Swaybar bracket

[GUNS]

What year rear swaybar bracket is being used? I have an 02, which doesn't work. I think I remember seeing that they are from an 04-07. Is this correct? If so, will it still work with an 02 bushing/bar? Thanks

[RM1SepEx]

good luck, I don't thing anyone has found one that works w/o mods

my 05 sedan bar has "ears" at an angle (cut gusset and bend flat) and then the holes are too close together. I'm going to make up some billet aluminum ones

[wallace18]

At first I thought my 2002 donor brackets did not fit. But once I tightened them down to flatten them out they fit perfectly in the factory supplied holes.

[GUNS]

At first I thought my 2002 donor brackets did not fit. But once I tightened them down to flatten them out they fit perfectly in the factory supplied holes.

Do you mind taking a picture?

[wallace18]

Do you mind taking a picture?

I'll get one tomorrow.

[RM1SepEx]

Guns, can you post a photo of your stock mounts?

[GUNS]

Here ya go. First one is using the front brackets as place holders. They actually line up pretty well, but obviously don't work with the rear bar:



Here are the rear brackets. The problem is that they are designed to use a slot on one end:

[RM1SepEx]

Those are like Tony described the wagon ones that they had for the right hand drive car

[Rasmus]

I thought the 818 didn't use sway bars? Did this change or was I misinformed?

[RM1SepEx]

818S uses stock rear in the front

[Stickshift84]

Just buy a prothane universal swaybar mount for whatever diameter bar you are using. I am using an 02 rear bar and everthing fits. The donor swaybar brackets would not work for me.

[RM1SepEx]

like these?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pt...FRES7AodbD4AIQ

[GUNS]

Perfect! Good find. Anyone know the diameter of the OEM rear bar?

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Here is the donor bar sizes, The bottom line is the rear OEM Bar sizes
sway bar spec.jpg
Bob

Added note: This in the 2006 specification

[GUNS]

Thanks Bob!

[Frank818]

818S uses stock rear in the front

As an option. You are not required to use it.

[GUNS]

As an option. You are not required to use it.

This is true. However, I'm assuming the FFR guys are using it for a reason. My guess is to make it a little more neutral. I'd like to be able to have it as an option and take it off as required. I think FFR should supply brackets as it doesn't sound like any of the OEM ones are matching up.

[Frank818]

My memory tells me I have read some post somewhere that says the sway bar didn't seem to be helping much the handling as it made the front stiffer and that it was already good without it. Something like "using the front sway bar will increase oversteer". I am sure I have read something, but can't recall much.

Though that is quite a debate for me as a bigger front sway bar (or having one vs none) will make the car behave differently depending on which car you do that.

Like the OEM 2.5RS which has a lot of body roll and I can vouch for that loll, a bigger front would decrease understeer. But it would also switch more weight to the rear tires, which increases understeer.

I don't know on the 818, but I think body roll is already set to a minimum.


Anyone can point out the exact effect of using the OEM sway bar on the 818?

[Oppenheimer]

I thought that was the other way round, stiffer front sway bar, more understeer, stiffer rear bar, more oversteer. Whichever end you add stiffer sway bar (or add one where there was none), that end gets looser. So adding a front bar to 818 would have the effect of increasing understeer (which presumably one would only do to make up for an existing tendency to oversteer).

[Frank818]

Well you got it, I am unsure, this is mostly why I would like to discuss about that, to make sure of the theoretical effect of a bigger in the front vs a bigger in the rear.

What I understood is that reducing body roll in the front would decrease understeer. But is that true? If yes, then if you have a lot of body roll and install a bigger front bar it should decrease understeer, all being equal. Am I wrong?

[RM1SepEx]

the development work was done on the prototype using the 17mm stock wrx bar. use of anything else will require add'l setup work

[GUNS]

Well you got it, I am unsure, this is mostly why I would like to discuss about that, to make sure of the theoretical effect of a bigger in the front vs a bigger in the rear.

What I understood is that reducing body roll in the front would decrease understeer. But is that true? If yes, then if you have a lot of body roll and install a bigger front bar it should decrease understeer, all being equal. Am I wrong?

You and Oppenheimer are both correct. The rule of thumb is stiffer front = understeer, stiffer rear = oversteer. However, by limiting body roll, you are also increasing potential grip. So with that being said without driving the car yet, the front swaybar will allow a little more understeer at the limit of the front tires, but that limit will be higher. Again, I'm assuming the only reason you would want understeer in this application is because the car had a tendency to overtsteer without a front bar.

[Frank818]

There are many variables to take into account to determine if, on a particular car and under its own particular configuration, it would understeer or oversteer with a bigger front bar.

For my build, I will not install the bar. But I will keep it as spare and if I detect too much oversteer then I'll see. I have to try the car on a track to learn its limits and behaviors. I am not racing, just track testing the car.

[wallace18]

Do you mind taking a picture?

Here is my 2002 donor brackets.

3392513 015.jpg3392513 016.jpg

[GUNS]

Here is my 2002 donor brackets.

3392513 015.jpg3392513 016.jpg

WRX? Those look nothing like mine. Weird

[longislandwrx]

You are using the rear brackets right? can you post a picture?

Wallace how is the fit with the 20mm bar?

[wallace18]

You are using the rear brackets right? can you post a picture?

Wallace how is the fit with the 20mm bar?

IMO you must fit and hook up the swaybar with the wheels on the ground and the suspension loaded. Mine seem to hit every where till I put it on the ground. I had to shorten the rods on both sides. Each was a slightly differant length.

[Evan78]

Frank - Imprezas will start to lose camber (camber starts moving into positive territory) when the front suspension sees enough body roll/compression. Fitting a stiffer front bar can result in less understeer on that chassis due to the crappy camber curve. In other words, they want to limit roll because enough roll results in lost camber and reduced grip of the front wheels.

On a suspension that keeps gaining negative camber with additional compression (i.e. typical double wishbone as in 818), stiffening the front bar will generally shift handling bias toward more understeer.

[longislandwrx]

WP_20150201_009.jpg

With inverted shocks and 22mm Perrin adjustable sway bar I Agree with Wallace that it needs to be on the ground, and the endlinks need to be shortened a bit, clearance should be there though.

dropped the shocks and installed from the drivers side with minimal issues.

[tmoretta]

I have found that I had to add collars to the side of the bushings on the front bar so that the sway bar would not walk sideways and interfere with the passenger side spring or upright.

[longislandwrx]

Yeah that's on the list as well. I'm unsure if I am going to run this big of a bar, it may end up on my DD.

[Mechie3]

Did anyone else have issues with the swaybar hitting the passenger side spring? I used the prothane 17mm bushing kit with is .125" wider than stock. The swaybar is pushed all the way up to the bushing where the bar begins to bend and no longer fits through the bushing. The car is currently on the ground, but not aligned. looking down, 1/2 of the swaybar diameter overlaps the second coil of the spring.

[billjr212]

Did anyone else have issues with the swaybar hitting the passenger side spring? I used the prothane 17mm bushing kit with is .125" wider than stock. The swaybar is pushed all the way up to the bushing where the bar begins to bend and no longer fits through the bushing. The car is currently on the ground, but not aligned. looking down, 1/2 of the swaybar diameter overlaps the second coil of the spring.

It will be extremely close. Mine nearly touch. Some have used collars on the sway bar to ensure it doesn't slide over.

[Mechie3]

I'll have to see where it ends up once the car is aligned and endlinks in place. I don't have much movement in the swaybar before either the driver side hits the A arm of the passenger side hits the spring.

[RM1SepEx]

I had to add collars from McMaster Carr

[longislandwrx]

mechie, with the inverted shocks it helped, but with yellows that's not really an option.

[Mechie3]

I have reds. I'll post pics later. Super busy at work.

[longislandwrx]

I'm at the bend too when I went to the stock swaybar, I am trying to get my hands on another Perrin 22 I stole the original one for my DD, the fitment was much better but I was worried it was too much bar.

[Mechie3]

I had to add collars from McMaster Carr

My problem is that collars keep it in positon. I can't seem to get it over far enough to begin with.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Craig
The latest manual shows the connection very high. Above the spring perch.
Bob

sway.jpg