mykim72

So ive been wanting sway bars for a long time but for some reason couldnt pull the trigger.

I dont know if anything would make it feel like my 94 rx7 or 350z and ultimately this is how i would like to make the car feel, but i dont think switching to an independant rear suspension is a possibility. i dont track the car but i am an enthusiastic driver on twisty roads.

Currently i have steeda hd strut mounts (not installed) pro kit and d specs. The d specs ive left it at 5 turns down in the front and 4 in the back from full hard.

Do i want sway bars? a watts link? what would make the car feel more like IRS? Thanks

Norm Peterson

Can you put your finger on what you think makes those other cars feel the way they do? Same for the S197 and the the way it does the same things. Now, compare the impressions.

Mostly, I'm asking for an evaluation of subjective feel here, NOT a collection of mechanical differences that you think might be the reason. Tear up that mental parts list you have and throw it away. Forget that Steeda/Saleen/MM or any of the others ever existed.




Now, what part(s) of what sort of handling situations are affected the most? Try to think of as many things as possible.


Norm

jahudso2

Try stiffening up your dampers. For sporty driving, I set my fronts at 1.5 and my rears at .5 turns. It makes the car very neutral and eliminates a lot of body roll, nose dive, and squat.

mykim72

Originally i thought it was weight, but the 350z weighs about the same. And I dont think it has to do with too much of the seating position because its much lower in those cars but i feel it has do more with roll and understeer. Ive changed the settings several times but when i set it for over steer i feel more body roll.

i had the suspension really tight before but living east la the pot holes kill. The way i have it set up now feels pretty good its missing a little something. Im very curious what watts link does for feeling since ive read so many good reviews about it. I think if i changed the bars i would get a more crisp and tighter turn but im not exactly sure, which is why i cant get myself to spring for it. Way back when i was told by sam strano that the hotchkis and hellwig have really stiff bars but warned this might not give me the result im looking for...

Rubrignitz

I believe you can come close to the feel of an IRS with the 3-link but it will never duplicate it. And you will have to give in the areas of noise and vibration to allow the required rear articulation of an actual IRS. It's more of learning how to drive with a good handling live-axle car which involves a great deal of skill I've learned . All of my axle-side fasteners are now rod-end which allow GREAT articluation of the axle with a tradeoff of noise vibration and with the H&R springs/rodends it's no cadillac ride like stock lol. It grips very well out to the limit now whereas I would get snap oversteer before and the rear would hang out. I now have all four wheels breaking loose at the same time at the limit, which was my goal.

Norm Peterson

Let me try again.

Describe how either the RX or the Z feels as you enter a long sweeping turn, vs how the Mustang feels. Do the sensations change as you progress from the very beginning of corner entry until you reach some sort of steady-state cornering? What are your steering, brake, and throttle inputs while all this is going on and how are the different cars reacting?

Do the same thing for a lane change left followed by a lane change right.

And again for a slalom.


Norm

mykim72

i love my mustang more than i did with those previous cars so i think i just need gain more confidence driving with a live axle...because im keeping this car forever

entering a turn in each car is different and to be honest i had the rx7 so long ago im not too sure, its been 11-12 years since ive had that car. so lets stick with the 350z. before i go into the different feeling id like to say the 350z was setup with the sport suspension and 18 inch wheels with decent tires (my cousins wheels.) with that said coming into the turn theres noticably less body roll and the rear feels like it wont break loose, a very neutral steering feel. and as i gas through the turn grip is not a problem. the 350z was under powered so it never felt like i had to let up on the gas.

the mustang on the other hand is a lot more powerful with turbo. so as i enter a long sweeping turn a little dive and a little body roll, but as im gassing im afraid of losing grip. because im conpemsating for the understeer i dont want to lose the back end. now the mustang has 20s that feel like boulders and my confidence drops as it feels like im losing grip, opposed to the 350z.

i think i just need to learn to drive a mustang and stop talking about the past. let me change the name of this thread to something smart like WHAT SWAY BARS DO YOU GUYS LIKE? or WATTS LINK OR SWAY BARS.

Sleeper_08

With only 6 track days so far, I'm a relative newcomer to driving these cars fast but what I was taught was if you are in a constant radius turn then you should not be on the gas if you are already at the limit. Coming out of the turn the car needs to be pointed in a straight line before getting on the gas, espcially a car with either an SC or Turbo(s). Then depending on what gear you are in you feed it throttle as fast as you can without breaking the back end loose.

Rubrignitz

I have H&R race springs, which are about the limit you would want to deal with on a DD, and my d-specs are set to two turns out from full firm front and three turns out from full firm rear. There is little to zero body roll. I have to keep my d-specs this tight due to the high spring rates. If I under-damp it pogos.

The Eiback pro-kit spring rates are very close to stock... more of an "appearance" spring over handling. I think you would be happier with some Steeda competition or H&R race springs. I know I was.

The front sway-bar is plenty beefy, i would only consider a rear bar upgrade, but it sounds like you want/need more spring rate.

Rubrignitz

And yeah, what Sleeper said about driving. Can't help you there, as I have no track experience. Pushing a live-axle car to it's limits is VERY different than an IRS car. I can tell you that, having owned both. It takes some finesse. But it sounds like you're unhappy with your body roll, hence the sway bar post. Stiffer springs will correct that.