i got a new toy for my car

[bleh]

i thought i would speak out above the noise of the crickets

i know its not something major or anything but i have a little story about a toy i got a few days ago. a friends brother had a cold air intake on his integra and water locked it. sucks for him and his car is going to the junk yard. meaning any parts i want are pretty much free for now. so 6 bolts later i have an integra rear sway bar, which is much better than the stock civic cx swaybar( 0mm as opposed to 14mm). also i already had the integra lower control arms on my civic so its a direct bolt on. no drilling or custom fab.

granted this 14mm sway bar looks like a tooth pick, you have to remember my car weighs in at under 2100lbs and 14mm is better than 0 especially when its free.

so 2 days and some pb blaster later i have the sway bar on and its a totally different car! i am sooooo stoked. every turn i take feels like its 20mph slower. before, on real tight turns pinning the throttle coming out of a turn would oversteer. now its totally different. full throttle after the apex sends the front tires exactly where they are pointed and the rear end just follow the front. its beautiful.

i have not experienced any brake lift oversteer or throttle lift oversteer yet, but ill save that for a safe day of sanctioned racing. besides im not dumb enough to hit the brakes mid turn. given the size of the swaybar, i doubt it will be a problem. i cant wait for this next season to start up again!

cliffnotes:
i got an integra rear swaybar for free.
it rocks.

[LateNightCable]

The car is under 2,100 lbs. You must have stripped that Civic to tin can spec. Congrats on your new sway bar! That's one of the things I love about light little cars, they're so responsive to the simplest improvements.

[bleh]

full interior, spare and jack in the trunk. stock d series. stock header, stock exhaust.
civic cx < 2100lbs
my 4door was gutted and loud and weighed in at 2230 with a full tank.

civic cx with a motor swap is awesome and theres no way ill gut the interior, after driving the other civic for so long without an interior i realized how much i missed it and i also dont like worrying about getting a flat

[wEstSide]

You get oversteer on a light FWD car?

[bleh]

yea, it just doesnt happen as bad while accelerating.

break down in physics.

as the ratio from front stiffness to rear stiffness decreases, the rear loses traction while the front gains it. and vice versa if the ratio increases. (remember though its the ratio between the two that matters not the actual stiffness). this "stiffness" is a general terms and generally may be gained through springs, shocks,swaybars, and even the weight of the suspension peices(but the weight is a totally different subject)

since the car is fwd oversteer while accelerating is very difficult to oversteer while accelerating unless you have your ebrake locked or have mcdonalds trays under your rear tires. however if the front to rear ratio is steep enough it can be done.

as a good balance is reached for acceleration the balance for deceleration is also effected in the same manner. therefore while the car is slowing down more weight is transfered to the front and the rear loses grip thus oversteer.

now there are two things that cause this oversteer. lifting the throttle and braking while turning. hence, throttle lift oversteer and brake oversteer. fortunately im smart enough not the brake or completely lift off the throttle while im turning.

[bleh]

after my little experience i think every person that owns a fwd car and isnt an ***** should get a nice beefy rear swaybar

[LateNightCable]

Originally Posted by bleh since the car is fwd oversteer while accelerating is very difficult to oversteer while accelerating unless you have your ebrake locked or have mcdonalds trays under your rear tires.

The McDonald's trays? Believe me I've tried. Even with a McRib in the tail pipe.

Damn I love suspensions. If I were a tuner, I think my specialty would be suspensions. Get yourself a beefy rear sway bar everybody, and don't forget the progressive rate springs!

[wEstSide]

I meant to say while driving normally. I know of brake oversteer and lift-off oversteer, but not oversteer while driving normally. It was a misunderstanding.