Suspension Techniques Swaybars

[StanBo]

I see you guys are activly searching for new manufacturers of aftermarket parts and I think it rocks.

Has anyone considered contacting Suspension Techniques for swaybars for the Versa?

They offer some of the best bang for buck sways on the market.

I see that whiteline offers an adjustable rear bar that runs about 200us.

I know most ST setups run 200 and change for both front and rear. Non adjustable but with endlinks and d bushings.

Just a thought..............................

[KimberKenobi]

we can get the whiteline in the US? where, how? for only $200?!?

[StanBo]

we can get the whiteline in the US? where, how? for only $200?!?

I did a search for the versa on whiteline's site and they have a bar for it. I know we get them for the 240sx/s13 chassis as well as Superpro bushings (another Aussie product).

Can't see why we can't get the whitelines for the versa here. Money talks............

Oh yeah the 200 is aussie converted to USA. You still have to handle shipping and any other costs.

I have waited for stuff straight from Japan by container and it is a bit of a pain but worth it for hard sought after parts.

Now is ST makes a matching set it would be steller. Less money and more shops will carry it making the pricing better for us the buyers.

ST has a lot of wholesalers and retailers. The pipeline for whiteline is much much much much smaller.

[KimberKenobi]

... but I still want it... I don't want to compromise cargo space for a sway bar... do you compromise ground clearance?? I need to find that Versa's CarDomain again...

[Ever Victorious]

A sway bar doesn't compromise cargo space. They're the bars under the car that go between the wheels on the front and/or the rear.

What you're thinking of is a rear strut tower brace, and I agree.. not a great idea on a hatchback.

[KimberKenobi]

Okay (get ready for the dumb question... drum roll please!)

So do they do the same thing?? The strut tower bar and the sway bar?

Because I've always hear the bar that goes in the engine bay under the hood referred to as a sway bar... is this wrong and it's actually a strut tower bar... *confused*

[StanBo]

Okay (get ready for the dumb question... drum roll please!)

So do they do the same thing?? The strut tower bar and the sway bar?

Because I've always hear the bar that goes in the engine bay under the hood referred to as a sway bar... is this wrong and it's actually a strut tower bar... *confused*

Don't worry about it we are all here to learn.

This is a strut tower bar:



Strut tower bars tie in your shock towers. They run above the motor in the front (if there is a motor there lol some are still rear mounted) and the rear would tie in your rear shock mount points.

I would think the versa rear sway would be something like this seeing that the rear is solid beam.



I hope this helps a bit.

Oh here is some more info:

Strut bars tie in suspension points making the chassis stiffer.

Swaybars fight bodyroll making the car ride sharper.

[KimberKenobi]

...

okay, so the DC sports piece is a strut bar (not a sway bar) and makes the ride stiffer or is it a sway bar and fights body roll... The way it was explained to me was that it fought body roll... but if it's a strut bar it's supposed to make the body stiffer... and you've got the bar in that top pic labeled as a strut bar... Have I got that right?

(additional)Forget the drum roll, hand me two asprins and a soda ;oD j/k

[Wings]

The DC sports is a strut tower bar/brace. Helps with body flexing. I've never had one of these on a car before.

However I did put a rear sway bar on my 1999 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. It made a huge difference in handling. Way more than the lower springs with performance struts did. The sway bar will not change the ride quality of the car. It will make reduce the amount the car leans or rolls to the side when taking a turn. Which will make cornering at speeds feel more secure. For front wheel drive cars going rear sway bar only is usually best.

Doing the front will make a fwd cars tendency to understeer much worse and if joined with a rear sway bar may negate some of the benefits the rear sway bar will provide.

[StanBo]

The DC sports is a strut tower bar/brace. Helps with body flexing. I've never had one of these on a car before.

I agree

However I did put a rear sway bar on my 1999 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. It made a huge difference in handling. Way more than the lower springs with performance struts did. The sway bar will not change the ride quality of the car. It will make reduce the amount the car leans or rolls to the side when taking a turn. Which will make cornering at speeds feel more secure. For front wheel drive cars going rear sway bar only is usually best.

This can be said for most cars. I have done rears only on rwd cars and have gotten the same result. Also disconnecting the front can get the same thing to a point.

Also a sway bar can change the ride of a car. If too large or too much of an increase in rigidity over stock you can almost make the independent arms act like a torsion bar. They become too stiff and work more as one.

Doing the front will make a fwd cars tendency to understeer much worse and if joined with a rear sway bar may negate some of the benefits the rear sway bar will provide.

I do not agree with this. A rear by itself will tend to give the car oversteer but when matched with the right sized front will compliment the car. It will get rid of the oversteer (which is always good especially at high speed where less can be more).

I think the best bet is to pair the sways with a good spring/shock combination. Also adjustability is key. If you can get sways with different settings you can dial in just what you need.

That is why I am really looking for an EDFC setup on this car. That would give fine tuning of dampening without having to get out of the car and remember how many clicks have been made or keeping at detailed log.

I can't seem to find a good picture of the rear integrated swaybar in the fsm to see what it actually does. I thought the picture I found would help but I wonder how you would get an adjustable sway on a rear beam like the one on the versa.

In searching for my new daily driver this has made me look at other cars with independent rear suspensions like the Jetta, Rabbit, and Impreza.

[KimberKenobi]

So basically, because the Versa is a front wheel drive vehicle... I want to do the Whiteline product... (bar, under the car, on the back)

Have I got this correct?

(yeah, I sound special needs, it's because it's true ;oD)