Strut and swaybar questions

[johanaxelson]

I know this has been discussed before but did not find a clear answer when reading old posts.

I basically have three questions which it would be nice to get input on.


1. Do all strut bars give more or less the same performance?

They seem to have similar design and thickness I think but are some softer or stiffer than others? Would I notice a difference between them on a street car?
Of course no talking about anything racing oriented but the more "normal" ones.



2. Does the need of a strut bar decrease if I add sway bars?

Are they marked with the elasticity?
I am sure it does to an extent but doubt it changes too much?



3. Are sway bars made of similar materials with same or close elasticity?

I.e. are all, say 25mm, bars close enough in strength to not make a difference?



One reason I ask is that I would like to try buying from Europe rather than US as if I buy things like that from the US the shipping is same or more than the parts cost

 

[Nicad]

I would think most similar sized sway bars have similar performance characteristics. The difference would be in the design and placement of the end links. I think a strut bar would be even more desirable an addition if you stiffened the front end with bigger anti sway bars. The most effective strut bars will be straight or triangulated. If the bar has a bend in it, it will tie the front end together less effectively (in theory). Some cars benefit greatly from upper strut bars in my experience ( Datsun 240-Z). On Something well engineered like a BMW M3, they are mostly eye candy on a street car. I have read steel or carbon fibre strut bars have quite a bit less expansion and contraction than aluminum.
If in Europe, I'd contact Orangeener to see if he is planning another run of his beautifully made strut bars. If you are interested in a US built one, I have an uninstalled Ireland Engineering bar I'd be interested in selling.

 

[Arde]

1. No idea.

2. It actually increases intuitively. With a weaker sway bar the torsional force results in the entire frame rolling instead of deforming. Am I wrong?

3. Somebody gave me the torsion force vs. diameter formula on my sway bar thread, force was a high power of diameter, so it does matter a lot. Shape is fixed by the car mostly, not the sway bar, so I believe it is mostly about diameter. Don't know about material.