Why you should upgrade your rear sway bar

"TheJacobJones" (fartyjr) 09/25/2014 at 16:02 • Filed to: Sway Bar

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Getting rid of some of that nasty understeer on our front wheel drive vehicles is always a good thing, and it can be done on the cheap for most folks with a simple upgrade of the rear sway bar.

This summer I installed a heavy duty rear sway bar in my 2005 Impala with the hopes of making the car feel a little less tipsy and loose. I picked one up from GM Parts Direct for about $50. Installation was very simple. Remove the end-link nuts, then remove the two subframe clamps (single bolt for each) and the old bar can be removed. Putting the new one in was just as easy, reusing the clamps and endlink nuts. There are a total of three new parts installed when complete: the sway bar, and two bushings.

All in all, it took me a bit over an hour to do everything taking my time mainly using three tools.

Once complete, I was eager to to test it out. The change was noticeable in how the car felt. The ride quality was unchanged, yet the whole car felt more composed and body roll was definitely lessened. But the best part of all was..wait for it..

LIFT-OFF OVERSTEER!!! *

*On loose gravel

I'm sure some of you can already do this in your vehicles, but this is lift-off oversteer in a GM W-body car , it impressed me. Think about how much fun it'll be come winter!

Sway bars for other vehicles are still fairly affordable. It seems like for most FWD beigemobiles, they seem to be about $50-$200. TRD makes sway bars for some of their vehicles including the Camry and Corolla. Numerous aftermarket companies offer sway bars for numerous other vehicles as well, so chances are you can find one for your vehicle.

So if you're tired of sloppy understeering and gratuitous body roll, drop a few bucks and hours on a new rear sway bar. You wont regret it.

Photos from GMPartsDirect and TheJacobJones

KirkyV > TheJacobJones 09/25/2014 at 16:15

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I'd put one in mine, but 106's are notoriously tail-happy - as front-wheel-drive goes, anyway - as is.

Sn210 > TheJacobJones 09/25/2014 at 16:16

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I did this when I had my civic. I upgraded the 11mm LX rear sway to the 17mm from the Si. It made a hell of a difference reducing body roll

crowmolly > TheJacobJones 09/25/2014 at 16:16

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The GMPP suspension kit for W-bodies is pretty nice and affordable. On my GP that meant front and rear sway bars, tubular rear trailing arms, and strut tower braces. Made a noticeable improvement!

TheJacobJones > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 16:26

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Woah! That's awesome

TheJacobJones > crowmolly 09/25/2014 at 16:26

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Yeah I saw that, definitely a solid deal.

TheJacobJones > Sn210 09/25/2014 at 16:27

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And it was a fairly affordable/easy swap I'm assuming?

KirkyV > TheJacobJones 09/25/2014 at 16:28

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Peugeot used to be the best at fun small cars, and the proof, as they say, is in the sliding.

TheJacobJones > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 16:46

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All cars need to be able to do that

Sn210 > TheJacobJones 09/25/2014 at 16:59

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Yep, the swap cost me less than $200. The end links were a bitch but other than that is was pretty straight forward

TheJacobJones > Sn210 09/25/2014 at 17:11

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Nice. How'd you get the front bar out? It looks like you have to lower the subframe, but it looks as though some steering components would hold it up.

Sn210 > TheJacobJones 09/25/2014 at 17:15

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oh I never did the front, just the rear. From what I read, the front was more difficult to swap and it didn't make as much of a difference as the back swaybar. I remember the bar was pretty tiny though!

TheJacobJones > Sn210 09/25/2014 at 17:18

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Gotcha, yeah from what I can see the front is a bitch to take out.