Hey guys, does anyone know of anyone making an adjustable front bar for the GXP? I know some people have swapped out the GXP bar for the smaller non-FE3 bar - but is anyone making a stiffer, adjustable bar?
If not, who would be good to approach for this?
Suggestions?
__________________
If you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning!
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Current Stable:
1998 Toyota FJ62 "Bruce"
2006 VW Mk5 GTI DSG "Ingraine"
2007 Mean GXP, Team Zissou!
Hey guys, does anyone know of anyone making an adjustable front bar for the GXP? I know some people have swapped out the GXP bar for the smaller non-FE3 bar - but is anyone making a stiffer, adjustable bar?
If not, who would be good to approach for this?
Suggestions?
Look in the back of Grass Roots Motorsports. A custom sway bar is not that expensive and usualy better then the off the shelf stuff.
__________________
I love the life but I never sold my soul...
Depending on the shape of the stock bar and the availability of aftermarket units, it may be quicker and easier just to drill additional holes in the stock bar to get the stiffness and adjustability you're looking for.
That's true - I will have to look at the set up of the front bar to see if drilling additional holes is even practical. I'll Report what I find.
__________________
If you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning!
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Current Stable:
1998 Toyota FJ62 "Bruce"
2006 VW Mk5 GTI DSG "Ingraine"
2007 Mean GXP, Team Zissou!
I installed an FE2 bar on my RL last week. REMARKABLE change. But, I am sure it is too soft. The ass end became real "happy". I raced Sunday and attended an Evolution Challenge class Monday. The front end is really planted, even with a bit more body sway. The back end has become quite loose. I raised the front pressures, lowered the back, and it helped. All this said, I will probably put the FE3 bar back on until I can get some Konis.
Can the FE2 or FE3 bar be modded to allow adjustment? The flat area where the connecting rod bolts up is fairly short. The bar itself is too thick for the through bolt to be effective as it will not reach through that far to be nutted. Aftermarket links on the FE2 may be the answer there. But then there are SCCA legality as well as safety issues. I doubt the bar would fail and if it did then the handling would go to hell as opposed to a control arm failing. On the FE3 bar one could play with welding on an extension but heat can do bad things to steel.
BTW, Memphis, I am curious why you want to go stiffer.
__________________ Redline (pre-halt), Pearl, Black/Red
complete option list except auto, 3" MF cat-back,
painted calipers, owner installed power lock buttons
Well this weekend's test and tune and first event will hopefully answer the questions I have, but I sense that the front of the car is too soft - and I think I might want to stiffen the car as much as reasonably possible - However I do tend to like stiff cars so this may be a personal preference more than anything.
I also beleive that there might be some things that can be done with the alignment to offset a stiffer bar. Right now I'm just trying to get some options.
In general, I think i'd rather have a bar fabricated for me instead of messing with the stock bar.
__________________
If you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning!
---------------------------------------------------
Current Stable:
1998 Toyota FJ62 "Bruce"
2006 VW Mk5 GTI DSG "Ingraine"
2007 Mean GXP, Team Zissou!
Can the FE2 or FE3 bar be modded to allow adjustment? The flat area where the connecting rod bolts up is fairly short. The bar itself is too thick for the through bolt to be effective as it will not reach through that far to be nutted. Aftermarket links on the FE2 may be the answer there. But then there are SCCA legality as well as safety issues.
You're not thinking ambitiously enough. When I modified the bar on my S2000, one of the changes was to enlarge the flat area by machining away part of the bar. This kind of work is time consuming though, so unless you have your own lathe, it will cost more than just buying an off-the-shelf bar.
Aftermarket front sway bar endlinks can be changed under SCCA Stock class rules, but if you drill more holes, you'll still want to machine the bar to give then a flat surface to mate against.
Last edited by PedalFaster : 04-24-2007 at 11:39 AM.
You're not thinking ambitiously enough. When I modified the bar on my S2000, one of the changes was to enlarge the flat area by machining away part of the bar. This kind of work is time consuming though, so unless you have your own lathe, it will cost more than just buying an off-the-shelf bar.
Aftermarket front sway bar endlinks can be changed under SCCA Stock class rules, but if you drillmore holes, you'll still want to machine the bar to give then a flat surface to mate against.
Don't machine the bar; it's hollow.
Jackknife
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Deep, Ebony, Loaded...VIN 2124
DDM Supercharger #6 Stage II Intercooled
Magnaflow Dual Cat-back ... Valentine 1
FE3 sway bar ... Car. Cust. Rests and Pockets
Norm's Dual Rear Fascia ... Visor Decals
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Blacked-out Grills ... Debadged
Boost & A/F gauges ... KappaShield
DDM Pro-Beam and back brace
Well this weekend's test and tune and first event will hopefully answer the questions I have, but I sense that the front of the car is too soft - and I think I might want to stiffen the car as much as reasonably possible - However I do tend to like stiff cars so this may be a personal preference more than anything.
I also beleive that there might be some things that can be done with the alignment to offset a stiffer bar. Right now I'm just trying to get some options.
In general, I think i'd rather have a bar fabricated for me instead of messing with the stock bar.
I know others may chime in on this, but here goes anyway. The S2000s are tail happy. A VERY quick guy here solved his problem with a much heavier front bar on his S2000 and it simply does not look like any other S2000 around here (and there are PLENTY of them). My RL understeers, as GM intended. Alignments have made a difference, but all in all, the result has been crisper, better handling, but the understeer is there. Since we can't address the rear bar, I experimented with an FE2 front bar. I could get the car to push, but I either had to screw up BIG TIME or do it on purpose. I was able to tune out some of the oversteer with tire pressures. I have some stuff to do outside before 3 days of rain starts, so I will get back to this later.
__________________ Redline (pre-halt), Pearl, Black/Red
complete option list except auto, 3" MF cat-back,
painted calipers, owner installed power lock buttons
I'm totally famaliar with the S2000s tail wagging tendancies, and I ended up putting a Saner bar on the car (1.25" solid, stiffest setting) and frankly the car could have been stiffer.
Here's my issue so far, i'm not sure the GXP needs to be any softer than it is, and frankly I think stiffer might be the way to go.
Of course I might be completely wrong
__________________
If you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning!
---------------------------------------------------
Current Stable:
1998 Toyota FJ62 "Bruce"
2006 VW Mk5 GTI DSG "Ingraine"
2007 Mean GXP, Team Zissou!
I'm totally famaliar with the S2000s tail wagging tendancies, and I ended up putting a Saner bar on the car (1.25" solid, stiffest setting) and frankly the car could have been stiffer.
Here's my issue so far, i'm not sure the GXP needs to be any softer than it is, and frankly I think stiffer might be the way to go.
Of course I might be completely wrong
If I could legally do it within SCCA stock rules I would go stiffer on the back. The S2000 oversteered, the Redline doesn't. Wouldn't it be true that a stiffer bar on the front of a GXP just make the understeer worse?
Has anybody gone stiffer on the front of a GXP yet?
__________________ Redline (pre-halt), Pearl, Black/Red
complete option list except auto, 3" MF cat-back,
painted calipers, owner installed power lock buttons
you might think that, but it's not neccessarily so. Early S2000 tended to power-on understeer, then drop throttle oversteer. Essentially, since an anti-roll bar acts like a giant spring, it can help balance a car front to rear. My current thinking is that the rear of the GXP/Redline is "stiffer" than the front and I'd like to increase the roll stiffness in the front which effectively reduces it the rear (basically transferring weight off the front). This could result in increased understeer, but it might also make the car better transitionally.
As I said, my preference is for a tight firm car, which is why I might like to try a stiffer front sway bar.
But until this weekend, when I get the chance to drive the car with R-tires, I'm not going to reserve judgement.
__________________
If you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning!
---------------------------------------------------
Current Stable:
1998 Toyota FJ62 "Bruce"
2006 VW Mk5 GTI DSG "Ingraine"
2007 Mean GXP, Team Zissou!
When I modified the bar on my S2000, one of the changes was to enlarge the flat area by machining away part of the bar. This kind of work is time consuming though, so unless you have your own lathe, it will cost more than just buying an off-the-shelf bar.