Does a front sway bar and strut brace do the same thing?

[Sheik Jabooti]

I recently got a rear sway bar and was so amazed at the handling difference I was going to spend my hard earned cash on a front sway. Then I got thinking...

The front sway on the MY07 GT Wagon is already 20mm solid (I read this somewhere in these forums). The whiteline front replacement is 22mm solid...so not too much difference (unlike the rears). Would I be better off spending my hard earned on a front strut brace instead as currently there is none?

Any thoughts people?

[teK--]

2mm is quite a big difference, it is around 50% increase in stiffness.

No a strut brace is not the same thing IMHO they do not make any noticeable difference until you have done extensive bracing elsewhere and also replaced rubber bushes with urethane.

[GTB Liberty]

2mm is quite a big difference, it is around 50% increase in stiffness.

No a strut brace is not the same thing IMHO they do not make any noticeable difference until you have done extensive bracing elsewhere and also replaced rubber bushes with urethane.

+1 to the above EXCEPTING the under bonnet bling with a tower top strut bar

[overl0ad]

hope this helps...



a sway bar helps keep the left and right wheel's vertical movement in sync as much as possible to give the car a flatter feel, or less roll.

a strut bar stiffens the chassis so that the suspension components are working at their optimal levels.

[overl0ad]

2mm is quite a big difference, it is around 50% increase in stiffness.

No a strut brace is not the same thing IMHO they do not make any noticeable difference until you have done extensive bracing elsewhere and also replaced rubber bushes with urethane.

+1 to the above EXCEPTING the under bonnet bling with a tower top strut bar

it's all relative to how hard u drive the car.

[Sheik Jabooti]

Nice table Overl0ad...where did that come from?

So the OEM rear sway on a MY07 GT is equivalent to what size on that graph?

[jdm rsk]

I recently got a rear sway bar and was so amazed at the handling difference I was going to spend my hard earned cash on a front sway. Then I got thinking...

The front sway on the MY07 GT Wagon is already 20mm solid (I read this somewhere in these forums). The whiteline front replacement is 22mm solid...so not too much difference (unlike the rears). Would I be better off spending my hard earned on a front strut brace instead as currently there is none?

Any thoughts people?

wikipedia it

[overl0ad]

Nice table Overl0ad...where did that come from?

So the OEM rear sway on a MY07 GT is equivalent to what size on that graph?

proudly borrowed from www.peddersusa.com with the help from google.

i don't remember what the OEM LGT one is. sorry...

[teK--]

So the OEM rear sway on a MY07 GT is equivalent to what size on that graph?

19.1mm.

If you set the Whiteline 20mm rear bar on "hard" it becomes equivalent of 21mm.

Also I just checked and your stock front bar is 21mm, not 20mm.

[Mr Cali]

Dont forget that the rear sways are hollow. So using that graph won't be very accurate. There isn't much diff in size between OEM and the whiteline, but the solid bar makes all the difference.

[teK--]

Hollow versus solid bar stiffness is about SFA%. The pros of a solid bar is durability and response.

[GTB Liberty]

http://www.whiteline.com.au/docs/bulletins/Hollow%20vs%20Solid%20Swaybar.pdf

[smythie]

Subaru put the more expensive hollow bar under your car to reduce weight. Durability is not a concern for the OEM bars.

[Sheik Jabooti]

So the OEM rear sway on a MY07 GT is equivalent to what size on that graph?

19.1mm.
If you set the Whiteline 20mm rear bar on "hard" it becomes equivalent of 21mm.
Also I just checked and your stock front bar is 21mm, not 20mm.

Thanks Jim. Whereabouts did you find the stock bar size? I always find it impossible to accurately locate this sort of info.

[teK--]

Workshop manual