I removed my Stillen rear stabilizer bar !!
09-30-2001, 08:36 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 577
I removed my Stillen rear stabilizer bar !!
So I just removed my Stillen rear stabilizer bar.
I remember what a pain it was putting that thing in a few years ago.
And it was quite frustrating getting the thing removed. The bolts diameter was exactly the same size as the thru-holes on the bar itself... virtually no tolerance at all!! One bolt didn't want to come out so I had to un-do the other side of the bar and pull really hard to get it dislodged.
Anyway; when I first put in the bar, I had OEM suspension. But now I have coilovers with 450LB/IN springs and Konis which have far more damping that the stock Tokikos. The springs alone are more than twice as firm as the stockers. So I took out the bar and weighed it. It measured 10 pounds. So that is 5LBs less unsprung weight per wheel.
So I went for a drive and found the effect of not having the bar is subtle at best. Its a little less responsive on initial turn-in (but no slouch either), but dial in a little more steering once into mid-turn and it balances out just about as well as with the bar in place. There is a bit more body roll but nothing dramatic. And its is somewhat less jittery on the highway.
When I had the OEM suspension, it made a big difference but now I guess I don't really need it.
It doesn't feel like that stiff of a bar... I bumped it against my garage wall and it continued to mildly resonate with vibration almost continuously. It didn't stop until I pressed it up against the wall again.
I remember what a pain it was putting that thing in a few years ago.
And it was quite frustrating getting the thing removed. The bolts diameter was exactly the same size as the thru-holes on the bar itself... virtually no tolerance at all!! One bolt didn't want to come out so I had to un-do the other side of the bar and pull really hard to get it dislodged.
Anyway; when I first put in the bar, I had OEM suspension. But now I have coilovers with 450LB/IN springs and Konis which have far more damping that the stock Tokikos. The springs alone are more than twice as firm as the stockers. So I took out the bar and weighed it. It measured 10 pounds. So that is 5LBs less unsprung weight per wheel.
So I went for a drive and found the effect of not having the bar is subtle at best. Its a little less responsive on initial turn-in (but no slouch either), but dial in a little more steering once into mid-turn and it balances out just about as well as with the bar in place. There is a bit more body roll but nothing dramatic. And its is somewhat less jittery on the highway.
When I had the OEM suspension, it made a big difference but now I guess I don't really need it.
It doesn't feel like that stiff of a bar... I bumped it against my garage wall and it continued to mildly resonate with vibration almost continuously. It didn't stop until I pressed it up against the wall again.
09-30-2001, 09:06 PM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 577
Well; if you want it, you should know it has some issues.
1. It is an adjustable bar but the holes for the "soft" setting
are drilled smaller than the ones for the firm setting. So it is not possible to use the soft setting.
2. The pillow block clamps are custom modified and mangled.
One pair is shaved down to prevent clearance problems with the undercarriage of the car. So I drilled a hole in each trailing arm into the trailing arm and pillow blocks as an alternate clamping point. And I haven't been able yet to get these bolts un-done (the suspension shop here in town actually did the "rework".)
3. The allen bolts are either a 8mm or a 5/16. Either way, doing the conversion only results in a few thousandths of a inch difference. You gotta spray WD-40 into the allen head recess and use a mallet to pound in the allen wrench because the bolt heads have no tolerance at all to accomodate the wrench. All I had was a 8mm allen key. A 5/16 might work better because it is .002" smaller but the instructions said to use an 8mm wrench.
Basically, I'm trying to tell you that it is junk and that you should buy a different brand of stabilizer bar if you really want one.
1. It is an adjustable bar but the holes for the "soft" setting
are drilled smaller than the ones for the firm setting. So it is not possible to use the soft setting.
2. The pillow block clamps are custom modified and mangled.
One pair is shaved down to prevent clearance problems with the undercarriage of the car. So I drilled a hole in each trailing arm into the trailing arm and pillow blocks as an alternate clamping point. And I haven't been able yet to get these bolts un-done (the suspension shop here in town actually did the "rework".)
3. The allen bolts are either a 8mm or a 5/16. Either way, doing the conversion only results in a few thousandths of a inch difference. You gotta spray WD-40 into the allen head recess and use a mallet to pound in the allen wrench because the bolt heads have no tolerance at all to accomodate the wrench. All I had was a 8mm allen key. A 5/16 might work better because it is .002" smaller but the instructions said to use an 8mm wrench.
Basically, I'm trying to tell you that it is junk and that you should buy a different brand of stabilizer bar if you really want one.
09-30-2001, 09:15 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 653
Originally posted by chris j vurnis
Well; if you want it, you should know it has some issues.
1. It is an adjustable bar but the holes for the "soft" setting
are drilled smaller than the ones for the firm setting. So it is not possible to use the soft setting.
2. The pillow block clamps are custom modified and mangled.
One pair is shaved down to prevent clearance problems with the undercarriage of the car. So I drilled a hole in each trailing arm into the trailing arm and pillow blocks as an alternate clamping point. And I haven't been able yet to get these bolts un-done (the suspension shop here in town actually did the "rework".)
3. The allen bolts are either a 8mm or a 5/16. Either way, doing the conversion only results in a few thousandths of a inch difference. You gotta spray WD-40 into the allen head recess and use a mallet to pound in the allen wrench because the bolt heads have no tolerance at all to accomodate the wrench. All I had was a 8mm allen key. A 5/16 might work better because it is .002" smaller but the instructions said to use an 8mm wrench.
Basically, I'm trying to tell you that it is junk and that you should buy a different brand of stabilizer bar if you really want one.
Hmmm......... well.... How much would you want for your messed up bar?
Well; if you want it, you should know it has some issues.
1. It is an adjustable bar but the holes for the "soft" setting
are drilled smaller than the ones for the firm setting. So it is not possible to use the soft setting.
2. The pillow block clamps are custom modified and mangled.
One pair is shaved down to prevent clearance problems with the undercarriage of the car. So I drilled a hole in each trailing arm into the trailing arm and pillow blocks as an alternate clamping point. And I haven't been able yet to get these bolts un-done (the suspension shop here in town actually did the "rework".)
3. The allen bolts are either a 8mm or a 5/16. Either way, doing the conversion only results in a few thousandths of a inch difference. You gotta spray WD-40 into the allen head recess and use a mallet to pound in the allen wrench because the bolt heads have no tolerance at all to accomodate the wrench. All I had was a 8mm allen key. A 5/16 might work better because it is .002" smaller but the instructions said to use an 8mm wrench.
Basically, I'm trying to tell you that it is junk and that you should buy a different brand of stabilizer bar if you really want one.
Hmmm......... well.... How much would you want for your messed up bar?
09-30-2001, 09:39 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,804
Originally posted by MAXTOUT
HEy Kirk, why are you selling your RSB?
HEy Kirk, why are you selling your RSB?
Kirk
09-30-2001, 09:58 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,835
Regarding the sturdiness of the bar, I remember comparing the Stillen with the Addco when I was considering purchasing the RSB. While the Stillen was more "adjustable" than the Addco in terms of mounting positions, I thought the Addco was more rigid since it was a solid bar and not hollow like the Stillen. In terms of performance, I think it's a wash...both will reduce body roll.
, I new that 
10-01-2001, 07:36 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,809
Originally posted by 1/3There2/3ToGo
Im in Colorado and Im selling mine too. PM me for price.
Kirk
Im in Colorado and Im selling mine too. PM me for price.
Kirk
e-mail me back at ny96maxse@aol.com
Anthony
10-01-2001, 09:24 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,804
Originally posted by MadMax95
Kirk, you're a chump...
I was gonna buy those from you... or did you forget????
Kirk, you're a chump...
I was gonna buy those from you... or did you forget????
Kirk
Its niiiiiiice.
You still want it?
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