Aftermarket Sway Bar Upgrades?

25451 Views 219 Replies 37 Participants Last post by BMinSFL, 31 m ago

Killboy

Discussion Starter · Oct 31, 2019

I have searched here and other sources online, and can not find anyone offering them, so as a last resort, does anyone know of any place that sells upgraded sway bars? I'm running KW V3 coilovers, but would really like to reduce more of the body roll in corners, and dial out more of the understeer with a stiffer rear bar.

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malahhaor

· #121 · 7 mo ago

VAGfan said:
Note that the H&R center bar rubber bushings are not as tall as the Porsche originals, so I had to make two 8mm thick, 40mmx40mm metal shims that go between the center rubber bushing and the subframe, where the center brackets bolt to the rear subframe. The H&R bushings are designed for the Audi B8 Q5, A6, and A7 models, which apparently have a shorter bracket and bushing. Perhaps the corresponding shorter Audi brackets could be used on the Macan, eliminating the need for the shims.

Doing the front now, will post my impressions shortly.

Would you be able to elaborate on this one a bit more? not entirely sure i understood this.
Thanks a bunch!

VAGfan

· #122 · 7 mo ago (Edited)

The rubber center bushings from H&R are 8 mm shorter than the Porsche factory center bushings.
When you install them into the Porsche U-shaped metal center bushing bracket, there is an 8mm gap between the flat bottom of the bushing and the ends of the U.
So, I made an 8mm thick metal shim (or plate), that is 40mm x 40mm square, that fits into that space, to take up that space between the bushing and the surface of the chassis where the U bracket bolts onto.

Example picture (these are not the actual Porsche and H&R bushings)

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malahhaor

· #123 · 7 mo ago

VAGfan said:
The rubber center bushings from H&R are 8 mm shorter than the Porsche factory center bushings.
When you install them into the Porsche U-shaped metal center bushing bracket, there is an 8mm gap between the flat bottom of the bushing and the ends of the U.
So, I made an 8mm thick metal shim (or plate), that is 40mm x 40mm square, that fits into that space, to take up that space between the bushing and the surface of the chassis where the U bracket bolts onto.

Example picture (these are not the actual Porsche and H&R bushings)
View attachment 262736

Ah OK got it. Tha k you very much for the info.

malahhaor

· #124 · 6 mo ago

VAGfan said:
Here are the actual part numbers from my factory bars:

2019 Base, steel springs, no PASM
front bar 95B411309A 31.5mm hollow
front bar center bushing 4D0411327J
rear bar 95B511305 24.5mm hollow
rear bar center bushing 95B511035LAX

I think the bend in the rear bar is to clear the exhaust pipes of the Audi A6.
H&R lists this kit for the C7 A6/S6 and A7/S7 models, which are also the same basic platform as the Macan and B8 Q5.
My B8 SQ5 has a straight rear bar, the exhaust is run the same way as the Macan.

Anyway to find out these specs for 2017 GTS? I wonder if its worth upgrading on mine or not.

VAGfan

· #125 · 6 mo ago

Crawl under your car and measure the diameter of the front and rear bars.

malahhaor

· #126 · 6 mo ago

VAGfan said:
Crawl under your car and measure the diameter of the front and rear bars.

Lol yes yes but I have to actually get off my ass and do that. That's not the American way. We get someone else to do it.

I did find my old calliper last night. Hoping to take a look at lunch.

[email protected]>@W

· #127 · 6 mo ago

malahhaor said:
Lol yes yes but I have to actually get off my ass and do that. That's not the American way. We get someone else to do it.
I did find my old calliper last night. Hoping to take a look at lunch.

Huh?!?

Maybe in the part of America where you live...

The American culture in which I grew up was a DIY one. If you want something done right, DIY. If you can't DIY, take it
to someone who has a reputation for competent, professional service.

Good luck measuring those sway bars...

malahhaor

· #128 · 6 mo ago

[email protected]>@W said:
Huh?!?

Maybe in the part of America where you live...

The American culture in which I grew up was a DIY one. If you want something done right, DIY. If you can't DIY, take it
to someone who has a reputation for competent, professional service.

Good luck measuring those sway bars...

Oy.... that culture died out a long time ago.
I'm all for DIY, chill, just making a joke.

malahhaor

· #129 · 6 mo ago

Looks like the rear is the same. from where i was able to measure shows 24.8mm.
The front was hard to measure. Everything in the middle is covered with plastic shields. Tried to find a flat spot but too many bends out by the wheels. So tried my best and that looked like 36mm. not very confident in that measurement.

I just dropped the car off to get a new key coded and snow tires to be mounted. Told the tech to measure when the car is up on the lift. If Front is truly larger than 32mm H&R, don't bother with install.

VAGfan

· #130 · 6 mo ago

Even if the factory front bar is the same diameter, or bigger, it is hollow, and will have a significantly lower spring rate than the solid 32mm H&R bar.

malahhaor

· #131 · 6 mo ago

VAGfan said:
Even if the factory front bar is the same diameter, or bigger, it is hollow, and will have a significantly lower spring rate than the solid 32mm H&R bar.

yeah i agree, will see what he comes back with. but if it is in fact 36. wonder if that be about same as 32 solid.....

malahhaor

· #132 · 6 mo ago

Mechanic confirmed, fronts a touch over 31 rear almost 25 on my 2017 GTS. Told him to go ahead and install H&R. Thank you VAG!

VAGfan

· #133 · 6 mo ago (Edited)

Please post the Porsche bar part numbers, they are on a white sticker near the center of each bar.

malahhaor

· #134 · 6 mo ago

Got the car back today from dealership.
Winter shoes installed, lowered 20mm and H&R bars installed. So it will not be apples to apples compare. But even with taller and softer Snow tires i can tell lean reduced by about 1/3rd or even half. Now maybe 20mm lowering had something to do with it so lets go conservative 1/3 less roll than before.
I can not push it to hard, its been wet all day and snow tires grip isn't anywhere close to AS. But so far im happy. It stays allot flatter in corners. The car is stiffer a tad as well but i think lowering had more to do with that than swaybars. I always had car suspension in sport since i owned it, will try driving around in normal tomorrow.

Tire Wheel Car Land vehicle Vehicle

Now stock sway-bars:
Front: part # 95B.411.309.E 31.5mm
Rear: part # 95B.511.305.E 25mm Twice as heavy as front. It has to be solid.

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Rectangle Font Tints and shades Water Metal

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VAGfan

· #135 · 6 mo ago

Malahhaor: Also, can you post the part numbers of the Porsche center bar bushings? You need to look carefully, they are molded into the rubber, small characters, around the hole on one side.

Any update to your evaluation of the results?

malahhaor

· #136 · 6 mo ago

VAGfan said:
Malahhaor: Also, can you post the part numbers of the Porsche center bar bushings? You need to look carefully, they are molded into the rubber, small characters, around the hole on one side.

Any update to your evaluation of the results?

I do not have those unfortunately. When taking spare parts to storage i noticed a set of brand new bushings in the box. I think the tech cut the h&r bushings off and reused the original porsche parts. Because i gave him two 8mm shims and he didn't use those either.

Now as far as driving. I have to try really hard to get any significant lean out of the car. At most i am able to get is about a half of what it used to be. The combination of lowering and sways is very good on body control. A clover style exit off highway i am able to carry same speed on Snow tires as i do on AS, easily. the limiting factor is traction, at 43-44 mph tires start to lose grip.

Now the negatives (IMHO).
I drive the car in normal now, vs sport. In sport is is noticeably stiffer. I say stiff not hard, two different things. And at times when road is really bad i get a little of that slammed rice rocket feeling of my youth. It doesn't bottom out on stops, just has that up and down motion with the road as if shocks cant absorb. Not sure how to describe.
Now i attribute all of that, or at least 90% to lowering and i think the snow tires have very stiff sidewalls, they are Extra Load tiers. I might ask the tech to raise the car back by 5mm to give it a littel more travel. So i will be in total 15mm lowered.

Overall it was not cheap, between sways and labor to install them about a grand because i do not have facilities to install them myself. But to me it was worth it, YRMV

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VAGfan

· #137 · 6 mo ago

Yes, I agree, the ride is a little stiffer, actually a little more "jiggly", like it lost a little bit of high-frequency compliance. But, I am not complaining, the improvement in flatness, and cornering response is well worth the slight degradation in ride comfort.

Sounds like your installer just reused the original rear rubber Porsche bushings (25 mm hole), which probably were a little tight on the slightly larger (26mm) H&R bar, but it should be OK, as long as you don't get some noises from the bushings.

Did your installer use the H&R supplied center bushings in the front?

malahhaor

· #138 · 6 mo ago

VAGfan said:
Yes, I agree, the ride is a little stiffer, actually a little more "jiggly", like it lost a little bit of high-frequency compliance. But, I am not complaining, the improvement in flatness, and cornering response is well worth the slight degradation in ride comfort.

Sounds like your installer just reused the original rear rubber Porsche bushings (25 mm hole), which probably were a little tight on the slightly larger (26mm) H&R bar, but it should be OK, as long as you don't get some noises from the bushings.

Did your installer use the H&R supplied center bushings in the front?

there were 4 brand new bushings in the box. So its only fair to assume he reused them all.

VAGfan

· #139 · 6 mo ago

I hope they won't make noise, the H&R bushings are teflon lined.

malahhaor

· #140 · 6 mo ago

Thus far, knock on wood, nice and silent.

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