Opinions on Sway Bars
 

I plan on purchasing some aftermarket sway bars for the 370z and I would like some opinions, experience, and input as to which one of the following would be the best buy:

1. Hotchkis
2. Stillen
3. Keep it Stock / OEM
4. Nismo
5. Cusco - Choose option 5 for Cusco

good idea, in for results...

Sorry - what do you mean wait for cusco? they already have a set... Im just waiting on some funds to come through before I pull the trigger :)

http://www.the370z.com/brakes-suspen...co-pieces.html

You should add cusco to your poll so i can vote it

Not sure how to edit the poll.:icon14:

I edited the post though to reflect Option #5 as Cusco :tup:

I used the Hotchkis bars/Eibach springs on my 370 at Mid-Ohio and had no complaints. Traded the car not long after that so no additional information.

hate you for having a Porsche by the way. Why the change ?

Then why have "Keep it Stock / OEM" as an option? That just counts as a wasted vote which could have gone towards one of the brands to help you form your opinion. If everyone on the forum who still has the OEM swaybars or has no plans to upgrade came in and voted...that would suck, wouldn't it? :)

I'll be getting the Cuscos when it comes time to upgrade. The Stillens don't seem to be that significant of an upgrade over stock, I havn't heard anything about NISMO swaybars for the Z34, and Hotchkis isn't even on the radar (strictly personal preference due to the brand, not performance).

I wasn't trying to vote OEM :confused: I was trying to update the poll options but wasn't sure how to and ended up clicking on it to see if that would allow me to make a change since I hadn't voted yet myself. :icon14:

Does anyone have the cuscos already installed?

Aside from that, Hotchkis seems to be the most popular at the moment and some DIY installation instructions / pics are already up. I am also leaning towards Hotckis myself but waiting for poll results to get a better idea or some thoughts / opinions.

my thought is leave it stock. :D

especially these suspension bits, it's hard to just go by what
others say unless you are asking about craftsmanship/fitment/durability, etc.

in order to tune your suspenion to your car you have to buy it, install it on your car, and trial/error. swaybars can change the car's dynamics dramatically good and bad so you
can't really go by what others say or feel. it might work for them with their driving habits
and car, but might not work for you.

Thanks for the input.

I don't plan on dropping the vehicle unless one day down the line I buy a full coilover system which is pretty costly for my current budget.

I do however plan on tracking the vehicle and doing some canyon runs.

I might be doing this trail pretty soon in particular:
Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap and Cherohala Skyway, Graham Co, NC

This is also my DD so yeah, I'll have to take a lot into consideration. For now I'm just happy with the feedback I get from members and the current setup they own. :p

Not really Kenchan .... as long as the ratio of stiffness between the front and the back remain the same before and after you upgrade sway bars - all you will be changing is how much less the car rolls. What you say is true but more-so for coilovers etc... with sway bars you can add a little under-steer or add some over-steer by simply adjusting the relative stiffness between the front and rear -- and you can keep the dynamics the same as long as the stiffness ratio is kept close to stock...

by changing how much less the car rolls puts more burden
on the tires and that opens up a whole new
discussion. :tup:

while keeping everything else constant, yep, the amount
of under/over steer can be tuned with the swaybar setup
but by how much depends on the structure and design of
the bar, how far the bolt holes are spread apart (setting),
etc.

it's easier to buy one and trial and error, imho.
because your steering/brake/throttle inputs can also
dramatically change how the car behaves under those
circumstances and you and i do not drive the car the
same or under the same driving conditions.

the trial and error also goes for coilovers by changing
spring rates/damp rates/height settings, etc. all changes
the way the car behaves...

so, it leads me back to the original post where i would
ask about the craftsmanship/fitment/durability aspecs
and play with the swaybar. i recommend you get the ones
with most setting holes and get adjustable endlinks to
do in-between settings. like mid on one side/soft on the
other end of the bar, etc.

Update to my previous post:

looks like Stillen and Hotckis are dead even in popularity and preference. :p

im currently running stillen on my G35C and they have been great the last 5yrs. :p

ive ran hotchikis bits on my previous car and it was good too...and
looking at how hotchikis has collars for the bushings, i think it's a
toss up. :D

Update: Cusco, Stillen, Hotchkis are all dead even.

:p

I've already brought my 370z on both of those roads this year at ZDAYZ. It's a ton of fun, to say the least. My Z was stock then of course, and still is.

Sway bars, can't really say which would be best but one thing to consider is weight. Some sway bars are solid and some are hollow. Going by what I had on my 350z, the Hotchkis sways for the 370z are probably hollow as well. It's probably just a few pounds but I know some people place weight savings as a high priority.

If it were me, and I had to choose today, I'd pick the Nismo sways and the spring/dampener kit. Although they're pricey, I know they're all tuned to work well which eachother.

I don't think the Hotchkis are hollow.

If I'm not mistaken, I recall reading that they are in fact heavier than stock and beefier offering more rigidity and strength.


*EDIT*
NVM. They are hollow.
http://www.the370z.com/suspension-br...ar-sale-3.html

+1 Cusco FTW!

Update:

Cusco in the lead!

Besides the price for cusco sways, I'm betting a lot of 350z owners loved cusco :p

Their price is steep I'm sure but when it comes to a sport car's handling, I figure why the hell not spend a little bit more and get something that much better. It's not like its THAT much more anyways...IMO

:iagree:

I don't mind spending more especially considering how much the car costs.

Pricing does tend to sway my attention initially however though and makes me question the justification.

I'm definitely going to research a bit more about cuscos before I make my purchase! :yum:

I'm the same, price always is a consideration but if I can justify the pricing through quality etc then I'll pull the trigger 95% of the time.

Take a Cayman S out with PDK and PASM. It is an amazing stock car. Is it worth twice the price of a 370Z, NO! :tup:

Z06 > Cayman S

hahaha i like watching this race. :icon18:

ive had cusco bits in the past (one of my other cars is currently running cusco
bits as well) and they are high quality. their blue paint seems to flake off after
time though...ive not seen their 370z cusco swaybar so not sure if they use
their blue paint or not.

on the other hand, the stillen swaybars' paint has held up very well through
the years. :) i personally do not have any preference to the manufacturer
if they sell quality parts.

Yes, and a Seiko keeps better time than a Rolex.

I am not voting, but,
I had cusco on my 350z because there was a group buy.

I currently have Stillen on the 370, and I run a square tire setup on the track. In my one 20 minute setup, I found that although the car is more tail happy with trail breaking and power application out of the corners than my C6, it definitely seems to break out in a 4 wheel drift.

Road Atlanta tomorrow with further updates

Hey, don't knock my Seiko, it's a badzz watch LOL (JK) :p

John

So is this a good thing or a bad thing ? I would think you would want the grip with the type of racing you're doing and not a 4 wheel drift.

Hotchkis are hollow.
Adjusted wall thickness and increased diameter gives performance while reducing weight. About a third less weight than solid.
I run them on the softest setting and find them great.

Hotch-track
Stillen- DD

I dont know man, sounds like youre gonna come back to us sooner than later.

any reviews/opinions from people who ACTUALLY HAVE different sway bars, hehe?! any...?

I have the Hotchkis and it is currently the stiffest setup, not sure about Cusco. The downside to the Hotchkis is that it is really too stiff for the street and will impact your turn-in grip if you don't add negative camber. On the track the stiffer the better but on the street I think the Stillen is the best compromise.

is the stillen a good option for occasional auto-x since it obviously is softer for better DD, but it has the stiffer rear setting also? if you watch the hotchkis vid comparing it to stock, you can see the turn-in goes south with the hotch.

Yeah, I'd say the Stillen would probably do well for auto-x. When I put the Hotchkis on I had horrible understeer at the auto-x event the following week, this is because of the super stiff front bar. I had to buy camber arms and set front camber to -2.5, it was around -0.8 stock.

I have the Stillen. The ride is a little stiffer but the handling around cornering have improved.

ok this was the detail i was looking for!

:iagree:

I have the Stillen and they are great for the street. I have 15mm spacers on the rear only, which add a small amount of understeer. I set the Stillen rears up on the softest setting, which is still 37% stiffer than stock, while the front is 29% stiffer than stock. I feel like I dialed out some of the understeer, while retaining a good balance for daily driving.

John