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03-21-2013, 10:29 AM
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#1 | | RS.net, where our google ads make absolutely no sense!
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| Improving handling on a budget
Hey guys, I'm looking for ways of reducing body roll and understeer on my car on a shoestring budget (this has been my complaint about my car for years, and I am finally deciding to deal with it)
I've looked around on the internet, and here are 2 options that I formulated that fits my budget:
Tein S Tech lowering springs
1. Front strut bar + rear sway bars (my car doesnt have either of those atm)
2. In terms of body roll and handling which one would be give me the most benefit?
Thanks!
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03-21-2013, 10:31 AM
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#2 | | I *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* to RS
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on your ML?  | |
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03-21-2013, 10:32 AM
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#3 | | I'll never be Diggy, no matter how hard I try
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What tires are you on? If you're on crappy rubber, adding either won't help
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03-21-2013, 10:33 AM
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#4 | | Zionism gets my shell hard and slimy
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strut bars just look pretty, they really dont do much, sway bars are your best bet and a lower profile tire assuming you are already not on them, next would be firmer suspension or springs!
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03-21-2013, 10:35 AM
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#5 | | RS.net, helping ugly ppl have sex since 2001
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I'd say beefier rear swaybar would benefit most for your goals and for relatively cheap. I'd go with this first.
Front strut bars can help depending on how rigid the car's chassis is to begin with, but won't do much for body roll or understeer reduction.
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03-21-2013, 10:36 AM
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#6 | | The Brown Reason
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It really depends on your car, should give a bit more info.
I wouldn't waste money on strut bars, they look really nice in the engine bay but don't make too big of a noticeable difference unless you're tracking your car.
On my jeep I have upgraded front and rear swaybars + endlinks.
The stiffer rear swaybar made a huge difference in performance/handling and was only $150.
Front swaybar made almost no difference, but it looks nice lol.
Lowering springs are generally stiffer so you get less body roll at the expense of ride quality. A good spring/shock setup will lower your center of gravity, decrease 'squat' when you accelerate and decrease nose dive when braking. Accelerate faster, brake faster and can corner faster.
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Originally Posted by bcrdukes fuck this shit, i'm out | | |
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03-21-2013, 10:38 AM
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#7 | | RS.net, where our google ads make absolutely no sense!
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ML has stock sway bars 
So, perhaps I should ditch the strut bar for a front sway bar?
Tires are out of the question as they are too expensive.
EDIT: I was responding to gYU, the car in question is NOT an ML
Last edited by Geoc; 03-21-2013 at 10:47 AM.
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03-21-2013, 10:41 AM
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#8 | | Zionism gets my shell hard and slimy
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stock sway bars in most factory cars are just big enough for manufactures to pretty much say they are there, get a bigger sway setup, 8-10mm at least bigger if u want it to be noticed in such a big car
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03-21-2013, 10:43 AM
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#9 | | RS.net, helping ugly ppl have sex since 2001
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoc ML has stock sway bars
So, perhaps I should ditch the strut bar for a front sway bar?
Tires are out of the question as they are too expensive. | I would leave front sway stock but just get thicker rears to reduce understeer.
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Originally Posted by skyxx Sonick is a genius. I won't go into detail what's so great about his post. But it's damn good! | 2010 Toyota Rav4 Limited V6 - Wifey's Daily Driver
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03-21-2013, 10:43 AM
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#10 | | RS.net, where our google ads make absolutely no sense!
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Guys, I have NO rear sway bars at all  , not too sure about fronts, I am still looking up on that.
The car in question is not a ML, it's a midsize sedan
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03-21-2013, 10:47 AM
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#11 | | My homepage has been set to RS
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Lower it. Stiffer springs.
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03-21-2013, 10:49 AM
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#12 | | The Brown Reason
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoc Guys, I have NO rear sway bars at all , not too sure about fronts, I am still looking up on that.
The car in question is not a ML, it's a midsize sedan | Dafuq? No rear swaybars at all?
What kind of car is it? I've seen a few domestics that have PLASTIC swaybars but I've never heard of no swaybars at all lol. 
I stripped a nut installing my rear swaybar so I drove around for a month with no rear swaybar. I cannot imagine driving a car with no rear sways all the time.It SUCKED! If I was you I would look for a rear swaybar solution or just give up. Springs will take away some body roll but they can't replace the role of a fully functioning swaybar
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Originally Posted by bcrdukes fuck this shit, i'm out | | |
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03-21-2013, 10:51 AM
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#13 | | RS.net, where our google ads make absolutely no sense!
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by dhillon09 Dafuq? No rear swaybars at all?
What kind of car is it? I've seen a few domestics that have PLASTIC swaybars but I've never heard of no swaybars at all lol. | I dunno, I looked under the car and I couldn't see one, and the dealership tech said there was not parts no. for a rear sway.
Car is Mitsubishi Galant ES
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03-21-2013, 10:59 AM
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#14 | | F**K YOUR HEAD
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I'd probably say tires, fat and stickier front tires.
As others have said rear sway should help
Adding some more negative camber should make a difference, not sure how much you can add with stock components.
These cars are so heavy and front heavy in particular really hurts the handling.
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03-21-2013, 11:12 AM
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#15 | | Wunder? Wonder?? Wander???
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Cheapest handling upgrade - proper tire inflation. $0.
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03-21-2013, 11:23 AM
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#16 | | :: Sells McLarens, Not tofu :okay: ::
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second cheapest - alignment.
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03-21-2013, 11:43 AM
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#17 | | Rs has made me the woman i am today!
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If it was an older car I'd suggest swapping out all the worn bushings for new ones. Bushings are one of the most overlooked suspension components in older vehicles and replacing them can make a world of a difference.
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03-21-2013, 12:04 PM
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#18 | | I don't get it
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^ +1
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03-21-2013, 12:24 PM
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#19 | | not the mod you're looking for
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoc Hey guys, I'm looking for ways of reducing body roll and understeer on my car on a shoestring budget (this has been my complaint about my car for years, and I am finally deciding to deal with it)
I've looked around on the internet, and here are 2 options that I formulated that fits my budget:
Tein S Tech lowering springs
1. Front strut bar + rear sway bars (my car doesnt have either of those atm)
2. In terms of body roll and handling which one would be give me the most benefit?
Thanks! | A bigger diameter rear sway bar is definitely one of the cheapest (and most effective) ways to increase handling, and reduce body roll.
Some cars typically only have a front sway bar, or it is bigger than the rear sway. They do this so your car will understeer (because most drivers don't know how to deal with oversteer).
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03-21-2013, 01:24 PM
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#20 | | Wunder? Wonder?? Wander???
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depending on what car you have and age, you have a number of suggestions already that are relatively inexpensive... albeit rather lacking in bling, but quite effective depending on your goals.
adjusting tire pressures
alignment
getting better tires
changing suspension bushings
depending on what car you have, removing the front sway bar helps too - and is free. These are installed by factory to induce understeer earlier for safety for drivers. note the risk of doing so however.
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03-21-2013, 01:33 PM
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#21 | | Head Moderator
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by akinari-kun If it was an older car I'd suggest swapping out all the worn bushings for new ones. Bushings are one of the most overlooked suspension components in older vehicles and replacing them can make a world of a difference.
Posted via RS Mobile | Exactly what I was going to suggest. Find all the old rubber bushings and replace them.
As for your car not having a sway bar... I'm pretty sure it has one. Perhaps the mechanic would have recognized stabilizer bar instead?
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03-21-2013, 01:54 PM
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#22 | | Rs has made me the woman i am today!
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Not sure which Galant you own, but 8G and 9G Galants both have rear stabilizer bars 
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03-21-2013, 01:57 PM
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#23 | | The Brown Reason
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Uhh.. OP just because dealership doesn't have a partnumber doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Sometimes its part of a larger mechanism that you have to buy as a whole, i.e. I broke a plug on the wiring harness. Dealership won't have a part number for that plug but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist -- you have to buy the whole wiring harness to get the plug.
Same deal here. Probably part of the entire rear axle or something.
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Originally Posted by bcrdukes fuck this shit, i'm out | | |
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03-21-2013, 02:15 PM
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#24 | | I STILL don't get it
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Shave some weight off the car, like spare tire, lighter battery.....
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03-21-2013, 04:22 PM
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#25 | | They let me be a moderator. LOL
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Spray that all over the rear tread.
Have fun. You might even drift into the D-Dimension.
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