I just installed the Hotchkis set of sway bars on my Z. Prior to these bars, I had on the Eibach sway bar set. Now, I'm not sure what this is attributable to, but, it seems as if the Hotchkis sway bars are actually softer than my Eibachs. I used to run the Eibach's on the stiffest setting on the front, as well as the back. I have yet to find stats detailing exactly what each setting on the Eibach is stiffer than stock, but, after talking to an Eibach engineer on the phone, I found out that the two settings on the front are 10% and 20% stiffer on the front, respectivly. The rear is 10%, 20%, and 35% stiffer than stock. This is straight from an Eibach engineer. The Hotchkis stats are as follows from their website:

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%


Now, this means, I'm used to running 20% stiffer in the front, and 35% stiffer in the back with my Eibach sways, but, for some reason, my Hotchkis sway bars feel softer at 32% in the front, and 92% in the back. My overall impressions between the two are that the car felt flatter going into corners with the Eibachs, than they do with the Hotchkis. I cant really tell if there is a difference in overall handling, since it's hard to measure with the seat of my pants-- I'd probably need a skidpad test to get some hard numbers. Its not as if the car seems less planted, its just, I guess I was used to the car feeling different with the Eibachs. In my mind, the car felt stiffer with the Eibach bars. Another thing I noticed, is that the Hotchkis bars seem to be less jarring than the Eibachs. Could the polyuretahne bushings that come with the Hotchkis bars provide more response, but somehow make the ride less jarring? Everything was installed and torqued down according to the included instructions. Can anyone shed some light on this? Or is it possible that the Hotchkis stiffness stats on the bar are misleading?

 

I highly doubt it. You judging by the seat of the pants and there is plenty of room for variations. there is more to handling then just % stiffness. i woudln't worry about it. stick with whatever feels best to you. there is no % stiffness war going on between the manufacturers. there is no reason to fudge these figures.

 

Hello Anishd:

First of all - The Sway rate depends on a Couple of factors..

Are you running the Stock Springs ( Six wind ) or Hotchkis springs ( Eight Winds ) or an other brand?

I would not try to Substitute my experience - going from Stock Sways/Springs to Hotchkis Sway/Springs

From your experience.. Or what the Hotchkis Engineer could contribute..

However the "rate" is proportional to Stock

That is why the Front softest setting at 9% "Appears" to be low..

In Soft front Hotchkis Bars, Stock rear bars the Ratio might be misleading. Because the Car no long floped over in turns like stock.

In middle Front Hotchkis an Stock rear bar.. The car was track ready.. As SCCA rules require...

I did not run Hard Front Hotchkis and Stock rear Bar.. As I like a little roll to transition.. I'm a 280ZX Turbo Coupe Driver...

And I like to kick out the rear end with - what ever power I have. Stock..

With Canyon run - Not track.. I set now with Front Middle... Rear Hotchkis on soft... With this I could kick out the rear end..

To complicate it on 4/17/04 we added Koni shocks - Full Soft..

At that point I could no longer Kick out the rear end with Stock Power.. Even in the rain... But the car was so stable I kept that combination..

In Valencia runs the car was only limited by my desire..

turn in is quicker and smoother than stock.. And I would not run a Stock Z in those Canyons after knowning the Hot Set-up..

You may be like MiaPlayer and require track only settings... As the Engineer at Hotchkis was saying -
With extra Power from Stock...
The "Sebring Settings".. Are Full Hard Front Rear and Hell Bent for Leather.. The breakaway will be fast and only Steering and power will right the car..

Drift Drivers will like Hard / Hard the rear will break away under power...

Hope this is a help until we can get the Hotchkis Engineer to reply..

Cheers Amy -

 

I also have 19s.

 

Oh, and I have the Nismo S-tune suspension on.

 

do you have the Nisamo S-tune with Eibach or Hotchikis sway?

 

Actually I have my front set to middle right now and my rear to full stiff. the more you increase the rear stiffness the more the car will tend to oversteer (duh you probably know that). I like sideways. To me theres no other way to be. For day to day and car club stuff I ride like that. I like to make it go sideways and stay sideways. When i run canyons or the occasional autocross I run both in the middle. with my B&G springs i have found this to be the best balance on the car. If I want to get I|NSANE with friends i switch front to least stiff and rear to full and call it a Sidways Sunday. Either way you may want to play with your settings to get them where you want. SCC pulled over a G on the skidpad with STOCK springs/struts, an LSD, equal width tires, and these sways on Middle/middle.

 

Mr Chen did a G with Mid/Mid - Very cool..

Now up the Power and go after the F-360's

Cheers Amy -

 

What springs your on doesn't have anything to do with how much force a sway bar leverages to the suspension. What springs your on is however the fundamental element in the balance of the car. Make the car work as best you can make it work with spring rates, matching your dampners of course. Then apply adjustable sway bars and fine tune the car's behavior to suit you and your driving style.

The amount of force a sway bar is able to leverage to the suspension depend's on the thickness of the bar, and the distance of the arms the bar use's to leverage force. Shorten the length of those arms and force goes up. That is why on a adjustable bar the hole that is furtherest away is the soft setting and the closest hole to the bar itself is the hard setting. Being hollow or not does not influence bar stiffness to a large degree.

 

Can you guys recommend me somebody who sell cheap and ship fast Hotchkis sways?

 

www.hopupracing.com Talk to Steve

 

Steve quoted me 285 shipped. I remember seeing 250 shipped somewhere....

 

Hmm I got mine $255 shipped but maybe the price changed. i think Titan Motorsports also has them for like 250 shipped

 

How bad is it for my car to drive around daily on hard/hard? I switched it over today, and, it feels better. The car feels really well balanced in handling, and its not too jarring either. But, I'm wondering if its ok for me drive with that stiff of sway bars.

 

its fine. My front sway will never see full stiff but my rear one is there 90% of the time I drive.