[mysterygirl]

I'm in the market to get a thicker rear sway bar for my ZX3. Some friends and I are doing a road trip to Cleveland to pick up some parts for their cars.

Just wondering if any of you know of any shops in Ohio that would have a rear sway bar.

[01-yellow-ZX3]

I'm upgrading to the SVT rear sway bar on my ZX3, the difference being 22mm vs. 23mm, along with urethane endlinks.

I think 23mm is about the largest bar you should go without also upgrading the front, which supposedly isn't a very fun install.

So you're cheapest and best bang for your buck - find a used SVT rear way bar and get some Prothane bushings.

[Chaney]

I would disagree. I am currently looking to get the Progress Rear Sway. It is a wapping 22mm. Stock on a zx3 is a 20mm and svt is 21mm. The H&R is a 24mm rear bar. It is too big. The progress is about the largest you want to go for normal driving. I know my friend has the 24mm H&R rear sway on his SVT and stock up front. He loves it. But there have been stories that people shatter windshields with too big of sways, and too stiff of spings while driving over bumps.

To sum it up:

Get a progress Rear sway at 22mm for about 150 USD shipped (to my house in michigan)

For Focus sites i would refer you to [FJ] to look at their sponser list and order from one of those companys.

http://www.newedgeperformance.com/index.as...PROD&ProdID=172

That is a link to the Progress Rear sway. It will probably cost a bit more in shipping but it is the best bang for the buck.

Kevin

[01-yellow-ZX3]

Ah you're right, my bad. ZX3 = 20mm SVT = 21mm

Supposedly urethane endlinks give the feel of the same difference as a 1mm bigger bar.

[Chaney]

Yes Poly Bushings all around in your suspension stiffen it up greatly. But they sad part about it is that the average Joe cannot do it in their garage because a lot of them are Press Fitted in there.

To answer your original question: Call them and ask what shipping would be for you.

[01-yellow-ZX3]

Yeah, I'm a big fan of urethane bushings in general.

If you search Focus Fanatics or FJ, the average price for a used SVT rear bar is like $45US. A nice cheap upgrade if you ask me.

[Chaney]

http://focus.c-f-m.com/index.asp?PageActio...PROD&ProdID=738

That is what you will need. But it will also cost you some cash to get them put in.

[01-yellow-ZX3]

Out of these:

This kit includes front and rear bumpstops, front and rear sway bar bushings, front and rear control arm bushings, rear sway bar endlinks, rear spring isolators, and rear trailing arm bushings.


The only ones worth buying would be:
sway bar bushings
endlinks
trailing arm bushings

[Chaney]

I dunno that is beyond my knowledge. I am keeping my car simple.

Progress Springs
SVT dampers/struts
17" FR Black Rally rims

Soon to add Progress Rear Sway (when i get the courage to order)

[ZX3TUNING]

i'm not sure what you guy are talking about...
22mm rear sway bar is the biggest you should go on the street without upgrading the front?
what are you basing that on? that fact that a very few people have cracked windshields?

i was running a race suspension as far as spring rates and dampner valving goes and i was running the stock front bar with the 25mm eibach rear bar for YEARS without any problems. i am now running the Steeda 28.6mm Race rear bar with the H&R 24mm adjustable front on the street with even stiffer springs and rock hard shocks and once again i have zero problems.

on a side note i have also tired the SVT 21mm, Progress 7/8" and the H&R 24mm rear bars on the street and personally wouldn't waste my money on anything less than 24mm with the stock front. i liked the Eibach rear and stock front the best on the street and it gives good crisp handling with a easy to handle breakaway in lift-off oversteer conditions.
truth be told you probably wont feel any difference in the bushings driving on the street unless you are really pushing the car near the limit working it back and forth on a really twisty section of road. and saying the polly bushings make the bar feel 1mm bigger would probably not be ture or accurate, as the only thing the polly bushings do is reduce the compliance and deflection of the stock rubber bushings. once the stock rubber bushing has gone through all of it's compliance and deflection, it works the same as a polly bushing acting almost directly(for lack of a better way of explaining it) on the metal part of the links.

if you are buying an aftermarket swaybar, it "should" come with all of the bushings required including the endlinks. if it doesn't, Energy Suspension sells endlink kits on thier own for about $30-50cnd at most decent autoparts stores like Lordco, Mopac, Napa or something along the same lines.

[01-yellow-ZX3]

A stock front bar with anything bigger than a 22mm rear would be rediculous in the winter as a true daily driver.

[SLIP STREAM SVT]

i wouldn't think it's rediculous, i have the stock front and 28.6mm steeda race rear sways, stock svtf = 22mm, and it's actually fun to drive in the winter, espeically when going around turns and pulling the e-brake, makes for a easier turn. also during the summer when i was at shannonville it actually helped ALOT on a certian turn that seemed to be like 120 degrees, but i've had this setup for almost a year now with no cracking wind shield. you have to try it to know it, so don't go baising the larger sway bars on what you heard. just try it and find out for yourself.

[01-yellow-ZX3]

Quote:i wouldn't think it's rediculous, i have the stock front and 28.6mm steeda race rear sways, stock svtf = 22mm, and it's actually fun to drive in the winter, espeically when going around turns and pulling the e-brake, makes for a easier turn.

I'm talking about driving realistically in a Winnipeg winter.

[tdot-zx3]

I wouldnt go too big if

A. your not racing the car
B. your afraid of your car sometimes as is
C. you cant control your car in any circumstance

If you have too big and you slam on the brakes on the highway your backend will undoubtibly swing around. Wether you can control that or not, ha ha .. *shrug*

Daily driver, too big = not practical.