Should i get sway bars?

[Drk_drftr]

Uhhh yeah..... Should i get sway bars for my s13? I cant afford KYB's yet soooo.............. should i swoop em up?

[Octagon]

Well, it depends, what is your S13 doing or not doing that you hope to cure by installing sway bars?

Trust me when I say that big sway bars are not a replacement for stiffer springs or strut/shocks.

[Ris4drift]

what all do you have done so far? that info woudl help a lot. but yes normally sway bars help. if you jsut want oversteer a aftermarket rear sway bar will help, or a HICAS rear bar.

[Octagon]

Except that "helping" the setup is completely subjective. Stiffer sway bars at the rear typically lead to snap oversteer off the center of the corner or trailing oversteer at the corner exit.

While a set of properly matched (and that doesn't mean same diameter front to back) sway bars can improve cornering attitude, unless they are paired with good damping and spring rates all they'll do is sacrifice "wiggle room" for errors and make mistakes easier to make.

Sway bars are NOT a replacement for proper damping and spring rates.

[Drk_drftr]

Well all I have now is cut springs, stock struts, and front and rear tower bars. Pretty crappy right now. So when i do get sway bars get both front and rear right?

[Octagon]

Like I asked, what does your car do or not do that you hope to cure by getting sway bars?

[Drk_drftr]

I get dumb a$$ understeer when going into corners, sux balz

[Octagon]

Does the understeer happen under braking? At the apex? Exiting the corner?

If it's happening under braking or at the apex, then a larger sway bar at the front won't help, but a larger rear bar will encourage the rear to step out a bit more. It won't improve the front, just worsen the rear. It's a band-aid solution.

Understeer off of the corner, on the other hand, does require a combination bigger bar at the front and rear.

Why you ask? Because the bigger front bar will upset the car at the entry of the corner and off the center, so you'll want to loosen up the tail again.

This is why bar setup is a band-aid, you'll end up chasing your tail trying to correct for understeer and/or oversteer.

[Drk_drftr]

I get it at the apex so.... should i get a rear bar? Or should I go for a front and rear then balance them out to my driving style?

[Ris4drift]

are you trying to drift or go fast?

[sosorice]

according to www.projectgirldrifter.com understeer is caused by
lack of skill so maybe all you need is practice.

[AlexPfeiffer]

Simple answer, No, get some good shocks and springs first.

[SidewaysGts]

Granted hes alex, so agreeing with him is a given but either way its your best bet.

Cut springs are a bad idea, the reulsts in your springs are rarely consistant when you do it, and can actually hurt your performance because of it.

Get the proper shocks/springs, if your just drifting for fun get some adjustable shocks and springs to your liking, if your a little more serious i say save up for a type of coilover set up instead.

[Drk_drftr]

Alright thx for the info, saves me 200+ bucks As for the lack of skill remark, I gave it some thought, I have been doing an improper shift lock and heel toe so ur right! Lack of skill! Dizzam I suck!

[R2K]

yeah i been thinking of getting a sway bar!!! so um buy lowering spring or strut bar or shock first??? and yeah all i have is intake... i drift w/ it pretty good though....