What is a "Sway Bar"????

[LosiMan3456]

What is a Sway Bar. Team Losi has them for the xxx. What are they and what do they do? Are they optional or manditory? Will they give me improved handling or what? http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/confused.gif

[Top End]

Sway bars are also called anti-sway bars or anti-roll bars. Basically what they do is connect the left and right sides of the suspension to each other. So that when one side compresses, the other side does also.

Normally, without a sway bar, when you turn right the left side suspension compresses and the car leans or sways to the outside of the turn. With a sway bar installed, the right suspension would also compress a little, causing the car to lean/sway less. The advantage is that you can corner a little faster, but only if you have very good traction.

Sway bars should only be used on very high bite tracks. I've never used one offroad with any success, and I rarely use one onroad.

[LosiMan3456]

Hey Thanks! Hey where in Michigan is Linden I live in Portage. Would it be a bad Idea to get a sway bar to try out? I race on blue clay. It doesnt have much traction though. Unless you get the perfect tires. But that changes every day. also is the sway bar just for the rear or is it for both front and rear?

[backyardT3]

only for the front losiman, you dont steer with the back wheels...

Garrett

[Top End]

Linden is about 15 miles south of Flint, about 40 miles north of Ann Arbor.

Swaybars are for the front or rear, either one or both at the same time. You do steer with the front (of course), but you do get traction with the rear too. So a sway bar naturally will affect the rear just as much as the front.

I don't race on clay so I don't know how it would affect your car. The dirt tracks I race on are natural hardpack indoors. If the sway bar kit doesn't cost much, I'd get it to try. With my driving style, sliding in the corners and such, they don't work for me.

[IDrinkNitroFuel]

They have sway bars for the rear... Just because it doesnt steer it still has shocks that are compressed in a turn............

[ZenLosi]

I don't think you'd want them on an off road buggy or stadium truck unless you were flat tracking or converting to on-road for some reason.

-Zen

[SirSpeedy]

Is your track high bite? Blue groove?

I run them occasionally on really hooked up, blue grooved tracks. Usually only a rear one. If you try one, use the smallest rear one.

It will calm down the steering a little, make it not turn-in so hard, and give you more steering through the middle and exit of the corner.

A front sway bar will reduce steering through all parts of the corner.

The plus side to each of them is greater cornering speed.

See ya.....

[LosiMan3456]

The track I race at is Blue Clay. It is damp and soft on the top but it is hard pack. It does not have high bite traction. I might try a sway bar but I dont think it will work.