MK4 Bora/Golf coilover extras

[gavs]

Dylan, I paid $289 at Autobarn for a whiteline 22mm, 4 point blade adjustable rear sway bar including freight!

By the sounds of it, Repco should be called RipoffCo!!

Just by adding the rear bar on mine drastically improved the road holding ability, adding substantial gains in corner speed. The down side is that coupled with my stiffened front sway bar end links and stiffer springs, it has highlighted my need for bigger wheels with low profile tires as I can now feel the sidewalls flexing under decent cornering!! If you are after a performance increase when it comes to handling, then the rear bar is more beneficial than the front. If you just want a bar on the front that will clear your driveshafts, then just stick with the front, no need for the rear.

[dylan8]

Uprated swaybars WILL have a negative impact on ride quality - you're making the link between left and right suspension stiffer, and so a bump on one side of the car will have more of an impact on the other side, and vice versa. How much of an impact, well, that depends how much stiffer you go.

Do you need upgraded swaybars for a road car? No. Where they're advantageous is in improving handling - a car will sit flatter in corners due to the connection between left and right sides, with the associated impact on ride quality. There can be negative handling aspects too - too stiff in the rear and the car will skip around in the back when you hit bumps rather than sticking to the road.

In the end, what you're aiming for is a compromise that you're happy with between handling and ride quality/comfort. Where the line of compromise sits is an issue of personal preference - one that may not be immediately apparent based on raw specs. This is one area where adjustable bars are useful - you might grab an adjustable 22mm rear bar, with three positions on it, giving effective rear bar rates of 19mm, 22mm and 25mm depending on which setting you use - try one setting, then try another, and see if you're happier or not, and go from there. Certainly cheaper than buying three different fixed bars!

Dylan, I paid $289 at Autobarn for a whiteline 22mm, 4 point blade adjustable rear sway bar including freight!

By the sounds of it, Repco should be called RipoffCo!!

Just by adding the rear bar on mine drastically improved the road holding ability, adding substantial gains in corner speed. The down side is that coupled with my stiffened front sway bar end links and stiffer springs, it has highlighted my need for bigger wheels with low profile tires as I can now feel the sidewalls flexing under decent cornering!! If you are after a performance increase when it comes to handling, then the rear bar is more beneficial than the front. If you just want a bar on the front that will clear your driveshafts, then just stick with the front, no need for the rear.

Thanks guys!! well since having the new rears in iv noticed the car sits alot flatter and tighter already. Iv even noticed the car does skip across bumps in the rear already without the bar so ill pass on the rear ($300 i can spend else where anyways ).

So back to the front:
Autobarn gave me a price of $316 but id have to wait early November!!!
Where as Repco said they would have it to me 10days at worst...

Getting a price from another joint but they didnt get back to me today..

Anyone know where i can get one quicker/cheaper...? melbourne maybe?
Also, maybe another noob question... do these come with all necessary bits and pieces to swap in?

Thanks again for all the responses!

[Manaz]

By the sounds of it, Repco should be called RipoffCo!!

Didn't you know? REPCO = Rip Every Poor Codger Off!

[dylan8]

Didn't you know? REPCO = Rip Every Poor Codger Off!

thats the case everywhere?

except for this case, iv found them to be cheaper then autobarn etc alot of the time... Probably just because i live in the country, yee-haw!

[gavs]

Dylan, give "red ranger" a call. They are the parent company for both Whiteline and Nolathane. Check if you could order it direct, I don't see why not because Whiteline have an online store.

Check:

http://www.whiteline.com.au/

or

http://www.redranger.com.au/

Whiteline have a front 22mm heavy duty bar for $251, the adjustable is $285, also 22mm but blade adjustable.

[dylan8]

Dylan, give "red ranger" a call. They are the parent company for both Whiteline and Nolathane. Check if you could order it direct, I don't see why not because Whiteline have an online store.

Check:

http://www.whiteline.com.au/

or

http://www.redranger.com.au/

Whiteline have a front 22mm heavy duty bar for $251, the adjustable is $285, also 22mm but blade adjustable.

I looked for the online store but thought it was dealers only, just found it now! im so stupid!

Thanks mate, ill try redranger if i don't have any luck.

[Tim]

I looked for the online store but thought it was dealers only, just found it now! im so stupid!

Thanks mate, ill try redranger if i don't have any luck.

Contact Ian from rennenhaus. He was running some specials recently on whiteline gear. He might be able to help you out

[dylan8]

Contact Ian from rennenhaus. He was running some specials recently on whiteline gear. He might be able to help you out

Thanks, i had a look at there site once before.

Just spoke to Redranger, they are waiting on some parts (explains why autobarn etc were saying a month...) but they will have them in a week, and my bar shipped to me next day or two! yay! Thanks to all the helped and gave me advice

[Gravey]

Contact Ian from rennenhaus. He was running some specials recently on whiteline gear. He might be able to help you out

Yeah he told me last week he was hoping to do a group buy on some whiteline sway bars in the next week or so as I asked him about a RSB. Havent heard back from him yet though

[dylan8]

Yeah he told me last week he was hoping to do a group buy on some whiteline sway bars in the next week or so as I asked him about a RSB. Havent heard back from him yet though

Nawww, dont know if i can wait that long... Any indication of discounts etc?

[Gravey]

Nawww, dont know if i can wait that long... Any indication of discounts etc?

Nah man, I was kinda hoping soon as my struts and springs should arrive in a couple of weeks. I might msg him and ask

[vw_engolf]

Have a mate who owns a forester xt fit a whiteline rear sway bar coupled with STi struts and springs, fitment was relatively easy. He purchased through autobarn just under 270 (may have been a group buy through club). He has not found a huge difference in handling unless set to hard. Daily driving its set at medium and ride quality has remained ok. Ride quality difference is subjective; I fitted a 22mm sway bar to my r53 mini and noticed complete difference. I found it easier to feel a difference in a FWD than AWD.

Good luck

[Manaz]

Rear bars are relatively easy to fit, but front bars can be a right bastard...

[dylan8]

Nah man, I was kinda hoping soon as my struts and springs should arrive in a couple of weeks. I might msg him and ask

I've ordered mine anyways so count me out haha. Thanks though, couldnt wait

Have a mate who owns a forester xt fit a whiteline rear sway bar coupled with STi struts and springs, fitment was relatively easy. He purchased through autobarn just under 270 (may have been a group buy through club). He has not found a huge difference in handling unless set to hard. Daily driving its set at medium and ride quality has remained ok. Ride quality difference is subjective; I fitted a 22mm sway bar to my r53 mini and noticed complete difference. I found it easier to feel a difference in a FWD than AWD.

Good luck

Im not really looking for performance upgrades as such, just needed it to allow me to lower the car, anything else is a bonus. I'll probably be setting mine to the softest to start with, doubt ill change it though.

Rear bars are relatively easy to fit, but front bars can be a right bastard...

Just what i wanted to hear haha. Im only going the front. Will probably have a hoist and many other car jacks at my disposal so hopefully wont be to bad...

[gavs]

Have a mate who owns a forester xt fit a whiteline rear sway bar coupled with STi struts and springs, fitment was relatively easy. He purchased through autobarn just under 270 (may have been a group buy through club). He has not found a huge difference in handling unless set to hard. Daily driving its set at medium and ride quality has remained ok. Ride quality difference is subjective; I fitted a 22mm sway bar to my r53 mini and noticed complete difference. I found it easier to feel a difference in a FWD than AWD.

Good luck

To get the full benefit of an uprated rear bar, he should also fit an uprated front bar too. Generally the rule of thumb is that the uprated bar should go on the end with the non-driven wheels. A front wheel drive therefore benefits more from a rear bar, a rear wheel drive car benefits from a front bar. On a subie therefore, due to the symetrical AWD setup, both bars would need to be uprated for a handling effect.

To be honest, I didn't feel any difference when I fitted my rear bar and thought it was a waste of money. Then I looked at my speedo and saw 80kph around a corner that I never used to take at more than 60 due to heavy understeer!