07 Impreza front sway bar fitment for a 95?

[Wiscon_Mark]

I'm curious about this because of THIS (http://www.ebay.com/itm/06-07-SUBARU-IMPREZA-WRX-TR-EDITION-OEM-FRONT-SWAY-BAR-ENDLINKS-34K-GD7-EJ255-/290633561535?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item43ab1c35bf#ht_1904wt_1159).

Would it fit, and would it be an upgrade in terms of bar & endlinks?

[chuckthefuk]

no dice.. it will hit the non-turbo exhaust manifold.

You need an aftermarket bar or the Tribeca bar.

Cheers
-Chuck

[Garrison]

I was always under the impression that a stiffer front sway bar increases understeer on the subaru awd chassis?

[chuckthefuk]

Simply put...

Front = Big = Understeer
Rear = Big = Oversteer

Check the Swaybar FAQs.

-Chuck

[Garrison]

Right. Sooo, my implied question was why would someone want to do this?

[chuckthefuk]

Because Subarus are known for oversteering like poo!

So by default the front end oversteers and the rear end understeers. Combat the body roll and over/understeer with bigger bars.

Front bar is bigger by default and the rear is tinny in comparison.

-Chuck

[Huffer]

I think what Garrison is asking is why would someone (Wiscon_mark) want to upgrade his front swaybar.

Answer: Because the rear swaybar has already been upgraded, and maybe now produces more oversteer than is desired. To mitigate this, you can either reduce rear swaybar thickness, or upgrade front swaybar. Most choose to upgrade the front, because even a 20mm thick RSB is considered normal for modern vehicles now.

[jamal]

Because Subarus are known for oversteering like poo!

So by default the front end oversteers and the rear end understeers. Combat the body roll and over/understeer with bigger bars.
uh... what?

[Wiscon_Mark]

uh... what?

My thoughts too. Subarus generally understeer in stock form. I do have a rear bar that causes a touch of oversteer though.

However, I've read all over the place that a stiffer front swaybar increases toe-in, actually decreasing understeer...

Taken from said FAQ I forgot about:


So then I should buy a rear swaybar?

Yes, probably. To reduce understeer, you need more rear roll stiffness. But to improve grip, you need less body roll. Can you see the conflict here?

A big front swaybar drastically reduces roll, and keeps the tires in better contact with the road. That improves grip. It also increases the weight transfer on the front end. That reduces grip. The interesting thing is that our cars roll so much and gain so little camber under compression that a big front swaybar can, in some cases, reduce understeer.

What it comes down to is that the car really doesn't have even close to enough roll stiffness to keep the tires in good contact with the road. If you want to make the car handle well, it's most important to add more overall roll stiffness. Just a big rear swaybar takes away rear grip, which will improve the balance, but it doesn't help with the severe lack of grip that exists in the front. Just a big front bar will help with the grip lost by the front due to body roll, but you end up with a car with a very front-biased roll stiffness.

In some auto-x classes, only a front swaybar is allowed. If you're in this situation, get a massive front bar from addco or strano. Otherwise, it's ideal to add roll stiffness to both the front and rear ends of the car.

Obviously you want grippy tires to go with any swaybar setup, not disputing that.

Opinions on better endlinks with a stock swaybar on the front?

[chuckthefuk]

Meh.. i did not word that correctly.. it happens.