Front sway-bar and drag racing

[SNKBYT]

Could someone who has disconnected their front sway-bar for drag racing tell me the easiest way to do it. How much does it help your 60' times. Does it help on street tires? Drag radials, or do you have to use slicks to see any benefit?

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

I'll help bump this because I could never figure why disconnecting it should help. (Removing it would help reduce weight.)

On an independent (or maybe any) rear wheel drive car, don't you want the rear tires to each see the same load? If one tire has more weight (due to engine torque leaning the chassis over) than the other, one will slip before the other and it's not ideal... and a front sway bar helps to do this. It keeps the body from rolling over by using the front wheels. If anything, disconnect the rear so the rear wheels aren't also used to prevent body roll.

Someone tell me if I'm all wet...

 

[Jack B]

Jack up either side and loosen the stabilizer nut on one side, take a large center punch and drive the bolt up thru the eye. This takes some effort, use a two pound short hammer and drench with liquid wrench ten minutes prior to the removal. Only one side has to be done. The front end will rise higher and transfer more weight to the rear, hence, more traction. The car is still very streetable.

To re-attach, you must use a second jack. The natural (un-attached ) position is lower then attached and you must use the second jack and a 16" 1x2 to push the bar up, align the bar and slowly lower into the eye hole.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Ummmm....

The front sway bar, unless it binds up suspension travel, should allow the front wheels to travel up and down freely, even when connected. It only "works" when one wheel is in bump or rebound and the other side isn't.

And if the car is on a level surface, the end link should line up with the sway bar hole, otherwise your bar is bent or the mounts aren't where they should be.

What am I not getting?

 

[pauls]

Sway bar is weight and restriction on the front end lift during acceleration. The more you can do to loosen up the front suspension travel and transfer weight to the rear, the better the hook.

Does this help my time? Because of the fragile nature of the Viper driveline, launchs are inconsistent. I have had my best sixty ft with the bar off. 1.375.

How do I take it off? Disconnect both the links to the A Arms from sway bar (loosen sway bar bolts first). Takes a tap like Jack says to get the links free from lower A arm. Unbolt bar without links on it and pull out. Reverse, put bar in first and then attach links (leave everything loose until connected)

 

[SNKBYT]

PAULS: Were you running slicks to achieve a 1.375 60'? What was your best time on street tires?

 

[pauls]

M/Ts for the 1.37. Had to switch to street tires for Mod I. Did a 1.74 on Goodyear GSAs

 

[MW]

Re: Front sway-bar and drag racing 1.37 ;0-60!!!!!!

PaulS,

Could you share info on your setup when you were running this? your qtr et must of been great too?
How hard did you launch?
I think I recall you don't run power adders and basically are maximizing the stock car...
Thanks, e-mail me if you don't want to publish info...
MW, Tx.

 

[PhilC]

Re: Front sway-bar and drag racing 1.37 ;0-60!!!!!!

Hey SNKBYT, how's it going. I still look back at the runs we had at last years Mopar Atlantic Nations with a smile.

Are you coming this year? You better learn that sway bar trick (you're going to need it this year)

Phil

 

[Paolo Castellano]

Sway bar is weight and restriction on the front end lift during acceleration. The more you can do to loosen up the front suspension travel and transfer weight to the rear, the better the hook.<P>Does this help my time? Because of the fragile nature of the Viper driveline, launchs are inconsistent. I have had my best sixty ft with the bar off. 1.375.<P>How do I take it off? Disconnect both the links to the A Arms from sway bar (loosen sway bar bolts first). Takes a tap like Jack says to get the links free from lower A arm. Unbolt bar without links on it and pull out. Reverse, put bar in first and then attach links (leave everything loose until connected)<P>

Paul, are you the guy with the stock Blue/white GTS that was at Norwalk last year? I remember a guy who had a stock car with line lock who could put on the line lock at the line, get the car pre-squatted and then launch like a bat out of hell. Are you him? If you are, you're the man!

 

[BigCarrot]

Wow! I didn't think a Viper was capable of 60' times like that!