected to the main chassis rails. For this reason there is inherent flex within the strut towers relative to the chassis rails.

A strut bar is designed to reduce this strut tower flex by tying two parallel strut towers together. This transmits the load of each strut tower during cornering via tension and compression of the strut bar which shares the load between both towers and reduces chassis flex.

On the Saab Sonett mk2 and mk3 the overflow container for the cooling system doubles as a strut bar.

Performance: Resulting from the improved chassis rigidity (similar to that gained from a lower tie bar); may be improved steering precision under high load conditions (cornering and braking). Reduced understeer, tire wear and metal fatigue in the strut tower area may also be experienced.

Following the aftermarket's lead, some manufacturers have started fitting strut bars to performance models, including the Pontiac Bonneville GXP, Nissan Skyline, Mazda RX-8, Acura CL Type-S, Daihatsu Charade GTti, BMW M3 CSL, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Toyota MR2, Ford Mustang Bullitt and the Holden VY II Commodore, as standard equipment.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strut_bar

[AJules]

I never said it wasn't useful

I just said from what I've heard, they don't seem to make a whole lot of a difference

I never said anything about the force that goes through them or anything like that, you could be right, they might make a huge difference, I was just saying what i've heard

and obviously, the thing you notice might be different than things other people notice, depending on your car's other mods, etc, not everyone notices things the way you do

[Malix]

Out of topic, so the Alero comes with front and rear sway bars?:)

[Oldsnut]

I never said it wasn't useful

I just said from what I've heard, they don't seem to make a whole lot of a difference

I never said anything about the force that goes through them or anything like that, you could be right, they might make a huge difference, I was just saying what i've heard

and obviously, the thing you notice might be different than things other people notice, depending on your car's other mods, etc, not everyone notices things the way you do
What you heard was incorrect, they do make a difference. Multiple people on Aleromod have them and swear by them.

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

Out of topic, so the Alero comes with front and rear sway bars?:)
sway bars, yes. STB's are strictly aftermarket though.

actually, I'm not sure about the front....but I know the rear has a stock sway bar.

[Malix]

Neeto, but then again, most cars now a days have em, right?

[Redog]

^^ Yes. My 85 Delta has a front one, so they have been putting them on cars for a while, just back then they usually put them on higher end cars.

If you have a rear sway bar, you have to have a front. The front is more important than the rear. If you only had a rear, you would lose control of the car fairly easy.

STBs are good. Yes they do make a difference. They are in a lot of higher end cars right from the factory. The car manfactures are putting stuff in cars now, becasue they are not making any money when you buy aftermarket, so if they are doing it, why do you think it doesn't do anything :rolleyes2:

[irondiezl3]

where can i get them cheap a set on ebay for a 04 grand am and i have a 04 alero will they work? theyre only 60 for front and back.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/03-04-05-06-GRAND-AM-SE-GT-FRONT-UP-REAR-UP-STRUT-BAR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33591QQihZ017QQitem Z270217907940QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[[ion] C2]

yes, get it. be aware that you might have an issue with getting the wrong mount. one side didn't fit so i had a custom shop plasma cut me a new one

[irondiezl3]

im sorry guys but i know nothing about this im serching everywhere why do some have plates like this set on ebay and some look like they connect right to the actual strut? whats better and whats easier? can i just bolt these on or do i have to do anything special to put these on will i break anything when i untolt the bolts already on the strut area?

is this going to make my car ride stiffer? feel more bumps?

[Redog]

Tower braces just stiffen the overall car. You won't feel any bumps or have a rougher ride usless you do a shorter coil spring.

You will however experience less body roll on off ramps and such ;)

[Vinalero]

I got the front and rear one for the grand am that are offered on Ebay, I had a problem with some bolts not being long enough, and had to get new ones, but other than that, its a nice price.

[irondiezl3]

ive done some research and read that unless ur offroading theres really no point to the back one? also i read that you have to jack the front of the car up high to put it on true? where can i get one specific for alero so i dont have to do any mods to it at all?

[Vinalero]

If you want to install new Sway bars : you certainly have to raise the car because the sway bars are under the car. Also, sway bars required more mecanical knowledge I think when installing them.

If you want to install Strut tower brace : You CAN'T jack the car while doing this as you have to remove the strut tower bolts and nuts. Easy to install, take bolts and nuts out, put mount on, fit the bar on the mounts, bolt back everything. You are all set.

I do have a question though. For my Front STB, when I installed mine, since I have a manual, I have a little clutch's fluid tank just beside the brake fluid tank. The STB when bolted in place actually sits on this little tank and press it down a bit. I was wondering if that could be an issue?

[irondiezl3]

http://www.tanabe-usa.com/strutbars/default.asp

in the middle of the page read what it says about raising the front end

[[ion] C2]

... hm.

[Spilner521]

Interesting, I'll have to go take mine off and reinstall them with the car raised and see if it's noticeable.