Sway bars?

[P71]

So I've been trying to decide on some stuff for my Rx-7 before the autocross season starts (in 4 weeks!). It's an 83 GSL (12A with Nikki carburetor, 4-wheel-discs, LSD) that's pretty much all stock. It runs well and did pretty good last year with just a set of 195 Falken Azenis Rt-615's on 14" factory alloy wheels. Pictures from the events show LOTS of body lean so I want to get some beefier sway bars for it. The shocks are OEM but are only 2 years old so I'm skipping those until a complete suspension rebuild.

The problem is there are a lot of choices! Ground Control, Suspension Techniques, Tri-Point, and Racing Beat all have sets plus Mazdaspeed shows some in stock. I'm leaning towards the RB setup. Any thoughts?

Also, class-legal means nothing to me as I run with the Porsche Club, so my class is "non-Porsche".

[josh18_2k]

you need springs and shocks!! sways are secondary.
stock springs and thick bars will just have you lifting tires all over the place. looks cool, and does help with the body roll (better transitions), but it also takes away from your overall potential traction.

[Kentetsu]

Hmm, I don't quite agree with you Josh. One of the best handling cars I ever drove was a 79 320i. It had very soft springs, but really good swaybars. Very comfortable ride, but no body roll. I don't think he'd be screwing up too badly by looking at swaybars right now.

The Racing Beat swaybar will definitely take out the body roll, the only problem is the weight and lack of adjustability. You'll probably want adjustable end links in order to relieve any preload.

I replaced my RB swaybar with one from Respeed last Spring. Better handling, and a whole lot lighter due to the fact that it is a hollow bar. It also comes with top quality adjustable end links. It is more expensive, but if you can afford the difference then that is the way to go in my opinion. www.re-speed.com

I also like to use Respeed whenever possible due to their outstanding customer support. Billy will be happy to advise you on your setup. He helped me every step of the way, and I am very happy with my setup. I also like the fact that he is very active in the forums, which RB and GC are not.


.

[P71]

Josh! You're alive! Get the clutch/trans fixed yet? My exhaust is getting put in next week for more power. :P

My shocks are actually pretty new. I'm not doing springs/shocks until I rebuild the whole suspension at once. I'm thinking Tokico HP's, RB Springs, RE-Speed C/C kit, Mazda rubber bushings, G-Force tri-point rear bar, RB front sway, stock rear sway.

[josh18_2k]

alright, as long as springs are on the way :P
i had tokico blues way back in the day. they are pretty stiff for a non adjustable damper. i liked em.
also my remarks about sway only was probably a little off. the affects of soft springs with stiff sways probably doesnt get bad until you get much stickier tires. for your 195 azenis, i think you'll be alright.

and great handling doesnt necessarily mean fast. just means the car is fun to drive


aaand yes my car is back on the ground!! i did in fact have a bad pilot bearing. took two weeks and 3 broken tools to finally get it out. the one that did it was a Blind Bearing Puller. $100.. yikes

[josh18_2k]

omg mike.. i think i solved all your problems!!
http://www.trackpedia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1763
about halfway down the page- he swapped FC front suspension in. i wonder if the control arms swap strait over?? maybe the subframe does? either way, probably worth considering.

[orion84gsl]

Originally Posted by P71

Josh! You're alive! Get the clutch/trans fixed yet? My exhaust is getting put in next week for more power. :P

My shocks are actually pretty new. I'm not doing springs/shocks until I rebuild the whole suspension at once. I'm thinking Tokico HP's, RB Springs, RE-Speed C/C kit, Mazda rubber bushings, G-Force tri-point rear bar, RB front sway, stock rear sway.

If this car is going to be used for a lot of auto-x, then you'll want to skip the RB springs and go with the RE-Speed coilover kits. For a little more money you end up with adjustability in both height, corner weights, and you can swap springs for different rates. Also skip the RB front bar. It's heavy as hell and all that weight sits forward of the front wheels. That's abad place to be adding weight. Now, I'm not saying RB parts aren't well built, but they were designed about 20-25 years ago. They haven't been updated or improved upon. RE-Speed parts were designed in the last few years, using new technology and techniques. Customer service is also fantastic, where RB took more than a week to get back to me about a question regarding my rear sway bar.

Good luck

[P71]

Josh,
Glad to hear you're good to go! I knew about the FC front suspension swap, but if I wanted an FC suspension I'd go buy an FC :P I haven't seen a FB be successful at autocross since they were new so I want to stick with it for now.

I keep hearing great things about the RE-Speed stuff. I'd love to use it but it's a little out of my price range. That and I have no idea how to adjust a suspension so I'd probably hurt my times more than help them!

[josh18_2k]

i only suggested FC junk cuz it seems like theres hardly any aftermarket support for FB suspension. FC crap is cheap and plentiful. and the LCA's are aluminum i guess there is RE-speed tho, so thats good

and my car is far from done lol. its just back at my house. still gotta make PS lines and hope that they dont leak, pump isnt blown, etc. also getting a seat put in, i'll probably have to hack up my rear fenders a bit to fit new wheels, and i gotta mount my fenders and bumper. yup lots to do, considering how little time i have during the week

[P71]

There's actually a ton of FB suspension choices. Racing Beat, Eibach, Suspension Techniques, RE-Speed, G-Force Engineering, and Mazdatrix all sell stuff plus Mazdaspeed's goodies. I thought about the FC swap now and then but I really want to stick with FB. If I want an FC I really will just go buy one. I do have a set of LS1 heads and intake...

[PercentSevenC]

The FC subframe swap is pretty involved, too. I looked into it a while back and decided it wasn't worth it.