B16 Sway Bars

[wanner85]

When can I expect some sway bars for my 2010 2.0 (hint hint Stillen)?

[wanner85]

Correction, Sway Bar. I just stuck my head under the car and didnt see any out back. Anyway I jst bought this 2010 2.0 Base in October. I want to set it up for Solo II Street Touring class. If I show up with just an Eibach Pro-Kit I wont do too good. Also, the Eibach springs would be the only thing keeping me from running in the stock class. Has anyone run their 2.0 at autox event?

[soulever989]

Bumped this because I'd like to know as well. I dont see sway bars for the base B16 on Stillen's website.

BTW, could you elaborate on what Street Touring Class means? I'm unfamiliar with that.

[wanner85]

Here is a link to SCCA. It will show you the different classes for solo II.

http://cms.scca.com/documents/...s.pdf

[ABNRML4U]

Here is a Question? for ALL of you B-16 Owners how come you can't take a Stillen 2007 Sway bar and put it on a 2010 B-16? It's the same Nissan sentra Right? I bet it would work just fine IMO.

http://www.stillen.com/product...ENTRA

[wanner85]

Well, becuase Stillen's website has a typo. They say 2002-07, (which wouldnt work anyway, two different generations), and if you look at the application notes it says:

EIB6362312 / 6362.312 - Application Notes

02-06 Sentra, SER Spec V, 4 Cyl - (Rear: 19mm )(a)

So no, its not the same Sentra.

Thanks for double checking though.

[soulever989]

@ABNRML4U: I did see that, and I do know that most parts for B16s fit on every year's model (for now). But I believe Stillen's website lists the rear sway bars for the B15 sentra (like wanner says). DO you think they might fit the B16 too? Maybe that's why they listed it as 02-07?

[djtorello]

@ABNRML4U: I did see that, and I do know that most parts for B16s fit on every year's model (for now). But I believe Stillen's website lists the rear sway bars for the B15 sentra (like wanner says). DO you think they might fit the B16 too? Maybe that's why they listed it as 02-07?

Your not gonna find much of a differance with an aftermarket rear sway bar, other then significant understeer. The torsion beam has what nissan refers to "a rear stabilzer bar". This magical bar is inside the torsion beam, stiffening it, causing much less roll, then without that bar.

What someone should do, is create a brace for the top of the shock mounts. Reason being, under heavy cornering, the shock mounts flex a bit. This is quite normal on most vehicles. However stiffening those shock mounts, results in a more predictive geometry, and thus, better handling.

[wanner85]

Very well explained. I agree chasis rigidity is one of, if not the most important things to acheive better handling characteristics. I do have a question for djtorello. It seems you stated that a aftermarket rear sway bar would induce significant understeer. On previous cars, I have used the rear sway bar to help correct understeer. Of course these were Hondas, my Sentra is my first Nissan. My CRX was the most noticable difference. I know I cant compare a 2010 Sentra to a 1989CRX, but could you explain the "significant understeer"?

[nametakennow]

Your not gonna find much of a differance with an aftermarket rear sway bar, other then significant understeer. The torsion beam has what nissan refers to "a rear stabilzer bar". This magical bar is inside the torsion beam, stiffening it, causing much less roll, then without that bar.

What someone should do, is create a brace for the top of the shock mounts. Reason being, under heavy cornering, the shock mounts flex a bit. This is quite normal on most vehicles. However stiffening those shock mounts, results in a more predictive geometry, and thus, better handling.

Incorrect. An aftermarket rear sway is VERY effective on Sentras in removing any remaining understeer. The lift-throttle oversteer effect that is relatively easy to induce on Sentras gets even more accessible - i.e. a good aftermarket rear sway will help the Sentra's rear rotate even better. It's definitely a good mod and I was pretty close to getting one before I traded my Sentra in.

The "brace" you speak of is a strut tower bar. I haven't seen any for the rear of Sentras because of how the rear suspension is linked. You'd have to do some cutting in the trunk.

[djtorello]

Kinda incorrect. The rear suspension set up isnt a strut. Its a spring outside of a shock. If you look all the way to the top of the shock, there is a small piece of metal for the top of the shock mount. There really is almost no support. What you can do, is add a steel brace to the exterior of the shock mount, and connect the to mounts together by way of a connecting bar. Easy to make, and quite effective.

As for the sway bar, many SE-R and SpecV owners have tried to add the 2.0L rear sway bar from stillen, to horrible results. The rear end became soo stiff that hard turns would result of damage to the torsion beam, and lossing control of the car. On multiple occasions, the damage to the torsion beam, resulted in a permenent warp, throwing the camber complelely out of wack, and in some cases actually cranking or breaking of the torsion beam. Big issue with that, you moddified the beam with a stiffener, you void the warrenty of the beam.

People also need to realize, that the springs are stiffer on both the SE-R and SpecV, then the 2.0L's, and that the SpecV sits about 1.5 inches lower then the SE-R. Just throwing on parts willy nilly has will always result in some form of failure. Proper research needs to be done before someone wastes more money.

Have you noticed that the front strut bar from the 2.0L B16's doesnt fit on the 2.5L B16's?

Here's a small pic of the rear suspension on the B16's.....

[wanner85]

What sway bar from Stillen? We are talking about 2007 to 2010 Sentras correct? So before, an aftermarket sway bar would cuase significant understeer. Now an aftermarket sway bar will damage the suspension? I believe the Spec-V sits closer to 7/16" lower, (per nissanusa.com). I dont have an automotive engineering degree, but I do have a mechanical engineering degree. As far as adding a sway bar (that doesnt seem to exist), that will increase stiffness to the point of failure of the torsion bar, I would have to see it to believe it. Considering the weight of the car, the dynamics of a sway bar, and the fact that without looking, that the torsion beam is probably one of the strongest parts on the car. I dont recall my axle tubes bending on my Trans Am when I added a set of sway bars to it.

[nametakennow]

I used the term strut tower bar to describe the basic idea.

People who over tighten the rear sway (all of the ones I've seen were adjustable) and drive hard could damage the torsion beam and/or crash (I'd go with the latter long before the former), but that doesn't make it inherently bad. Like all mods, there's a degree of common sense required to get the best result.

While the springs and shocks are stiffer, that also doesn't magically make it significantly different. The arrangement and other parts of the suspension are the same. Again, common sense prevails.

I can see the front strut bar not necessarily fitting because of the dimensions of the engine and layout of components in the bay.

[djtorello]

Also for those who follow stillen, if you use different years for your sentra you will actually see different parts. Many are the same exterior mods, but crank pulley and some suspension parts are found on 2008 but not 2007, then again there are 2007 parts not listed on 2008 or 2009.

There are 3 swaybar companies. Eibach, firebrand, and whiteline. Firebrand and whiteline are knockoffs of Eibach. They are all modified B15 bars.

There are many B16 specific forums. Some have significantly more info of Parts then NICO. Im trying to give you the info, so you can make an informed decison on B16 modifications. I bet most of you dont even know there is an aftermarket front sway bar upgrade, and endlinks. But thats for a later discussion.

[nametakennow]

I've heard of this issue with Stillen mislabeling parts as for 02-07 SE-Rs/Specs. If it says that (I haven't looked at their site lately), then they actually meant 02-06.

It'd be interesting to see what parts are available for the Megane abroad that could be used on Sentras here. I'd imagine that would broaden the aftermarket available for Sentras significantly.

[djtorello]

I've heard of this issue with Stillen mislabeling parts as for 02-07 SE-Rs/Specs. If it says that (I haven't looked at their site lately), then they actually meant 02-06.

It'd be interesting to see what parts are available for the Megane abroad that could be used on Sentras here. I'd imagine that would broaden the aftermarket available for Sentras significantly.

I concur. Ive been trying to search Renault forums, but the language barrier is difficult to get around. I keep a tab open for a Gogle translation, but its soo time consuming.