Happy Madison

So I got my Swift MR Springs and Swift Rear Sway bar last week (thanks A-Spec) and had them installed on Friday.

Springs: These springs actually dropped my ride a lot more than I expected. Just guessing but it's probably 1.5" - 1.75" on the front and 1" - 1.25" on the rear. Most people with these springs seemed to get only about 1" front and .75" rear. I'll take pix later but suffice it to say the car looks MEAN now. Perfect drop imo.

The springs are GREAT. The ride is now only slightly firmer than stock and there's no bouncing whatsoever. Actually, I like the ride better than stock but some of that may be due to the rear sway I installed at the same time. The springs seem perfectly mated to the MR Bilstein dampers.

Rear Sway: The Swift rear sway is very nice, albeit non-adjustable. I didn't weigh it but it seemed close to the stock bar weight..maybe a little lighter? According to Swift it's about 125% the stiffness of the stock bar. Oh, and it's green.

Let me just say that the rear sway is a must do upgrade for MR owners. It virtually eliminates all of the stock body roll . Combined with the stiffer springs, the upgraded sway bar makes the car just flow around corners...no understeer, no oversteer. It's so neutral you can just feel the car rotate around it's middle.

Anyway, I highly recommend both of these products but especially the rear sway bar!!

walkedu

iTrader: (10)

I had to get a second job to afford all my up grades... You've just added to my list...


*sigh* WHEN WILL IT EVER END!!

Warrtalon

iTrader: (6)

I'm not sure if it can be considered a better mod for $250 than an ECU flash, MBC+gauge+BOV, or downpipe+testpipe, but I am glad to hear it worked well for you. Many people have done just a rear sway bar and have not had such huge performance increases, so I will have to check that Swift bar out when I get to Colorado next week. A lot of local Evos have rear sways, but it doesn't make any difference when autocrossing or road racing vs those with the stock sway. Also, not being adjustable is a bummer.

Glad to hear about the Swift springs. A few of us MR owners were tossing that idea around, too.

dsmfan95

iTrader: (27)

You're comparing two different characteristics of the car.

Warrtalon

iTrader: (6)

Yes, but his claim that it was the best mod for $250 didn't specify handling. It just says "Best mod for $250." I disagree, since rear sways don't really make a big difference on the Evo, but I would love to be proven wrong by this Swift rear sway. The Hotchkis rear sway is at least adjustable, but it doesn't do a whole lot in terms of improving track times.

dsmfan95

iTrader: (27)

It really depends on what you want to do with the car. I personally am satisfied with the way handles stock, so I would spend the $250 else where (mainly on your stage1 kit).

I have had an aftermarket sway bar on my previous cars, but they were FWD so the difference was a lot more noticeable.

992gnt

iTrader: (5)

I gotta disagree there. Adding a stiffer rear bar made a huge difference in the on-course demeanor of my car. The bar by itself doesn't make the car faster, but the more neutral handling and diminished body roll do wonders for confidence - which of course can equate to quicker lap times. There's more to making a car fast than just power mods.

Warrtalon

iTrader: (6)

Yes, of course. I never stated otherwise. I'm not sold on the lap times improving due to increased confidence, though. That's a tough sell when referring to a sway bar. I can gain confidence by reading a book...

BoostWhore

iTrader: (42)

how does the swaybar help for everyday driving and sometimes spirited. Does it make it feel more neutral or does it make the rearend feel a little to stiff thanks

res04

iTrader: (2)

The MR benefits from a larger rear sway bar when street driven because the MR will 'roll' more than the non MR with your stiffer stiff shocks. I see little or no need for a stiffer bar on the non MR.

I have the swift MR srings coupled with a Perrin adjustable set on middle stiffness, the car is now flat through the corners. Its a huge improvement in the feel of the cars handling.

Cant say it increases lap times, never measured them.

Happy Madison

whether it's the best mod for $250 depends on your perspective i guess. if you're after straight line speed, an ecu flash is obviously the better mod. but in terms of making the car more "fun to drive" (subjective, i know), i think the rear sway bar is pretty hard to beat. i have no idea how it affects lap times...maybe chronohunter or someone else can comment on that.

warrtalon, pm me when you get in town and you can drive my car to see what you think.

i11matticc

i suggest you take your car around a track with and without the sway bar and record your lap times, that would be a big help to see exactly how beneficial the bar really is

I completely understand what you guys are saying about the bar improving "confidence". I do believe that confidence can lead to improved lap times because youll feel more content with pushing the car closer to the limit. This is also why most evo owners dessimate sti owners on the track, because they feel more confident pushing their car to the limit. Both cars (as you can see from reading magazine articles) have nearly identical limits, but the evo behaves much more neutrally when pushed to the limit, so 99% of the drivers out there perform better in an evo because of the more neutral feel at the limit.

The same comparo can be made when comparing the stock bar vs this bar imo if what they say is true. It may not technically improve the limit of the car, but by increasing the confidence of the driver at the limit, the driver will be able to harnish more of the car's capabilities and drive it harder (most only harnish 50% of the car's capabilities)

joeymia

iTrader: (6)

now you need a set of perrin rear end links and you'll be set

joeymia

iTrader: (6)

the rear sway bar will improve lap times because you will not plow into corners. with my hotchkis sway bar on the middle setting it made the more neutral. You can go into the turns faster.

Happy Madison

from the butt dyno, i would say this is true. i think you CAN carry more speed into tight corners. but again, i'm not qualified to say the bar would positively decrease lap times.

honestly, even if the bar made the car slower, i'd still recommend it...it just makes the car feel so much better. flying around an on/off ramp is addictive.