Front Anti-roll bar

[ShelbyPilot]

Has anybody adjusted their front anti-roll bar from the softest stock setting to one of the stiffer settings? If so which setting did you go with? How much tighter did it make the front end? How much rougher did it make the ride?

 

For those that aren't sure what I am talking about; the anti-roll bar has three holes on each end of the bar. SAI uses the outer most hole when they install the bar. This is the softest setting. You can use the other holes to tighten up the front end. I expect it makes the car ride rougher though.

[ColoradoShelbyGT]

Has anybody adjusted their front anti-roll bar from the softest stock setting to one of the stiffer settings? If so which setting did you go with? How much tighter did it make the front end? How much rougher did it make the ride?

 

For those that aren't sure what I am talking about; the anti-roll bar has three holes on each end of the bar. SAI uses the outer most hole when they install the bar. This is the softest setting. You can use the other holes to tighten up the front end. I expect it makes the car ride rougher though.

 

It shouldn't affect your ride. Here's a quote from Grassroots Motorsports on rollbars:

 

"The operation of the bar is just as simplistic as its shape. When the suspension is compressed on only one side of the car--for example, as a car dives into a turn--the anti-roll bar offers resistance as it is forced to twist, working to keep the car level and the wheels planted to the ground. The amount of force needed to twist the bar is its rate. While stiffer springs at each corner of the car can more or less accomplish the same goal, the anti-roll bar does its job without turning a car into a stiffly sprung coal cart. Since the anti-roll bar simply rotates within its bushings when both wheels are deflected by the same amount, the bar is only along for the ride most of the time. The bar adds spring rate only when its needed."

 

Hope that helps. I would go to the stiffest setting, try it out, and then back it off from there.

[stump_breaker]

Has anybody adjusted their front anti-roll bar from the softest stock setting to one of the stiffer settings? If so which setting did you go with? How much tighter did it make the front end? How much rougher did it make the ride?

 

For those that aren't sure what I am talking about; the anti-roll bar has three holes on each end of the bar. SAI uses the outer most hole when they install the bar. This is the softest setting. You can use the other holes to tighten up the front end. I expect it makes the car ride rougher though.

 

Is this the same as the sway bar? A stiffer setting should have a minimal effect on the rideability of the vehicle. It may squat the springs a little but it really does not come into action until a curve or turn.

Same way in a Jeep.

I never noticed it was adjustable. Time to do some wrenching!... :D

[ColoradoShelbyGT]

Is this the same as the sway bar? A stiffer setting should have a minimal effect on the rideability of the vehicle. It may squat the springs a little but it really does not come into action until a curve or turn.

Same way in a Jeep.

I never noticed it was adjustable. Time to do some wrenching!... :D

 

 

Yeah, its the same thing. Most of them have three settings. Then, if you have adjustable shocks as well, you can play around with different setting combinations to see what works best for the kind of driving you do. If you do track days or autocross, just set everything for as hard as it will go. :D

[ilmor]

Making it stiffer may make the car understeer more.

[stump_breaker]

Ok. Did mine tonight. Definately worth the hour of sweat and skeeter bites. It also lowers the front just slightly but not really enough to notice. Really makes the car tighter in the corners!

 

Hints from my experience:

 

This is a pretty straight forward, lift the car, remove the wheel and move the link to the first hole job but, the trick is to remove the pressure on the link. This is easily accomplished by lifting the car with a jack, placing a stand under the lower A arm and then moving the jack up and down while pulling on the link. Once you hit the sweet spot it just slides right out. Naturally have the back nut removed and go ahead and loosen it a bit with a tie rod bar. The rest is easy.

I used a 19 mm ratchet wrench to remove and then add an 8mm socket on the back side of the link bolt to reinstall.

This first one took the longest. Once you get your grove the second took about 15 minutes including removing and replacing the tire.

Also, I don't have a jack low enough to go under the car so if your like me, drive the car up on ramps using the 2x4 trick then use another 2x4 between the head of the jack and the lift point of the car to equalize the pressure. I used about a 3' piece for both the ramps and the jack. Works like a charm.

[ColoradoShelbyGT]

Ok. Did mine tonight. Definately worth the hour of sweat and skeeter bites. It also lowers the front just slightly but not really enough to notice. Really makes the car tighter in the corners!

 

Hints from my experience:

 

This is a pretty straight forward, lift the car, remove the wheel and move the link to the first hole job but, the trick is to remove the pressure on the link. This is easily accomplished by lifting the car with a jack, placing a stand under the lower A arm and then moving the jack up and down while pulling on the link. Once you hit the sweet spot it just slides right out. Naturally have the back nut removed and go ahead and loosen it a bit with a tie rod bar. The rest is easy.

I used a 19 mm ratchet wrench to remove and then add an 8mm socket on the back side of the link bolt to reinstall.

This first one took the longest. Once you get your grove the second took about 15 minutes including removing and replacing the tie.

Also, I don't have a jack low enough to go under the car so if your like me, drive the car up on ramps using the 2x4 trick then use another 2x4 between the head of the jack and the lift point of the car to equalize the pressure. I used about a 3' piece for both the ramps and the jack. Works like a charm.

 

 

Cool, Stump. Thanks for taking the bull by the horns and trying this out. Was the one in back adjustable too?

[stump_breaker]

Cool, Stump. Thanks for taking the bull by the horns and trying this out. Was the one in back adjustable too?

 

I didn't check. It was late, I was tired and Christie was making apple pie with apples from our trees so I went on inside after I got finished with the front. I did wonder if the rear was adjustable though, but you know, priorities.

[ShelbyPilot]

.....thanks for doing it Stump, I look forward to more impressions on the difference from you and others. I will do it when I get around to doing the rear end pieces I have talked about. Maybe next week. This weeks days off are tied up already with other fun things for Precious.

[stump_breaker]

Making it stiffer may make the car understeer more.

 

You talked about understeer. I found this little chart and thought is was interesting. The higher the number the more understeer.

 

 

How much a car understeers can be measured in the number of degrees more the steering wheel have to be turned per G of lateral acceleration. Here are the measured linear range values for some cars.[1] The higher the number the more the car understeers.

 

Car model Understeer value

Nissan 350Z 19

Mazda MX-5 21

Nissan 350Z Roadster 21

Ford Mustang GT 22

Renault Megane Sport 22

Maserati Gran Sport 23

Mini Cooper S 23

BMW 330i 25

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 27

Corvette C6 27

Corvette Z06 28

Lotus Elise 111R 28

Porsche 997 Carrera S 28

Saab 9-3 Aero combi 28

Škoda Octavia RS 28

Porsche 997 Carrera 29

Porsche Cayman S 29

VW Golf GTI 29

Porsche 987 Boxster S 31

BMW M6 32

Range Rover Sport Supertech 32

Ford Focus ST 33

Mitsubishi Lancer EVO8 34

Porsche 968CS 34

Audi RS4 35

BMW M5 35

BMW Z4 Roadster M 35

BMW M3 Comp Package 36

Opel Astra OPC 36

BMW Z4 3.0i 37

Subaru Impreza WRX STi 37

Subaru Legacy 3.0 aut 38

Volvo V70 T5 39

Audi A4 2.0 T Q 41

Mercedes E55 AMG 42

Audi A4 V6 3.2 Q Avant 43

Porsche Cayenne Turbo 45

Smart ForFour Brabus 45

Mercedes SLK 350 47

TVR Tuscan 49

Alfa Romeo 159 2.2 JTS 51

Morgan Roadster V6 71

[stump_breaker]

I didn't check. It was late, I was tired and Christie was making apple pie with apples from our trees so I went on inside after I got finished with the front. I did wonder if the rear was adjustable though, but you know, priorities.

 

 

 

EDIT: I just checked. The rear does not appear to be adjustable.

[66DNA]

Don't know much about understeer....but I could certainly "overeat" some of that warm apple pie Stump!

 

I read all of your posts...and continue to learn bit by bit. Thanks!

 

SGTinBC (Todd)

[stump_breaker]

Don't know much about understeer....but I could certainly "overeat" some of that warm apple pie Stump!

 

I read all of your posts...and continue to learn bit by bit. Thanks!

 

SGTinBC (Todd)

 

Wow! Another night owl.

She made it with apples and blueberries and then you have to add the obligitory ice cream!

She did a good job.

[ilmor]

The post above regarding understeer ratings is very interesting. It's good to see the Mustang in the same league, and less understeer, with such a great handling group of cars. Of course, those numbers are for a GT and a SGT may or may not have a different rating since it comes standard with the FR Handling package. I wonder what the understeer ratings would be for the stock SGT and the Stump Shelby SGT.

[ColoradoShelbyGT]

Since the SGT has plenty of power, a little understeer isn't bad because you can overcome it and balance it out with the throttle. A little power oversteer anyone . . . ?

[RogerS]

Here is a link for the explination of both understeer and oversteer

 

 

http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/sway3.htm