VAP

How do you take a pic that is 100% Audi-related? I woulda had to put this sway bar on my car, parked at an Audi lot to keep it completely Audi. In fact everyone would have to do that with ANY pic posted.

This is Audi content. If they can't/won't see that then I'm afraid I need to see the rules again. The disclosure I read seems to have been met... least by me.

But hell... its just a swaybar. Wont break my heart if they delete it.

Lone Starr (Ivan)

<p>Ivan
<i>Jacksonville, Florida<i>
<img SRC="http://www.geocities.com/y2ktturbo/tinytt.jpg" BORDER=0>
"Zorro" 2000MY, 180hp, Fronttrak, Silver/Ebony, MKII suspension, spoilTT
K&N, Garmin EMap GPS, Audi "mask", Cobra R/D

VAP

a way to get a larger, or supplemental bar in the rear to balance it back out.

jdan

and don't forget your audi tattos

smallTTs

Anti-roll bars only "work" when the wheels they connect move different amounts, or in different directions(eg. body roll during cornering).

Hiting a bump/tarstrip, etc. where both wheels hit at the same time will give no input from the anti-roll bar. Hitting a bump/hole/dead varmint, etc. with only one wheel gets the bar working. As you make the bar stiffer, the chances of feeling it in these circumstances increase.

Remember that the anti-roll bar connects the left and right (usually) independent suspensions and makes them less independent. Any input into just one wheel transfers some of that input to the opposite wheel. As bar stiffness is increased you approach what has been called the "solid axle conversion kit", and the bad things show up, such as dartiness on uneven surfaces. The moderate change from aftermarket bars like Eibach's don't approach this level, however.

One main reason for adjusting bar sizes is tuning of the suspension, as ExTTreme said. What you are tuning is the percentage of "Roll Couple" taken by the front or rear. Practically, that means how much each end resists the roll. More roll couple (bigger bar) in front = more understeer (push, tightness, unwillingness-to-turn, etc.), while more rear bar = oversteer (loosenes, a**iness, etc.)

The other reason for using anti-roll bars is to lessen body roll without having to incresase suspension spring rate excessively. The springs provide most of the roll resistance. Changing springs (alone or as coil-overs) to stiffer ones increases the roll stiffness and therefore reduces body roll. Adding stiffer bars reduces it even more.

All of these changes need to be coordinated; it's a system. Increasing just the front bar stiffness(more understeer), especially on a FWD car will probably not help much, as understeer is already high.

Just adding more rear bar might make a car harder to drive: Understeer at the limit is much easier to survive than oversteer at the limit.

We recently installed Eibach bars on a 2000 VW GTI(a brother under the skin), which exhibits lots of body roll stock. The change was noticable, but not overly so. Next is springs/dampers for lowering and more spring rate. These are also Eibach springs and ProDampers, so we're hoping they are well matched to the bars.

FWIW: changing the front bar requires lowering the front subframe, same as the TT. Rear installation was a snap (FWD, of course).