Looking for new sway bar. Can I go too big??

MRGTX said
Ya know, I’m usually the first one to give you a thumbs up and I’ve learned a lot from your posts...but not only do I think you’re not correct on this one, you’re kinda being a dick about it.

Also, do you not know how autocross works? Your comment seems to indicate that you don’t. Definitely check it out some time. You’d be an instant celebrity if you brought the Duster/Demon! I’m no pro but there were a few years where I hit the course frequently and had a blast with it. It’s possibly the most fun I’ve had in any car.

On topic; the “what do sway bars do?” debate is a complex one and difficult to talk about in generalities. This has been debated forever on discussion forums.

I will say that as a general rule, stiffen your sway bar on an axle, that axle will dynamically grip less. I believe that this is the most helpful answer for the OP.

YES. You can have too much sway bar.

How about you stop assuming I haven't done stuff, or don't understand what you're talking about just because I don't agree with you? The fact is I've been to autocrosses. I started driving them over 20 years ago actually. I've driven road courses as well. I haven't been in a few years, but needless to say I know "how they work".

The simple fact is you dramatically oversimplified your explanation. Sway bars are not just a band aid for driver's confidence, they are a specialized tool for controlling and tuning a suspension and something that can dramatically IMPROVE TRACTION if used correctly in the right situations. Of course you can run too much sway bar. You can also run too little sway bar. That seems to be where your understanding is quite lacking, if the handling of your car is telling you that your suspension needs a sway bar it will IMPROVE traction. And that goes exactly to my point-

On an A-body with decent tire compounds and only 1.03" torsion bars up front, you'd need a custom made sway bar to go too big. The OP is planning on 17" rims, and is looking at a sway bar that allows enough backspace to run tires that are at least 245's. There isn't an off the shelf sway bar for an A-body on the market that would be too much for that set up. That's my point.

This isn't a Miata, it's a nose heavy musclecar that still only has a ~230 lb/in wheel rate.