Sway bars..

[White-V-6-S-Ten]

would putting the zq8 bars on my 03 make a big difference?
V-6 auto!
thanks guys

[Dogsofjune]

I went with the Belltech 1" rear sway bar. Yeah, it makes a difference. Positive improvement. You can probably pick up the ZQ8 sway bar for a reasonable price.

[droopy89]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/REAR-ZQ8-SWAY-BAR-CHEVY-S10-S-10-XTREME-TRUCK-SONOMA_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33589QQihZ011QQi temZ320057870444QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

fairly cheap, i guess

[Dogsofjune]

$150 plus shipping? My Belltech new was cheaper.
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=BEL%2D5520&N=700+4294908216+4294907469+4294924641+400013+4294 923769+4294907070+115&autoview=sku
Surely there is a better deal out there. Salvage yards?

[nomaboy]

i want to get a set of the hotchkis ones- the front is 1 3/8 and the rear is 15/16 i believe. but damn, $500...

[Dogsofjune]

I had some Hotchkis stuff in the past on an old Elk, pricey but it was worth it. Tho I don't recall the sway bars being that much. Damned inflation.

[Hammer Head]

Are they any better than the ZQ8 stuff?

[Dogsofjune]

It's quality stuff, but I think in this case it's overkill. If a ZQ8 bar could be had for cheap, it would work really well. Why spend anymore than you have to to get the same results.

Hotchkis's stuff is cheaper for the older cars. I miss my Elk. <sigh>

[droopy89]

[QUOTE=Dogsofjune]It's quality stuff, but I think in this case it's overkill. If a ZQ8 bar could be had for cheap, it would work really well. Why spend anymore than you have to to get the same results.

QUOTE]

yup, hes right on that

[00S104.3]

I bought front and rear zq8 sway bars from s10warehouse and they made a huge difference. Almost no lean (compared to no rear sway bar and stock front sway bar) around corners and it feels much more stable. I'm happy with them.

[Hammer Head]

Yea, I've already got all the ZQ8 stuff on my truck. Was just wondering how much better than that the Hotchkis bars are. Are they the same size? I think they are & if not I think I saw that they're not much bigger.. maybe a mm or 2.

[nomaboy]

the stock zq8 bar is 1 1/4" the hotchkis is 1 3/8". i have the zq8 front and want more. still leans too much for me. then again i dont think i understand the word "overkill"...

[Hammer Head]

..Me either..& I'm also lookin for more outta my bar too, but I'm just not seeing it being worth that much more. Maybe if they offered a 1.875" front bar & a 1.375 rear bar I'd get it for that price.

[87wildside]

Old thread but.. This is a case of bigger isn't always better. At a certain point sway bars can make the inside rear tire lift ( off the ground in some cases ) and thats not good. That means you have one wheel with no traction so you should see why its not good. Most enthusiest think the bigger bars will add to their cornering and that is why aftermarket companies sell such big bars. It's is all about the money. I have a Hellwig 1 1/4 bar up front that I feel is right on the threshold. Also do not believe a company that says their 1 1/4 is better than anothers 1 1/4. They are all made of the same steel so the performance is dictated by physics and nothing else. There is a formula that shows how stiff a sway bar is but that is not needed here. The only time that would be useful is when you were to change the length of the legs. You can get a more positive reaction from a sway bar by swapping the end links for rod ends but this is not nessesery for street driven vehicels.

[Mikz86TA]

Good idea to get the sway bar on the rear. Personally I would get a matched set weather its a ZQ8,Hotchkis,Hellwig,Etc. There is a reason the front is always larger than the rear. If you get a large rear and keep the stock front you will get understeer. Also being there isnt alot of rear end weight does not deem nessecary for a larger than 5/8". Therefore a front of 1 1/4" is sufficient for overall feel,functionality and improvement. Also IMO I would get poly bushings on the rear(ends and mounts) and poly on the front end links/1LE(harder durometer rubber)on the front mounts. I feel this gives the best 'sports-car' feel and balance to an awkward truck suspension(front heavy).

[87wildside]

I think you nailed it with nothing bigger than 5/8" in the rear.