At 03:01 PM 4/12/02, James Libecco wrote:
>Bob, You need to check the actual stiffness of each bar, but from what I
>have seen, most hollow bars are stiffer than the solid equivalent
>size. Am I not remembering physics right?
Nope. If the same OD and the same bends, etc..... the hollow bar will be
softer. Not a lot softer, since the outside does most of the twisting, but
a bit softer none the less.
><<< Bob Pariza <bpariza@yahoo.com> 4/12 9:39a >>>
> Hey Gary,
>Thanks for your input. In my case the car is an '01 Camaro SS. It's got
>the stock a/r bars on it now, the same bars that are on any V8
>Camaro/Firebird. My choices (so far) seem to be pretty simple: the
>factory 1LE bars or an aftermarket set from BMR Fabricating. They're both
>the same od, but the 1LE bars are hollow. After having read a bit and
>talking with a few other people, I'm thinking that the 1LE bars with hard
>bushings is probably the answer. I'm fairly certain that I can live with
>that setup on the street and it should work pretty well at the
>events. The stiffer bars would probably work great at the events, but
>I'll bet they'd be hard to live with the rest of the time, rough pavement
>and all that. And then there's the shocks -vs- a/r bars and springs
>issue, which is a really good point that I'd overlooked. It's always a
>comprimise, isn't it?
Now..... To begin with, the Camaro SS does not have the same front sway
bars that are on "regular" Z28's. You already have a 1LE front sway bar
(32mm hollow), and a 19mm rear (which all 94+ Z28's and SS's get). Now
that we've established that; obviously going to a 1LE front bar would be no
help, since you already have it. Going to a 93 1LE rear (the 21) makes the
car looser, but also causes more inside rear wheelspin, and that's
something no f-body needs more of. Add in the fact that when driven and
setup right, they don't push anyway.
Okay. Going to a solid 32mm bar in front is only going to get you a very
minimal gain in roll stiffness. Not worth the price IMHO. And if you
really want a 21mm rear (which I sometimes use, but only under certain
circumstances), you can get it for about $80 at a dealer.
I've setup a lot of FS and ESP F-bodies. I use the Suspension Techniques
35mm front sway bar almost exclusively. There are exceptions, but normally
it's that front bar. $145. The top finishing FS car at Nationals had that
bar. I was 4th in ESP with that bar. Customers of mine who have that bar
finished 1-3 at the Texas Tour with it. Etc., etc.......
As for the stiff spring issue. The trick is the shocks. The ESP car I
co-drive has 500 pound front springs (compared to 292 stock) with a 35mm
front bar. We use stock rear springs (120's) and a 21mm rear bar. But we
also have a posi that makes sure we don't have wheelspin issues with that
bar.
In other words...... Going to a solid 32mm front bar is a waste of you
money. A 21mm rear *may* not be a bad idea eventually, but if you are a
serious autoxer there are other places to go first.
BTW, if you a non-level 1 suspension on your car, and have stock shocks
THAT's where you need to go first. Horrible does not begin to describe the
DeCarbon's.
Sam Strano Jr. ('91 1LE, '01 Z28, co-drive '99 1LE Firebird)
Strano Performance Parts
www.stranoparts.com
800-729-1831 orders/price info.
814-849-3450 technical info.
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