Front Sway Bar. Is it worth it?

[ModdedMK7.5]

So I've been wanting to upgrade the front sway bar to correspond or match up with the rear sway bar. Currently, I'm using Whiteline Suspension's rear sway bar and rear & front sway bar endlinks. I recently got their front control arms and front ball joints to add on. I'm aware that the subframe has to be lowered in order to install the front control arms. But, since I'm dropping the subframe I thought I might as well get the front sway bar installed while I'm at it. However, I wondered if it's actually effective and worth spending the extra money on it? Any information is appreciated!

Many thanks!

 

[SouthFL_Mk7.5]

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/front-sway-bars.413178/

Here’s some recently posted reading.

 

[xXDavidCXx]

So I've been wanting to upgrade the front sway bar to correspond or match up with the rear sway bar. Currently, I'm using Whiteline Suspension's rear sway bar and rear & front sway bar endlinks. I recently got their front control arms and front ball joints to add on. I'm aware that the subframe has to be lowered in order to install the front control arms. But, since I'm dropping the subframe I thought I might as well get the front sway bar installed while I'm at it. However, I wondered if it's actually effective and worth spending the extra money on it? Any information is appreciated!

Many thanks!

100% yes

 

[tigeo]

Yes. No....it won't increase understeer....

 

[tigeo]

I hit on the FSB in my video here:

 

[manu97]

Ran mine with some extra negative camber and it made the car significantly more fun to drive.


If you’re buying a front sway bar - I’ll have one cleaned up for sale soon. It’s off the car, just needs to be shipped. It’s an H&R 26mm.

 

[ModdedMK7.5]

Ran mine with some extra negative camber and it made the car significantly more fun to drive.


If you’re buying a front sway bar - I’ll have one cleaned up for sale soon. It’s off the car, just needs to be shipped. It’s an H&R 26mm.

Keep me posted on that front sway bar! I'll be more than glad to buy it off from you!

 

[manu97]

Keep me posted on that front sway bar! I'll be more than glad to buy it off from you!

Will get it cleaned tonight and send you a few pictures.

 

[DerHase]

Definitely worth it - less dynamic camber loss.

 

[tigeo]

View attachment 274164

Definitely worth it - less dynamic camber loss.

My pic isn't as good as yours but similar outcome if you can imagine the photo angle as being the same. Basically this should make it so you don't need to add as much static camber b/c you won't loose as much during turns. It's interesting you have a wheel up in the before-FSB pic.

 

[DerHase]

My pic isn't as good as yours but similar outcome if you can imagine the photo angle as being the same. Basically this should make it so you don't need to add as much static camber b/c you won't loose as much during turns. It's interesting you have a wheel up in the before-FSB

Once the wheel goes up it's no longer contributing to roll stiffness (just raising COG).

The key takeaway is this may happen at different times with different inputs. A stiffer RSB will add the stiffness sooner, but max out and lift earlier on corner entry. Works great for adjusting corner entry sensitivity for trail braking purposes.

Making the RF tire happier = better than two pissed off tires losing camber to body roll generally speaking.

 

[ModdedMK7.5]

View attachment 274164

Definitely worth it - less dynamic camber loss.

I can definitely see the difference. How does it feel when cornering hard? Stiff? Planted?

 

[DerHase]

I can definitely see the difference. How does it feel when cornering hard? Stiff? Planted?

It's not bad at all. I have the 26mm bar on the "soft" setting. I'm skeptical that on the stiffer setting it'll help more than hurt but I intend to test that in May if the weather cooperates.

The main thing it does IMO is allows the car to note "dive" onto the outside front tire. The car as a whole will "tilt" more evenly front vs back than with a rear bar only.

26mm on soft is about +35% stiffness vs stock, hard is about +65% over stock.

This is what I calculated based on measuring them myself (I do still need to physically measure the OEM front bar to confirm 100% but the stock reference should be very close).

This is why I went with 26/26 vs the "recommended" by H&R 28/26 or 26/24. I wanted to add more roll stiffness to the rear than the front.

 

[JPB WORLDWIDE]

View attachment 274164

Definitely worth it - less dynamic camber loss.

I’d like to see the difference on the same tires.

 

[xXDavidCXx]

I’d like to see the difference on the same tires.

The stickier the tires, the more the difference the FSB makes