Im looking at getting some sway bars for this summer when i play to track my car a few times. This is still my daily driver, but i dont mind a harsh ride. I've been searching for awhile, and i cant seem to find the answers im looking for. Basically, why did you pick the sways that you did. Im looking at 350EVO, Cusco, and Nismo. The 350EVO says it suggests the bushings, but that adds $110. Any need for these? Price is a concern, but not that big. I cant find any solid ratings for stiffness compared to stock for Nismo. Also, for the Cusco how easy are they to adjust w/o a lift? I have Tanabe springs and Nismo exhaust if that makes a difference. Also, feel free to chip in if you got a good price on any of the sways mentioned above, or any that i dont know about.

Thanks
Bill

 

Available sway bars

350EVO
Cusco
NISMO
Mines
Esprit
Stillen
Bilstein
Hotchkis Tuning

I'm running the Cuscos. They are solid and I'm very satisfied with them. You can adjust them by just jacking up the front of the car or using ramps.

Hotchkis Tuning bars are the cheapest, the owners seem happy with them.

The 350EVO sway bars are pricey, but proven numberous times by the Unitech and Schuitemaker Motorsport Grand Am Cup race cars.

 

Mofoz I was just thinking about this very question. You beat me to the post

I'd like to see some kind of comparison, % stiffer than stock ratings, something... I'd like to hear people's set-ups and what settings were successful in balancing the cars rotation.

Lets here it.

 

Don' t forget Eibach

 

I firmly believe the hotchkis tuning's are the best. I tradiationally do not like american parts, but these are top notch. They are 3 way adjustable front and rear, and are thicker in diameter then most of the other available bars.

Plus they are hollow, and are inexpensive too. The only bars that might be better are the 350EVO ones.

Just for your info also, the Hotchkis Tuning bars are used in the JIC competition 350z (procharged one), on the crashed JUN 350z that went 200+mph in the silver state classic, and on the axis 350z that won the scc uscc. Oh, on my g35 too. =)

 

Hotchkis 100%

ZERO excuse to pay the premium for other bars. They are making the bars at a GREAT value to the customer and delivering top notch performance.

 

Yes my friends.. Hotchkis Sways and Springs.

I didn't want to endorse the new Sways and springs without a real world test. After taking the car out of the city, and running on a road I had tested before. I was runing 20 mph faster in tight turns, and 30 mph faster in long sweepers. Tires stock 18"X8" six spokes with RE040's. The tires do squeel, but equal front and back. I did not push to the point of breaking away. But I would have lost traction at those speeds with the stock bars.

Very well done, my hat's off to Hotchkis Tuning.
I recomend starting with the lightest seting to start with. Connect the hole nearest the end of the bar front and rear.
The factory link clip lock should be bolted down in the adjacent hole, not at the bottom of the bar like the stock one.
After running on the "Softest setings" (front +6% but feels great ) for a couple of weeks then jack up the car and change the front link bar to the Center position. ( the Medium setting front +32% over stock) leave the rear on soft ( soft is +54% more than stock )

On surface streets - head to a right hand corner at 30 mph... don't change speed - just turn. Go around the block and keep adding 5mph until the turn is requring you to come of the gas and correcting the steering. Use a speed that is comfortable for you.
Do not drive this way daily, as from a curb viewpoint the car is doing something odd, that is the car turns so flat and fast, one would think this should not be happening.

What it looks like from the curb is that it is one of those little electric cars... Just quiet and hugging the road.

Hotchkis for the 350Z - my rating Five Stars.


I'll leave the hard settings for you Track Guy's ( Hard rear 146% over stock , hard Front +63% ) Oh yeah and they are reasonable priced, with poly mounts.

Here are the right ratios: From thier web site
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hotchkis Tuning Sport Sway bars improve your handling and reduce body roll. Turn in with confidence and late brake in the corners with our track tested lightweight hollow sway bars. Sway bar sets include front and rear bars, greasable bushings, and brackets.
Front 1 3/8" (35MM) Hollow (Bar Weight 13.5lbs)
3 Position Adjustable
Rate Increase over stock
+9%,+32%,+63%

Rear 15/16"(24mm) Hollow (bar weight 5.5lbs)
3 Position Adjustable
Rate Increase over stock
+54%,+92%,+146%

Retail price: $299.95
This item is currently Usually Ships in 3-5 days
---------------------------------------------------------------

Hotchkis Tuning Sport coils offer the performance you seek, and the comfortable ride you deserve. Made from cold wound silicon steel, our springs are variable rate, powder coated seabring silver and include polyurethane bump stops.
Front Front 9/16" (15mm) Drop
Rear 3/4" (19mm) Drop

Retail Price $225.95

Buy both for under $500
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Oh Yeah the Web Site..
http://www.hotchkistuning.com/cgi-bin/EDCstore.pl

-----------------------------------------------------------------

And a PDF file showing the install..

http://www.hotchkistuning.com/bin/in...ions/22413.pdf

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I went with Hotchkis (I'm installing them tomorrow) for several reasons.

1. They are know for very high quality.
2. They are 3 way adjustable front and rear.
3. They are hollow and way less than the stock ones.
4. They are designed and tested by a company that goes to the track to race their products. They are true road racers and build products that work.

 

I think gruppe-s had some on ebay for 295 plus shipping for a set.

 

Nismo.

They were the only thing out at the time.

Have not felt the need to go to adjustable, I have them in the 300ZX and can't see myself changing the settings.

 

Can someone explain the purpose of the adj sways and what each setting and combonations of settings will do for you?

 

I am biased toward what I own. NISMO!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 350Zteve
[B]I went with Hotchkis (I'm installing them tomorrow) for several reasons.

[QUOTE]

cant wait to hear how they perform.

do they come with poly bushings??

will they fit on a car with borla td?

 

They allow you to adjust a already properly dialed in suspension to fine tune it to your driving style so you can get them most out of your car. Setting's wise, the stiffer you make a bar, the more work you are asking to be performed at that end of the car. Meaning if you have more understeer than you like you would either soften the front or stiffen the rear, or maybe both. You'd adjust the opposite way if you have more oversteer than you like.

Their is a practical limitation in the amount of bar stiffness these aftermarket manufactuers can really go to, since they can go to a point where the bar stiffness hinders the suspension's ability to act independently, something that is really important for real world road conditions.

 

Nismo:
front- 36mm (hollow core design, like the stock bar)
rear- 22mm (hollow core design)
$495 from http://www.gruppe-s.com/350z/zsus.htm


Cusco sway bar
35mm front solid, not hollow
22mm rear solid, not hollow
Front sway bar has two settings of 20% and 37% stiffer then stock
Rear sway bar is 73% stiffer then stock.
$395 shipped from this forum sponser (I got my Cusco bars from them) http://www.gruppe-s.com/350z/zsus.htm

Stillen 5-way adjustable bars
35mm front hollow 22mm rear hollow (converting from 1 3/8" & 7/8")
Claimed adjustment range 7% to 70% (unknown if both front and rear bars have the same full 7% to 70% range)
$479 www.stillen.com

Mines Sway bars
Front 20% stiffer rear 30% stiffer
$699.00(OUCH!)

Eibach specs from Eibach.com
34mm hollow front 22mm hollow rear
Front bar is 2-way adjustable, rear bar is 3-way adjustable
$349 shipped http://www.gruppe-s.com/350z/zsus.htm

350EVO Sway bars 3-way adjustable front and rear
34mm front and 23mm rear solid bar construction, not hollow.
$545 shipped
Front bar
middle adjustment 11% stiffer
stiff adjustment 33% stiffer

Rear bar
middle adjustment 25% stiffer
stiff adjustment 53% stiffer

Hotchkis Tuning Sport Sway bars
Sway bar sets include front and rear bars, greasable bushings,
and brackets.
Front 1 3/8" (35MM) Hollow (Bar Weight 13.5lbs)
3 Position Adjustable
Rate Increase over stock
+9%,+32%,+63%

Rear 15/16"(24mm) Hollow (bar weight 5.5lbs)
3 Position Adjustable
Rate Increase over stock
+54%,+92%,+146%
$249 at http://www.300zxstore.com/honi35swbark.html
http://www.hotchkistuning.com/cgi-bi...atalogno=22413

 

Gsedan,
whats a good street/course setting? I am new to the road courses (1/4 mile guy) what is understeer? I am prolly gonna get it for asking that question. oh well.

 

A good setting kinda depends on you, on a otherwise stock car, I'd start out by setting the front bar at the lower setting and the rear bar at the mid setting (depending of course on what bar you have). On my sedan, I have the my Cusco front bar set on full stiffness. The Cusco rear bar is not adjustable, but it's stiff enough to be equal or close to some adjustable rear bar's max stiffness setting.

Understeer: A front-wheel skid, felt by the driver as the car turns through the corner not as sharply as intended. (Front end not going where you want it to).

Oversteer: A rear-wheel skid, felt by the driver as the car truns through the corner more sharply then intented. (Rear end coming out or coming around).

Here's a great method to find the right setttings for you and how to test and see whats best, I was originally posted by Loren04Coupe.

"Find a large empty flat level parking lot. Take an object with you to use for a centering point like a cone or a chair. Put the car into a high gear and drive circles around the object. The steering should be clocked at a constant angle and you should not be making any adjustments to turn the car around in a circle. When you are driving, only look at the object in the center of the circle. In a high gear, accelerate in a circle slowly until the tires start to howl. If they aren't making noise, you are not doing it right. If you are not keeping your eyes solidly in the center of the circle, you are not skidpadding right. This is the point where you are reaching the limit of grip. The noise is the tires communicating this back to you. Keep your foot on the accelerator and go more into the gas. At this point, is the back starting to come around or the front starting to push when you exceed the limits of grip? If the back end is coming around under throttle at the limit, soften the rear bar. If the front is starting to push; then if you lift slightly on the throttle, does the front tighten back up? If it doesn't tighten back up, then either soften the front bar or stiffen the rear. "

 

Has anyone tried the Eibach's? If so, please post your impressions.
Thanks

 

Anyone with Injen True Dual installed Hotchkis bars on their Z?

I am worrying about whether it will fit or not

 

My 0.02, don't go out of your way or spend more for an adjustable swaybar, you will get much improved steering and feel with just getting a set, most people willl not feel the differences in settings in their street driving, unless you are heavily into track you will not get to the point of fine tuning your swaybar setings.