its because a front bar will exacerbate the WRX's tendecy to understeer -- something that i among others don't particularly like. rear bars will make the car more neutral, or more tailhappy (relatively depending on their diameter. read the sticky swaybar thread in the suspension forum for a more detailed explanation.

 

Basically what dropckick said. You might wanna check out SPD which gives some great info as well. Some have upgraded their front bars and liked the outcome. Find someone around you that has an upgraded front and someone w/o and see which you prefer. If you've got a front, you'll have to adjust your driving style.

 

On my RS i have a stock 19mm up front with a 21mm cusco rear sway. I also have front & rear strut towers, F & R endlinks, rear arm bar and rear v brace. I will say the car is snappy to drive and resists roll over 10 fold over stock.

if you get a front sway, I'd only do it if I already had the rear and/or a front LSD. However, it's all about balance. The problem is Cusco doesn't have front sway bar for the NA crossmember, just the turbo cross.

If I had a GD I'd get endlinks, rear sway, and alks. These do the most for the least cost. You my want to consider getting springs and shocks too.

Also you will want to dial the car in to your preferences so practice turning the car sideways and then figure out what you need the car to do. If you need help let us know, that's what we're here for.

 

This is a convo between me and Trey from COBB:

1LB: Yes Trey I have the WRX...but it's the wagon. From talking to a lot of people it seems that a front sway bar is not necessary, as far as an upgraded one that is. Then for the rear, that something in the nature of 20mm is plenty. So I'm kinda looking for just a rear bar that is adjustable somewhere from 19mm to 21mm.

1COBB:
If you're in the market for a 20mm rear bar, you should try to find a stock WRX Sedan bar. Otherwise, we do have 19-20-21 rear bars actually used on the older body style RS that work and fit perfectly on the Wagon. So, whatever you're most comfortable with. I prefer the bigger bars on the wagon but to each their own.

2LB: Hey Trey, Can you go into more detail on why you like the bigger bar on the wagon and if you mean a bigger front and rear or just rear?

2COBB:
I mean bigger front and rear. The balance still needs to be maintained, but
you can definitely get improvements by increasing the spring rates of the
sway bar system. For street cars, I believe it is a cost effective way to
help the car become a bit more neutral without greatly negatively impacting
ride quality. Ultimately, we like to match the whole system together but
F&R sways along with a good set of tires and a proper alignment do wonders
for the capabilities of most street drivers.

To be honest, it's a lot easier to make a WRX handle worse than factory then
it is to make it handle better. However, of all the elements the sway bars
are one of the most readily and cost effective improvements you can make...
second to tires of course.

A lot of this comes from autocrossing these cars since they were released,
and autocrossing the older body style before that. We do a lot of national
level competition in these cars so you get to learn real quick what's really
working and what's just fluff.

Hope this helps in you quest for railin'!

LB

 

do the rear bar because that does wonders but hold off on the front. Maybe just upgrade the front endlinks. I have a front on right now (got it from dropkkick) and i don't like the way the car feels with it, i guess thats why he got rid of it My suspension has alot of work done to it also, hks hipermax 2 coilovers, 24mm rear sway, cusco 22mm front sway, cusco front and rear strut bars, falken azenis. I am going back to the stock front sway bar this weekend. With the bigger front the car felt like the front end stayed planted to the ground better but it added alot of understeer and also around 90 degree turns the back end would buonce around the turn. Not sure if thats directly related to the front bar or that means my rear dampening needs to be stiffer but im going back to stock.

 

Wow, thanks for the great posts!

 

I installed HD front endlinks with the stock front bar, and it is just right for me...

 

i'll second the reccomendation for the stock front bar and solid endlinks. i installed Noltec front links, and they're a worthwhile improvement.

 

tk5dan

so how was the hks hipermax 2 feels like, let me know how was it for daily driving on local and freeway. I know it is adjustable, how different it is from the softest to the hardest??

alan

 

can you explain a bit more?

what did you actually notice?

what other suspension mods do you have?

Thanks,

Lowball

 

Yep...If you look at how thin the stock ones are, you can see how they could flex quite a bit under a load...the HD ones(I have Noltec's) just 'aint gonna flex like that.
it feels more 'direct'.
I have driven cars with stiff bars in various combinations F&R, and I don't like the way a too stif, IMO, front bar makes the car feel.
I MAY try a 1mm stiffer front bar and see how I like it on my setup...kind of a PITA to change the front bar, though if I don't like it and want to change back.

My 2¢