Do I "need" anti-sway bars if installing AutoEXE LowDown Springs?

Y

youngereveryday

Member
I've read a bunch of posts/threads regarding the various options for lowering an MS6 (thank you to all the posters/contributors). You've convinced me I should get the AutoEXE LowDown Springs.

I primarily want the "look" achieved from lowering the car (the stock height is atrocious). I will not be auto-xing, but if I'm gonna spend hundreds of dollars, I certainly want to get the "right" springs (actually designed for an MS6), and get the added bonus of much improved performance.

I have a few questions/concerns . . .

  1. I read in one of the posts regarding lowering an MS6, that it was "recommended" to install after-market anti-sway bars if you were going to install AutoEXE LowDown Springs on stock struts . . . is that really necessary?
  2. Is there really only a drop of 1-1/4"?
  3. Is under-steer created/increased?
  4. Will an alignment be necessary after the installation?
  5. Although I won't be doing the work myself . . . any tricks/suggestions for installation I could pass on to the installer?
  6. Anyone know a good auto-shop in Calgary (Canada)?

Thanks (in advance) for any assistance/advice . . .

Cheers (alright)
 
personally through my own experiences through cars in general

1. never heard or seen on either forum anything about adding an after market sway bar with lowering

3. under steer should be decreased

4. yes

5. pb blast all the bolts for good luck on an easy removal, if you can do it the night before, even better
 
easy install of the spring very much so for the rear.
if the car's newer, and you dont live east coast, piece of cake.
chocolate cake.
 
I would recommend changing sways before lowering personally. They are what keeps your car planted in corners. Springs just lower the center of gravity.

I ALWAYS do sways and springs BOTH on my cars.
 
and to back up my point.

Anti roll bars provide 2 main functions:

The first is the reduction of body lean. The reduction of body lean is dependent on the total roll stiffness of the vehicle. Increasing the total roll stiffness of a vehicle does not change the steady state total load (weight) transfer from the inside wheels to the outside wheels, it only reduces body lean. The total lateral load transfer is determined by the CG height and track width.

The other function of anti roll bars is to tune the high g / limit understeer behavior of the vehicle. The limit understeer behavior is tuned by changing the proportion of the total roll stiffness that comes from the front and rear axles. Increasing the proportion of roll stiffness at the front will increase the proportion of the total weight transfer that the front axle reacts and decrease the proportion that the rear axle reacts. This will cause the outer front wheel to run at a higher slip angle, and the outer rear wheel to run at a lower slip angle, which is an understeer effect. Increasing the proportion of roll stiffness at the rear axle will have the opposite effect and decrease understeer.
 
I have had no sway or strut bar on my car for 2 months now and haven't noticed a difference except when I push the car hard in a corner. The front end wants to push it's way to the outside of the corner so to speak. I guess they call it understeer but it wasn't very smooth. It was like ducking and dodging to the outside of the turn. That's if you are trying to take a 15mph turn at 40 though otherwise for street legal driving it's useless.
 
Also when I did have all my AWR and GT Spec stuff on the same turn I almost crashed by oversteer. I guess you pick the best of 2 evils haha. If you are cone dodging I recommend any and all suspension upgrades. There is nothing more scary then when your tail end tries to do a 360 on you.
 
That's twice on this forum that I type a response and it gets deleted because it goes against a moderators beliefs in how a suspension actually works......
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wiggum said:
That's twice on this forum that I type a response and it gets deleted because it goes against a moderators beliefs in how a suspension actually works...... ...
Click to expand...

Doesn't go against what I believe..it's called "Physics". The reason your post was deleted was because of the way you phrased your post. It was derogatory. Let's not get confused OK?

Springs lower the center of gravity which enables the car to corner better. Sways flatten the car as it goes through turns in an effort to alleviate body roll.

I dont deny your springs are groovy...but springs AND sways are the best set up on any car if you are serious about handling. Its common sense.
 
Last edited:
Wiggum said:
They are on, and so are AutoEXE springs that do a little more than lower the center of gravity ;)
Click to expand...
Yes...they stiffen the ride too, which helps keep it planted.
 
Oh..and for what it's worth I am over 40 years old, I have built and raced scca solo since the late 80's in some form or another...and I am a Mechanical Engineer by trade. I think I might have a "Slight" idea of what I am talking about.

I love Geometry!
 
Not if you think all springs do is lower a center of gravity...

In that case, why run springs at all? Drive on the bump stops...

Using a shorter coil with a higher tension rate (spring rate) will increase the roll resistance when under load, simple physics, as you said.

I mean honestly, spring rates make a vast difference. Put a set of Mazda6i springs on your 3600LB Mazdaspeed6 with spring rates appropriate for a miata, and see if it ACTUALLY handles worth a damn...

I agree on sway bars, don't get me wrong, i think they are fantastic (hence the reason I have a rear on the car even after the worst installation of any automobile ever!)... but to say that all springs do is lower the center of gravity is just crazy...
 
Wiggum said:
Not if you think all springs do is lower a center of gravity...

In that case, why run springs at all? Drive on the bump stops...

Using a shorter coil with a higher tension rate (spring rate) will increase the roll resistance when under load, simple physics, as you said.

I mean honestly, spring rates make a vast difference. Put a set of Mazda6i springs on your 3600LB Mazdaspeed6 with spring rates appropriate for a miata, and see if it ACTUALLY handles worth a damn...

I agree on sway bars, don't get me wrong, i think they are fantastic (hence the reason I have a rear on the car even after the worst installation of any automobile ever!)... but to say that all springs do is lower the center of gravity is just crazy...
Click to expand...


Spring rates=Stiffer ride..did you miss that? As for the rest..correct.
 
Thanx for all the comments . . .

I've decided to go with coil-overs and today ordered the H&R kit.

I like the ride-height adjustment, bilstein shocks, lifetime warranty . . .

I wish I knew the spring rates; it seems H&R keeps that pretty close to their chests . . . if anybody has any idea, please post.

c h e e r s
 
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