Minor sway bar upgrades... worth it? Should I spend the money?

[Cobra4B]

I was thinking about buying some poly bar bushings to replace my stockers and getting GM hd endlinks. I still have my stock 2001 42,000 mile bushings and the plastic rear endlinks. Even the fronts, which are metal, look flimsier than what's offered as replacements. Will this increase the effective roll stifness at all? What will the new endlinks do for me? Or.... is this something like I don't need to bother unless the stockers break.

Thanks,
Brian

[DJWorm]

End links will not increse your roll stiffness persay, just by installing them, because you start with them in their shortest length near the stock length.

To gain any benefit you would have to corner weight the car, do some skid pad testing and know exactly what the car is doing and what you want to change for a desired result.

There is some help above, ^ Up there in the Suspension Sticky^ on Troubleshooting and Tuning Algorythms, The WTSCCA Troubleshooting Suspensions site from Autocross.com and the Grass Roots Motorsport Tech Links are especially helpfull.

[Cobra4B]

DJ I was thinking of the bushings affecting handling moreso than endlinks. What advantages do the metal endlinks have over the plastic ones? if there aren't any then why did they upgrade them in 2002?

[dvandentop]

yes i was thinking of same upgrade for metal end links since i saw them on friends 02 z when i was putting in a cam for him, they looked like alot nicer pieves then my 01's

hell just get some hotchkis

[Backlash]

With 42,000 miles on the sway bar bushings, I bet when you pull them you will discover that the rubber is substantially softer than when new (I pulled a set out of a Camaro once that felt like jello they had been so worn).

If it was my car, I would put in poly urethane bushings and the new metal end links. It probably will not improve the car over the stock condition, but restore it back to what it orginally felt like (and then keep it there longer than before). This is more for maintenance rather than improvement.

[Cobra4B]

Hotchkis may be an idea... LAPD has a bilstien sport/hotchkis package! But the bars are only marginally larger... I may go T1 in the future.

[Silver Bullet]

Just looked on there website and for the price that sway bar and shock combo seems like a good deal.
Anyone know how there shocks are vs. '03's especially in front compression under braking,etc..

[Cobra4B]

Well I went w/ the new Bilstiens, poly bar bushings, and GM HD endlinks.

[bbunting]

Originally Posted by Cobra4B

Hotchkis may be an idea... LAPD has a bilstien sport/hotchkis package! But the bars are only marginally larger... I may go T1 in the future.

That is what I have, and would recommend it for street and track.

[Cobra4B]

^Sweet vids!!!