Sway Bars

Common questions

Do sway bars change ride quality

Barely, and that is the appeal. The bar only works when one wheel moves more than the other, so a straight road feels the same. One wheel bumps, like a pothole on one side, feel a touch sharper because the bar carries some of that hit across the car. Everything else about the ride stays where the springs and dampers put it.

Front or rear sway bar first

Rear first on a front wheel drive car, front first on a rear wheel drive car with a loose tail, and both on a car you want to feel balanced. A stiffer rear bar on a Civic or a GTI takes the push out of the front end. On a Mustang or a 3 Series a stiffer front bar keeps the rear planted. The listing says what each bar does to balance.

Do I need new end links with a sway bar

On a stock height car, usually not. On a lowered car, yes. The stock links sit at an angle after a drop and preload the bar, which makes the ride harsher and the handling odd. Adjustable end links set the bar neutral at rest. Some bars ship with links, and the listing says whether they are in the box.

Can a sway bar be too stiff

Yes. A bar that is too stiff lifts the inside wheel in a hard corner and the car loses grip on that end. On a front wheel drive car a huge rear bar makes the tail step out under braking in a turn. Start on the softest setting of an adjustable bar and stiffen it a hole at a time.