Lowering 355, effect on the sway bar?

Hi
I lowered my 355 with H&R springs last year and this year I finally got arround to put on adjustabl sway bar end links. I think I got a chang in behaviour but am not sure. I get the feling that the car got slightly softer after adjusting the sway bar endlikns to have zero effect on the spring at standstill with me in the car. I cant really figure out how the lowering affect the sway bar, can any of you tell me what really happens?
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I would say ... nothing happens!
A sway bar is a spring which acts against differential displacement of unsprung masses on each side. When you lower the car, you lower it the same amount on each side, so the sway bar is only rotating in its bushings but witout applying any effort (no relative displacement).
When all is not that perfect, in steady condition the sway bar may have some preload in it which tends to (slightly) tilt the car on one side or the other. With your adjustable endlinks, you can remove this preload so that the sway bar has no action at rest and straight line, but you cannot change its stiffness nor have a significant impact on the way the car handle IMO.

 

Is it better to lower the car using different springs as you have done or just turning the stock coils down....Any negative effect either way?

 

Johan, where did you find the specific end links you are using? Brand, part No. etc.

 

I had the center pice and the bolt made by a local machine shop. The ends are standard parts and the rubber as well. The uniballs and rubber are made by a company called RODOBAL.

 

I am not really an expert on springs so maybe "mr dobermann" can help us out here? I know he is working an new racing springs on his 355 and can probably explain this better...

 

In reality on a road car it will make no difference, the reason that the adjustable links are used is mainly for racing or leveling the car.

If you only have a driver in the car this puts say 80-90kg extra weight on the driver’s side and you may want adjust the static ride height for this and lift the driver’s side. This then puts a lifting force from the sway on the driver’s side and a downward force on the passenger’s side.

So the sway bar are effectively softer turning one way than the other, so if we are talking about the front bar on a left hand drive car the car would have slightly more turn in over steer going right and turn in understeer going left.

Having said that on a road car with normal road surfaces you would never pick the difference but if you ever have a play at a track day it is an easy way to make minor changes if you feel the car acting differently turning left or right.

 

+1 ...........