OneManArmy

iTrader: (7)

The jolt stamp of approval.


That's a successful build.

joltdudeuc

iTrader: (6)

What about sway bar orientation? :P

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Wow, awesome - thanks for the feedback! I had heard of Swifts back in the Duke/Subabrew days but didn't have too much luck searching for a place to buy them. TiC is listed, but they don't show them on their site (unless I am just doing it wrong).

Thanks! Yes, definitely need some bracing and fender braces is a perfect start. Part of what is holding me back is I owned ALL OF THIS STUFF and gave it all away to the person that bought my swap abortion. So, I am trying to swallow that bitter pill.

Every time I drive into my driveway, I hear a "pop" in my car, and really want that to stop. I had considered a FSTB but I do not know which one will fit with my classic Vishnu TMIC. Sort of lost on the bracing front, except I know I am getting a set of TiC fender braces (unless someone has a better idea). Again.

Awesome! Can I get a ride? This sounds perfect. I will do some searching on the Swifts as even though I know it's just cosmetic, I hate the gap.

With the Swifts, is it still a good idea to convert to '04+ rear tops? How do the Whiteline ComC tophats change geometry? I think they add camber, but need to read more.


What do the strut extenders do? I hear you on the perches, but if I can get a set of springs that meet my needs for now, I think that would make a lot more sense for my current application and retardo-crazy life. My Eibachs on my old '03 set the nose down perfectly for me. Same with the Prodrives.

When my life settles down, I can pull my struts and convert them with GC parts.

I need to do some searching! Can you recommend a supplier for Swifts? They list a bunch of dealers on their site. I see that Porterfield is a distributer, but let me know if you know someone to check with.

Looks like for my '02 sedan, I would go with the 4F005's.

Sounds good. Is it a good idea to go with '04 tophats regardless? It seems like that is the case.

Also forgot to mention that I have the complete Group-N engine mount set with pitch and trans mounts, but they are around 11 years old now. Installed with all the Vishnu gear back in the day.

Thanks again for the consideration and comments! I have actually been thinking about this for about a year, so it's pretty important to me. Just have been fixing so many other things that have been absorbing the cash that was set aside to do this.

Cheers!

04GG

iTrader: (33)

Probably most of the shops normally mentioned here can get the Swifts depending on where you are located. Are you in the South Bay? I am still deciding on shocks but most likely going with Swifts too.

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Hi!

That is a consideration for sure. I have not checked prices yet, but I am sure some of this will shift around a bit. I would also be fine with the "used '04s" idea as long as I can inspect them. Thing is, mine are stock, so I want to replace them just so that I do not have to wonder if they need to be replaced.

Yeah, I have to admit I really liked my AGXs/P1's on my '01 RS. I did not expect to be impressed as I was.

I usually brace my cars as much as possible, but have never really used a FSTB. I am definitely getting the fender braces in as soon as I can, and have heard that they make a difference. I am just not sure what other braces there are out there that would make a difference or fix the issue I am experiencing. The funny thing is my '03 did this too, since the day I drove it off the lot brand new. More or less a "pop" or "creak" in the roof, sounds like coming from around the rear view.

I drove my Justy for a bit without any sway bars and that was pretty hilarious. My current Justy has a factory rear sway bar which looks more or less like a bent chopstick and it makes a huge huge difference in how the car handles.

At the same time, I will probably leave the front sway stock at least for a long time. Might change the rear down the line and I plan on getting the Whiteline HD rear mounts mostly because they look effing awesome.

LOL!

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Peninsula. I will probably need to order all the parts on my own, and bring it all into the shop.

Just get Konis, you cannot go wrong!

LxJLthr

iTrader: (12)

I posted my suggestions in "no particular order". I didn't mean to imply one over the other. Also my cars are as far from "feel cool" and "look cool" and "check out my **** yo" as you can get. IMHO it all depends on the applicaiton and driving styles...for eaxmple, on my DD wagon a rear strut bar made a greater difference than a mild FSB upgrade.

A) never claimed to be an expert B) hush you!

04GG

iTrader: (33)

I've had Yellows before and loved them - best shocks I've run. Not crazy about the mounting of them on this car because they are not a "direct" fit like they were on my other car, and the shop I work with said he would rather not install them like that. The carry Swift though - Mann Engineering in Santa Clara.

I have the Perrin front STB and it really does make a difference; not a difference like a sway, but that's not what it is for. Chassis stiffening is not exactly the same thing as directly linked suspension components, but I agree they are not the first parts to start tweaking with.

Waiting for MONTHS to hear back from GST on my Whiteline rear STB *HINT HINT*

joltdudeuc

iTrader: (6)

D-Rex extenders allow the Koni Yellow to sit .75-1" lower, giving you that much more in shock travel (and that much less in droop).

I don't know if you can still buy them. I just used 4-5 washers to get the same result.

LifePlaza

I do have a larger bar and ran it with multiple set ups. Dropping the end link on the front gave me faster lap times around the track. Wouldn't say its retarded. I'm not looking to have the car come around where its all oversteer at exit, thats slow, I have it tuned to what worked for me. It can get squirrelly under braking, but on exit its planted all traction.

If you look at many car set ups especially in racing, you'll notice many cars don't even come with sway bars. Take for example a Lotus, 05 Elise doesn't come with a bar at all in the rear.

If i'm worried about roll, I make adjustments elsewhere since coilovers allow me to (higher spring rates etc).

chochocho

iTrader: (38)

i have an extra set of fender brace that should fit your car. pm me if interested.

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

If you need someone to assemble a set of Konis, my mechanic does a beautiful job and even paints the housings where they were cut to prevent rust. Then, they could be delivered to this shop that does not want to assemble them, for direct installation.

I am hoping to have a garage again soon, and in that case, as long as I had a bench vise, I could assemble them for you.

None of the first Elises had front or rear swaybars. That was a rather touted thing as well, that it handled so well and did not have sways. The Elise 190 that I drove while living in England did not have sways. I checked.

Interesting. So do you end up opening up the hole in the bottom of the OEM housing so that the insert pokes through and sits lower in relation to the strut housing? Caution: I might be confused, but still excited!

OneManArmy

iTrader: (7)

Werd... I was making a general statement... I think. LOL!

And yeah... rear strut bars in wagons... big help. Sedans... not as much.

OneManArmy

iTrader: (7)

That makes sense... on a track car and with suspension built around NOT having a bar.

I don't think ours are set up that way. But if it makes YOU faster then by all means, do it.

I'd NEVER do it on my car.... ever. You can do things to help with roll... like an ALK in the front but I don't currently have one. And even with one I wouldn't run without a bar. Ever.

I don't have my car set up for the track though it is plenty track capable. But it's not a track only set up. My last car was built that way and even on that thing I had HUGE sway bars and my springs were retarded stiff on my Zeal Coil Overs. I ran that car with all kinds of different bars and with the zeals it was fine with smaller bars but I felt much more planted when I got my 27mm set up with it. Hated those coil overs on the street though.

I think you have to keep things separate. A COMFORTABLE (ish) street car can not be set up the way a track prep'd car can. And advising folks to do it is kind of silly in my opinion.

If someone came to me and said... hey I'm building a car for the track. It'll see a little street time but my focus is the track... what suspension should I do. I'd have a completely different list of parts than I would if someone came and said... hey I want to build a sick handling street car that I can sit in traffic in and maybe do the occasional track day or ax.

I also think it's odd to build suspension on a car built like ours to a car built like a Lotus. That entire car... including the shell is built around aiding the suspension. Ours are not.


But it makes you faster on the track so have at it. I don't always understand what Gagan is doing to make his car faster on the Auto X circuit but he builds his car with that style of track in mind... not the street and not the track... and AX course... period. LOL. So he does things I'd never do on my car. LOL.

Some folks love to have huge bars in the rear and stock in the front... or in your case nothing in the front. I've never jumped into that theory.

So in the case of what he's building... I do think no front sway bar is silly.

OneManArmy

iTrader: (7)

Woot... one part of the list. LOL!


I've been kicking around building my own. I've got to pull my fender off to do my door swap anyways. But I need to find a set of take offs to build a jig.