Rear Sway Bar

[Lawrence C Leung]

More thoughts to the fray. Some VW trackies disconnect the front bar
altogether. The most common rear bar on a Golf is 28 mm. BTW, consider
stress bars first for two reasons:

1) may stiffen the car that will allow it to track better anyway. 
2) a stiffened body will ride nicer   :) , utilize it's suspension
better, AND the body welds and therefore overall integrity will last
longer. 

In stock class racing, I am only allowed to change the front bar. I went
to a 20 mm (it was cheap, like $10 from the boneyard, Corrado G60, and
urethane bushings. The ONLY reason it helped reduce understeer (adding
front sway bar NORMALLY increases understeer) is because it keeps the
roll down enough that the tire maintains SOME camber instead of healing
over itself. This may even work with the 80, but I don't know how badly
they roll. 

LL - NY

On Tue, 16 Jan 2001 19:44:12 -0500 "Alexander van Gerbig"
<Audi_80 at email.msn.com> writes:
>    I've been yapping around with folks about a rear sway bar for my 
>car.
>Some have said a smaller rear sway bar than the front will be the 
>best,
>others say the exact opposite, some say it isn't needed.  I notice 
>when I
>push the car hard I do get noticeable understeer.  I am running very 
>stiff
>coilovers, 380 front and 340 rear with Koni Sports dialed in the 
>middle.  I
>have a stock 22mm front sway bar, though I can upgrade to a 26 or even 
>a 28
>if need be.  I have run into a Blau rear sway bar and there is a 
>Suspension
>Techniques bar that will work as well.
>
>What would be best for a hard driver, occasional track use, and I 
>love
>cornering quickly:
>
>Front: Stock 22mm  Rear: Blau 12.5mm
>Front: Stock 22mm  Rear: Suspension T 27mm
>Front: V6 26mm  Rear: Suspension T 27mm
>Front: V6 26mm  Rear: Custom 22mm
>
>I always thought the rear bar should be smaller, but I gather this 
>isn't
>true for FWD cars.  I noticed Ti Kan runs a 23mm bar up front and a 
>25mm
>rear on his 4k.  Another fellow lister runs a bigger bar on his VW 
>autox
>car.  I gather this will "neutralize" the car, but make the rear end 
>very
>skittish.  How can I compromise and kill some understeer.  Stock bar 
>up
>front and a small rear bar like the overpriced Blau bar?
>
>Thanks!
>
>Alexander van Gerbig -- '88 80
>
>The Audi  80 Pages-----------------
>http://surf.to/the80pages.com
>
>North Ferrisburg, VT 05473
>
>
>