Okay, so I'm redoing the suspension on my car for autocross. The car currently has a 19mm weltmeister swaybar and 140 pound rear springs. As it sits now it has a tendency to snap oversteer on corner exit. I have ordered Maddog Motorsports chassis and trailing arm kit. I am ordering a set of Konis, 180 pound springs, bushings, and torsion bars. I would like to do the tubular weltmeister t-bars if they are an advantage over the solid ones. Thoughts on this? Also, should I go with the 21mm or 22mm bars?

Jon

Jon,

Look in the paddock, and do a search. THere are a couple of threads that discuss the right combinations to use.

I am using something much more different than you, as I have 250lb springs in the back, with 21mm front hollow bars, an no rear sway bar. But, I am still working on getting the best combination.

-- brett

I have a pair of 21 mm torsion bars, like new condition.

PM if you are interested.

Jerry

I'm running 21mm hollow t-bars, 180lb springs, 19mm sway bar, and the car is nicely balanced.

22 mm is pretty stiff, even for a 6 cylinder car. You do not say if your car is a six or a four cyl.

A couple people have alluded to the problem. It depends is the most accurate answer here. six or four, what is your driving style, what wheels and tires... Too many variables.
My own preference is to have a big tunable swaybar in the front with stock four cylinder torsion bars. I do keep the rear swaybar attached but not on the track. Only for street and autocross.
To give you an example of how that 'it depends' answer comes into play; I have been driving all season on this set up - Elephant bushings all around, 200# rear coilover springs, Koni adjustables all the way around, stock rear swaybar, Tarret bar in the front. My tires are V710's. The car is aligned and corner balanced by IPB Autosports in Sacramento. Most people know that I recently switched engines and now have about 225HP at the flywheel where the previous engine was probably 120 - 130HP. The car was previously a pure momentum car. This means in order to go fast I had to make sure I didn't slow down. I didn't have monster torque and HP to power out of corners and rip up the course. I repeatedly got told by people I respect that I was 'very smooth' out there. With the new engine, I am going straight at the end of straightaways, binding up the brakes where I previously just tapped or squeezed them, and generally sucking... The problem is mostly that I am going so much faster that I need to polish my skill set again to be smooth and maybe even change my set up a bit. So your answer, it depends...

Car currently has a hot 2056 but I have a 2.7 /6 that will be going into it sometime next year. I am currently running 205/50 RA1s on 15x6 inch wheels but am going to flare the car and go with 15x7 and 8s shod with Hankook 214 autocross compound 205s front and 225 rears. I have ordered the Maddog stiffening and trailing arm kits last week, and will probably place an order monday or Tuesday for the torsion bars along with 180 pound rears and either Konis or bilstein shocks which I also haven't decided on. I am guessing though that the 22mm bars will be too stiff and I should probably stick with the 21s. Any big advantages to the tubular ones? How much lighter are they?

Jon

bilstein sports work better at the higher spring rates your thinking about.
21mm with 200 rear (or 180) is a good combo but not so nice on teh street.
anything over 140 in the rear does not work well with stock front torsions.
with 140 rears your 19mm bar should be adjusted to about 30-40% stiff
140 rear with stock front WILL oversteer. tighten front bar to help
shock damping rate and spring rate work together

Currently I have my bar full tight and it still oversteers on corner exit while picking up the inside front tire. I think my mind is made up to go with the bils, 21mm bars, and the 180 pound rears. I would like to have some adjustment left on the swaybar. Thanks everyone, I think this will get me there.