Installed a 30 mm sway bar.

[Mark42]

My 98 bird had a 28 mm bar in stock bushings/end links. This past fall I was given a 30/19 mm bar set from a FE2 V8. Got poly bushings and end links for the 30 mm bar and installed it this after noon.

Its a nice upgrade that can really be noticed when driving. Not as much as WS6 bars, but still a very noticeable change. The car feels firmer on uneven road surfaces and over bumps. Turns are where things really stand out with much flatter performance.

I think the use of poly bushings and end links makes the most of the 30 mm bar, and helps make it perform even better than when used with factory bushings. In my case, going from 28 mm in factory rubber bushings to 30 mm in poly is a pretty neat change without making the ride too harsh on washboard and bumpy road surfaces.

All in all, it was a really nice improvement for just the price of the bushings and end links.

Thinking of putting poly bushings and end links on the OE rear bar just to stiffen it up a tad.

BTW, I also installed zerk fittings so they can be greased easy. Just a few minutes more work, but I think well worth the effort.

[MyFirstZ]

cool to hear i have been thinking about going bigger, i like seeing things like this

[deadtrend1]

I would guess that the poly bushings had more effect then the sway bars.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by deadtrend1

I would guess that the poly bushings had more effect then the sway bars.

Could be, but a 2mm change in sway bar thickness should be noticible. Stiffness is not linear (it is to the 4th power) so small changes can have a larger effect.

[deadtrend1]

i just had it explained to me in terms i can understand. makes sense!

[Mark42]

I actually read the instructions on the Energy Suspension end links. They want the say bar trailing arms to be horizontal when the car is at rest, so cutting of the center spacer is needed. Compared the OE end link to the E/S link and cut about 1/2" off the center spacer so they matched the OE size exactly.

Not sure what effect having the sway bar trailing legs not in a horizontal plane would have, but at least these match OE setup, and the E/S instruction.

Funny how you find out neat little bits of info like that by reading instructions! LOL!

[creeper]

step up to a 35mm and you will be in heaven. going from 30 to 32 on mine made a small difference, then 32 to 35 was just ridiculous. i never thought my car would be able to handle how it does.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by creeper

step up to a 35mm and you will be in heaven. going from 30 to 32 on mine made a small difference, then 32 to 35 was just ridiculous. i never thought my car would be able to handle how it does.

where can i get one? my car is a bit floppy when im jammin down the highway

[Mark42]

Originally Posted by creeper

step up to a 35mm and you will be in heaven. going from 30 to 32 on mine made a small difference, then 32 to 35 was just ridiculous. i never thought my car would be able to handle how it does.

Sounds pretty neat, but not for my daily driver. I spent 1.5 hours on the highway and about 45 minutes on back country roads. Anything stiffer than what I have would be just plain annoying to me. If I had a weekend raider, it would be a different story.

[JL8Jeff]

V6 car may not need the thicker bar to get as much improvement so that was probably a good swap. I bet the WS6 bar is overkill for the weight difference of the V6 setup.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by JL8Jeff

V6 car may not need the thicker bar to get as much improvement so that was probably a good swap. I bet the WS6 bar is overkill for the weight difference of the V6 setup.

I was thinking the same, Jeff. Might be too much bar.

[Mark42]

I had thought the same about the 6 vs 8 weight. Not sure how much difference there is, maybe 80 lbs?

I think the 30/17 is what GM put in the Firebird Gt (v6 model), iirc.

I know how some guys are always pushing the max, but I am very happy with something better than what I had, and works in my DD.

BTW, my first run with the new bar was with my brother-in-law. I hit a straight section in a 50 mph zone, and the trans downshifts to 3rd and I am thinking "Hmmm, car seems a little sluggish. Just filled up, could it be bad gas?" Then I look at BIL and realize that at close to 300 lbs, HE is the reason the car feels sluggish! LOL! But even with BIL in the car, the bar made a nice difference on the turns. I was impressed.