I have a 95 vert. One of the charts in my parts catalog is saying that the front sway bar diameter is 1 1/16 inch. The question I have is, Can I use a larger diameter sway bar? If so, what does this do for handling?

 

A stiffer front bar will make the car oversteer. Before even considering increasing the size of the front bar you should put a rear bar in the car.

Honestly I have seen very little reason to ever need to change out the front bar for street applications on these cars.

 

What is your reason for wanting to upgrade the sway bar? A rear bar is for very minimal adjustments and is most driver preference on live axle cars.

 

So maybe just replace the bushings on the front sway bar. What do I need to do to the rear to upgrade handling? Its not lowered yet.

 

Biggest thing you can do for the rear for handling is lowering springs, shocks, and lower control arms.

 

So the sway bars arent gonna help handling?

 

A front sway bar can change the handling dramatically. A rear sway bar is more of a fine tuning adjustment and isnt necessary for better handling car. A driver should be able to change his driving an get the same results as a rear bar.

 

I rear sway bar will loosen the car up while cornering. It is a minor adjustment, but not as minor as pnyxpress is trying to make it sound.

You will feel the difference and it will allow you to carry a little more speed through a corner as the car won't push as much.

Yes springs and control arms would get you a much more noticeable change, but you can get a rear bar off of a GT for $30 it will cost you a at least $400 for Springs, Shocks, and control arms.

And PNYXPRESS a driver can not compensate for not having a rear bar and still drive as fast. I don't care if your Dale Earnhardt it just isn't going to happen.

 

So explain why NASCAR and the Continental Tire series doesnt run them. And 3/4 of the MIller cup teams dont run them, and when I asked why, The drivers stated "It doesnt affect the car that much to be needed. All three of those series use a live axle set-up and two of those series run 100% road courses/street courses. The winning team at Homestead this year for the Miller cup doesnt run a rear sway bar and he was faster than those who did, so your statement about being fast without one is null and void.

 

They most certainly do use rear sway bars in NASCAR, yes they don't use them everywhere, but they do use them. Many teams will even leave the rear bar disconnected and then hook it up on a pit stop to loosen the car up if needed.

Trying to compare a street car to a race car is one of the stupidest things someone could do. You are talking about a car that is purpose built to go fast around a race track, because of the way the car is built a rear sway bar isn't as much of an impact as it is on a street car.

The whole reason the V6 doesn't come from the factory with a rear bar is because the lawyers felt a car with a tendency to push was more defensible in accident litigation than one with a tendency to be loose. These cars were built for a rear bar, and to get the best handling from one you should have it.