Are the Suspension Technology sway bars much of an improvement over factory/stock units.? I live in an area with lots of curvy/canyon type driving. I’d like for my little Teg to corner as well as or as close to my girlfriend’s 2015 WRX as possible. I already have the Koni yellows and lowering springs, with all new Hardrace bushings throughout.
I’m hoping for some of you old timers (Colin) to chime in on this.
I liked the ST sway bars. They’re definitely a step up from stock and, IMO, sway bars are a “must” if you’re looking to improve your handling.
ST bars are the most conservative bars out there. If you use front and rear it’s a very mild setup - not aggressive or anything you would likely get yourself into trouble with. If you run just the rear it’s a little more aggressive but still very mild, IMO. And, personally, I like how the front bar feels. But, with that said, I have not done any testing. A lot of racers definitely prefer less front bar. I first ran the rear only and then went to front and rear for a little while.
Next, I upgraded to the ST front + Progress rear. This is a bit more aggressive and I really liked this setup, ran it for years. I do not, however, like the design of the Progress bar. Functionally it works just fine but the design is clunky, IMO as it doesn’t match the OE design. Just a little harder to work on, work around and install/remove than it could be.
Just recently I upgraded again and this time kept the ST front but have an ASR brace, ASR endlinks + Eibach ITR adjustable sway bar. Upon initial installation I set it in the middle of the adjustment range. (A side note - it looks like using the other settings may be tough. I need to look at it again but it seemed that with the other settings I may have some problems getting the endlink in a good position or possibly even running into physical fitment issues with other components). Unfortunately I’ve only driven the car with this setup once and it was my first time doing an AutoX. So, I don’t have any comparison to my prior setup which I only ran on full size tracks. Initial impression was that it’s definitely more aggressive than my last setup (which it should be if I’m going by the numbers).
Oh, and a couple other things:
Thank you for the quick response, Colin.
I don’t see the day that I will put it onto a track. I just want it to corner better with less body roll. Sounds like the ST set would be enough for this car’s purpose.
I just put new Enkei 16X7 wheels, with 205/45 Yokohama S-Drive tires on it.
You are correct, to not compare too much to a new car, too. Not only does the AWD help, in the case of the WRX, the JK Wranglers (2007-2017) use a yaw sensor to engage the anti-lock brake system to apply rear brakes of the inside wheel to help them in corners. Crazy what they do with some of the new technology. Pretty stupid what they do with some of it, too. I work in a Chrysler dealer, so I get to see the good and the bad.
Thank you again, for your insight.
Do you already have front and rear tower bars?
I do not, Neil. Front is definitely on the list. Haven’t been able to find one I think is worth owning. I bought a cheap Ebay one, thinking it would be better than nothing. Its cheesy thin mounting plates don’t fit correctly. Thought of seeing if I can get a friend to fab up a Nuespeed style tower brace.
Nothing wrong with strut bars and I think they do help but I wouldn’t count on feeling any noticeable handling difference. The car may feel different or stiffer but I doubt you’ll feel a difference in how the car actually carries speed through a corner when on the streets (non race track).
Neuspeed bars are still out there and can be found on occassion. Skunk2 bars should still be available to order new (these are a copy of the old Vision/Spoon bars). Carbing is also available for the EF and will fit the front (but master cylinder brace will not be functional).
Which Progress rear bar do you have, Colin.?? I see they have two listed on their website. One is adjustable (62.1001), the other is a 22mm non-adjustable (62.0101).
I had the standard 22mm one. It was a hand me down from a friend and at that point I don’t think they made the adjustable version. Personally, I’d go with the adjustable one. But, at that price you’re approaching the cost of an ASR setup so it becomes a slippery slope. With your intentions I think you just need to decide on a budget because it’d be easy to keep upselling yourself (or at least it would be for me).
The budget was a simple upgrade. I certainly don’t need any go-fast adjustable, at 50% more than a standard bar. I’m leaning toward your setup… ST front and Progress 22mm non-adjustable in the back. I don’t need anything super-racy. I do want something that gives be a more solid feel around the canyon corners, though.
Yeah, I think you’d be happy with that setup. And after that you can tune with alignment and tire pressures if needed.