Front Sway Bar Removal For Racing

[Scoobum]

For those of you who have removed your front sway bar for quicker front suspension travel for launching...ho w "squirrely" has the car felt...and did it bring your short times down?

[Steve Wood]

Brad, I am not sure if my GN is a fair comparison, or not, as it is lowered about an inch with Eibach springs all the way around.  It also has Bilstein shocks all the way around.

With an ATR bar and 275's on the back, I swear it handles better without the front bar but it may be the total combination that makes it so.  It just feels like it is on rails without the bar. 

90-10 shocks normally come with a warning that they are not for street use as they can/will allow the front end to jump up on the inside of the turn so that is another factor.

My suggestion is to disconnect one side of the front bar and go drive the car with some sudden low speed turns in a parking lot and see how stable it feels.  If it feels squirrelier, you can always just disconnect it on one side at the track.

My car was a bit quicker but how much was due to the bar being gone and how much the lowered stance negatively affected the launch, I cannot say.  Too many apples and oranges

[TexasT]

I think it is quite "squirlley" without the bar and I think you gain move by removal than by just disconnecting it. You'll be surprised how much a stock one weighs if you never took one off before.
I think you would get used to it as I knew a bunch of street racers who ran around the metroplex without it way back when.

[trashmechlv]

I first removed my front sway bar with a stock rear bar and LCAs and it was scarey! After I got my solid LCAs and Hellwig rear bar I removed it again and car felt about the same as with the bar on. The front sway bar is staying off the car full time now. Ive pulled several 1.63 60 ft off foot brake.  Thats about .10 better than it ever did before.

[Scoobum]

Thanks for the responses guys. The safest place to try this is at my local track. The return road is the short course motorcycle track. If it feels "squirrely" on the return road...then I'll reinstall it.

[Steve Wood]

My car has virtually no lean in a corner but I have the other noted changes.

I put drops on it but it would unload the tires near the top of first. I have them on the other car with stock Springs and they seem to work on it

[larrym]

Mines gone with adjustable front shocks I can adjust according to what I'm doing.


Mobile larrym

[Scoobum]

Mines gone with adjustable front shocks I can adjust according to what I'm doing.


Mobile larrym

Larry...what front adjustables did you go with? How tough is the adjuster mechanism to get to between the coil springs?

[larrym]

 QA1s it can be a challenge I usually jack the car up and let the wheels hang that makes it easier.


Mobile larrym

[Pyro6]

My front sway bar is off and I don't have any trouble. I think for drag racing it is only a weight issue. The bar is designed to control body roll and keep the front tires in contact with the road,  so at Watkins Glen it should be on, Maple Grove take it off.

[Steve Wood]

Disconnecting the front bar will allow the front end to come up easier and it will increase the load on the right rear tire to counteract the axle's attempt to pick the right rear up.

Some cars respond better than others.  I suspect the G-Body's typically have such a lousy instant center location that it negates the improvement somewhat.  Ride height also affects the IC.

With a stiff rear bar the removal of the front bar may actually improve handling as large tires and a stiff rear bar can push some oversteer into the handling.

One can use drops on the lower rear bars at the back, or drop the mounting point of the front of the upper rear arms to improve the ic.  I suspect using Kevin Slaby's kit on the upper bar gives better results just from running some measurements thru the computer as the lower drops can get the ic above the thrust line and lift the car like a mopar superstocker.  On one of my cars it would unload about 30 mph and spin the tires but that car was lowered which affected the situation, I think

[84 BuickGNYorkPA]

Removed my sway bar years ago when I put the H&R bar on the back, sometimes I wonder if it would handle better with it on, but all and all I don't miss it, just my $.02.


Chuck