Miata Mailing List: January 1998, Message #165
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From: 	Lanny Chambers <lanny@derived.com>

Subject: Re: novice questions

Date: 	Fri, 2 Jan 1998 13:26:56 +0000



On 1/2/98 6:22, Tony Bagwell bagwell@bahnsen.wes.army.mil wrote:



>What exactly is a sway bar?  What do they do, how much do they cost, and

>are they easy or difficult to install?  It seems like almost evryone has

>them, which makes me curious.  I've had mine for 3 mos. and am looking to

>start making some additions to it.



It's a torsion bar that connects the left and right wheels at each end of 

the car. It's also attached to the chassis in the middle. Every Miata has 

one bar in front and one in back--peep under the back of your car, and 

look for a round, black bar about 1/2 inch in diameter, attached to 

vertical links that rise from the lower A-frames.



When the body leans in a corner, the outside wheel pushes the bar up and 

the inside wheel pulls it down, making it twist; the diameter of the bar 

determines how much roll resistance it offers. What everyone talks about 

are aftermarket upgrade bars, which are larger than stock and provide 

more roll resistance.



Most upgrade bars cost around $190 per pair (you need to do both bars to 

maintain a desirable handling balance), and they are not difficult to 

install. You'll need ramps (for the front only), some metric sockets, and 

about two hours. You should use a torque wrench to retighten the mounting 

nuts. I can't speak for other brands, but the FM bars from Dealer 

Alternative include excellent instructions and fit perfectly. Check the 

websites of the miata.net vendors for more info. I recommend 7/8" front 

and 5/8" rear for the street.



Sway bars are a great first upgrade--you'll never regret installing them. 

Other Miata "necessities" are CRI airhorns (~$50) and Hella H-4 

headlights (~$90).



---

Lanny Chambers, St. Louis

'94C. Red, of course.

Team GILTC

Team "My other car is a...er...hmmm...gee, I can't remember..."