Miata Mailing List: August 1997, Message #305
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From: 	todd.barney@ons.octel.com (Todd Barney)

Subject: Re: New Sway Bars

Date: 	Mon, 4 Aug 1997 10:25:44 +0000



Bill and Drifter wrote:



..snip...

Although there probably aren't many who care, I just had to tell someone - 

I just installed a set of Flyin' Miata sway bars on Drifter and we both 

love 'em.  Handling is noticably improved and body roll is greatly reduced. 

 (And they have a nice black powder coat finish.)  It took me about two 

hours to swap the new bars and the installation went smoothly.



Thanks Bill they were worth the wait.

..snip....

     

     Bill,

     

     I care! I did the same activity this weekend, and couldn't agree more, 

     although I only had to wait 3 days to get mine. :-) Install took me 

     about two hours as well, not counting the run to the hardware store to 

     get two nuts to replace the ones that apparently fell out of the box 

     somewhere between Texas and Colorado. (28 cents at the local Ace 

     Hardware. 15 minutes for the run. No biggie.)

     

     I noticed two things almost immediately:

     1. The steering feels a little heavier. On a p/s car, that's good. I'm 

     sure it doesn't feel like a manual, but I like the combination of a 

     heavier feel with the p/s's quicker ratio.

     

     2. Slow turns are eerily flat.  Whipping into the driveway is a 

     different experience now.

     

     Other benefits noticed after the requisite post-installation test 

     drive:

     

     The car corners more "neutral" now. Whereas before it tended to slight 

     understeer unless I was consciously trying to induce oversteer, it now 

     feels like it's pivoting in the middle of the car.  A 4-wheel drift is 

     easier to induce, the car goes exactly where I want it to go, and 

     oversteer is easier to find when I want it. I couldn't stop grinning. 

     If I thought it handled like a sports car before, I guess maybe I 

     didn't have enough experience to really rate it! Wow, wow, wow.

     

     The car is now going to overdrive it's tires, I'm afraid. "Luckily" 

     I'm almost due for new tread, anyway.  I may have to upgrade from the 

     D60-A2s to SP 8000's or something comparable.

     

     I may be "looking" for things, but I'd swear Miatoy's tendency to 

     vibrate at 65mph has been reduced as well. A by-product of a tighter 

     suspension?

     

     I can feel 0-60 time improving, my baldness disappearing, and my sex 

     life improving already. :-)

     

     btw, I used the outer hole on the front bars, the middle hole in the 

     rear.

     

     Thanks to all on the list who talked me out of putting this off! I had 

     convinced myself that they weren't really worth it. Boy was I wrong.

     :) :) :)

     

     Todd & Miatoy

     91 White A

     114k miles

     Team Lone Star

     Team PMC #49

     Team MCA #19108

     

     p.s. thanks go to UPS for holding off the strike until my bars got 

     here! :)