hotchkis vs oem

[blindbudsmoker]

So had the hotchkis sway bar set put on my car today. When they where done they handed me back 2 sway bars that where very simular to the hotchkis ones. Is thier really any difference between the two?

[fatchance]

Yep...a big difference especially the in the rear. The stock set up is junk in comparison.

[BIG SMOOTH]

Originally Posted by fatchance

Yep...a big difference especially the in the rear. The stock set up is junk in comparison.

"That's what SHE said!" J/k, John is right. If you compared them side to side you would have noticed a BIG difference in the size of the bars and a difference in cornering ability when you drive. You'll be able to take corners at a much higher speeds for more fun.

[Chase300]

Not if you opt for the OEM police bars....then they are basically the same with only the front Hotchkis bar being sightly larger.

[joey]

On Sunday I disconnected both endlinks from my rear hotchkis sway bar and so far I havn't noticed any difference driving to/from work. My drive is primarily city and freeway, but the hard right and left turns don't feel any different.
I think sway bars are overrated for an everyday commuter car.
Extreme driving on windy/twisty roads, or radical driving around town, is the only time sways might make a big difference, IMO.

[DanRealtor]

Sway Bars do make a significant difference, best detected while cornering. The Hotchkis front bar alone made a HUGE difference on my 06 300C SRT-8. The rear (installed at a later date) made some difference, but not as noticeable as the front. In my book a great mod, bang for the buck wise.

I eventually added V1 coilovers and they, along with my F&R Hotchkis Sway Bars gave me a car that sits really flat in the turns, and handles great, on the street and on the track.

I am a big fan of the Hotchkis Bars for all of the LX's.

[joey]

KW's, the best mod ever for this car.
I get the KW WOW factor every time I drive the car.
They make the car drive so much better, and the lowered look is just icing on the cake.

[robaustin]

Originally Posted by joey

On Sunday I disconnected both endlinks from my rear hotchkis sway bar and so far I havn't noticed any difference driving to/from work. My drive is primarily city and freeway, but the hard right and left turns don't feel any different.
I think sway bars are overrated for an everyday commuter car.
Extreme driving on windy/twisty roads, or radical driving around town, is the only time sways might make a big difference, IMO.

Yes, the Base and Touring models do not have a rear sway bar so obviously you can get along just fine without a rear sway bar. On the other hand, if you like your car to corner flat, you want that rear sway bar even if you lose a little on the ride quality. The addition of a sway bar to the rear changes the cars handling balance (oversteer / understeer) but I can I can't remember which way it works. Perhaps one of the members such as Northern Rider who have experience on road race courses could fill us in on the effect of sway bar stiffness on the handling characteristics.

[joey]

Originally Posted by robaustin

Yes, the Base and Touring models do not have a rear sway bar so obviously you can get along just fine without a rear sway bar. On the other hand, if you like your car to corner flat, you want that rear sway bar even if you lose a little on the ride quality. The addition of a sway bar to the rear changes the cars handling balance (oversteer / understeer) but I can I can't remember which way it works. Perhaps one of the members such as Northern Rider who have experience on road race courses could fill us in on the effect of sway bar stiffness on the handling characteristics.

I have been trying to push the car harder on freeway exits and sharp turns today to see if there is a noticeable difference.
I seem to notice more oversteer, where the backend wants to kick-out in a turn. It feels like the outside rear tire/end is squatting more. This actually seems to help the car turn at normal speeds. I suppose at more extreme speeds the car will become unstable and this is where sway bars help keep the car from overworking the outside rear wheel.

The reason I disconnected my sway bars was to rule out squeaky hotchkis bushings. I will eventually hook them back up.