Difference between Sway Bar and Stress Bar?

[Arctra]

Please excuse my ignorance here, but is there a difference between the "Sway bar" you speak of, and the "Stress Bar" that this guy has installed in his boot of his Tig? http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4618298




If they are different could someone explain the pro's and cons of each option?

[team_v]

Please excuse my ignorance here, but is there a difference between the "Sway bar" you speak of, and the "Stress Bar" that this guy has installed in his boot of his Tig?

If they are different could someone explain the pro's and cons of each option?

From memory, a sway bar links both suspension members in order to reduce body roll and improve cornering through the linked suspension.

A stress bar is a cheaper alternative which bolts into interior body of the car and increases rigidity of the car reducing body roll to some extent.

For performance use, the sway bar is a much better alternative.

A sway bar (also stabilizer bar, anti-sway bar, roll bar, or anti-roll bar, ARB) is an automobile suspension device. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring. A sway bar increases the suspension's roll stiffness—its resistance to roll in turns, independent of its spring rate in the vertical direction.

ABD Racing Stress Bars are all geometrically designed for each chassis. All chassis are not created equal and all require a different approach in reducing give in the body. The twin tube design proves to be the best design to eliminate any flex or twisting during hard driving.

[T&M]

WTF.... first look at anything like that!

IMHO: Unless you were going to drive around corners at full throttle and want maximum stability, this looks like a way of not getting much gear in the boot, that's all.

Offroad of course it's the opposite.

[Sharkie]

Not sure WTF that is ..... a stress bar using OE mount points in the boot ?????

http://abdracingwerks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=ADIAR&Category_Code=SB

I see no benefit in fitting that ...... what you need more than any other suspension components other than springs are front and rear strut braces .... then only do you do sway bars. Strut towers are much more likely to be moving under cornering stresses than anything else and stabilising them is more important than an upgraded sway bar IMO.

I have had strut braces (sometimes only fronts) on many cars now and its always been worthwhile .... I've had sway bars as well and the braces have always felt "more" worth it .....

As far as I know nobody makes any for the Tigs yet, which is a pity as it is something I would definately buy and fit .....

[T&M]

Not sure WTF that is ..... a stress bar using OE mount points in the boot ?????

Hey Sharkie, this makes more sense than the above!!


hahahaha......

[G-rig]

Why anyone would put a rear strut brace in a Tig is beyond me.. nice way of losing more boot space (which is the same as a GTI boot anyway basically). Perhaps they got the wrong car.

[Sharkie]

Why anyone would put a rear strut brace in a Tig is beyond me.. nice way of losing more boot space (which is the same as a GTI boot anyway basically). Perhaps they got the wrong car.

That "stress" bar actually takes up less useable space than what a rear strut brace would. And you're absolutely correct ... you would have to think seriously hard about why you would want to fit one. On a GTI it makes far more sense than on a Tig.

It (a rear strut brace) only really provides benefits if you track your car and GTI is far more likely to be tracked than a Tig

EDIT: Then again it is likely that my Tig will see a track at least once in its life. There is nothing like driving flat out at a race track to discover exactly what a car is capable of. In most cases you find that the limits are far more than what you thought and this translates to increased confidence in the abilities of the car in everyday use ......

[G-rig]

I agree, it's good to take you car to the track once to see how it goes on an open and controlled environment!

[Tigga1]

strut brace

I had one in my liberty and forester, and coupled with the rear sway bar I reckon it made a discernible difference for more neutral handling.

pity you can't mount one in front of Tig

[clip]

EDIT: Then again it is likely that my Tig will see a track at least once in its life.

One word Sharkie - Lakeside!

We're taking the bikes out there in a few weeks (just got to swap exhausts back to stock).

[awestonvp]

To answer the original question,
a sway bar is part of the suspension (underneath the car) and reduces body roll in corners.
A stress bar (as shown in pics) is used to reduce body flex, by stiffening the tops of the suspension strut towers.

[Sharkie]

To answer the original question,
a sway bar is part of the suspension (underneath the car) and reduces body roll in corners.
A stress bar (as shown in pics) is used to reduce body flex, by stiffening the tops of the suspension strut towers.

Actually this is incorrect ....

a strut brace is attached to the the tops of the suspension strut towers.

A stress bar ... who knows ... possibly will reduce body flex but I am not convinced. The 1 in these pictures are not attached to the tops of the suspension strut towers.

[04BHLegacy]

WTF.... first look at anything like that!

IMHO: Unless you were going to drive around corners at full throttle and want maximum stability, this looks like a way of not getting much gear in the boot, that's all.

Offroad of course it's the opposite.

Check this out a picture showing with seats down and cargo:





The cargo space seems pretty usable?