swaybars and snow, whats the best?

so we got our first snow/ice storm in ND and I didn't change the setting on my rear sway bar and I'm thinking that the stiffest setting will get me better traction around the corners and the car rotates better then I need it to. Any thoughts or experiences with this? My bar is three way adjustable helix unit, I'm running stock wheels and 215/55/16 snow tires. Am I "overbar'ed" for the tires, it seems to handle well in dry and snow.

 

no bar is gangster in winter

 

what do you have for springs?

 

I'm running stock struts on prodrive blues, which are the stiffer version of the reds. I've also got a stock wagon bar up front. My car is a 2003 wrx wagon if that matters.

 

I'd put it on the least stiff setting and if you have the fancy pillowball endlinks put stockers on for the winter. (I've seen them crust up from the salt before)

 

I got kartboy links that were fine all of the last two years

 

Yea those are fine they are just a bushing.

 

I would set your swaybar to its mildest setting. IIRC Softer suspension setting work better in snowy/icy conditions. You will get more body roll, but it wont be forcing the back end to always come out on corners (ie loss of grip).

I believe that there are some people who just disconnected their swaybars for aggresive winter driving.

 

Yeah, you're going to want the sway bars at the softest setting.

~Dan

 

I wouldn't worry about sway bars unless you're finding problems keeping tires on the ground. If you're running into that problem, first ask if it's a strut issue (being too low or too stiff), then ask if it's a sway bar issue (loss of independent nature).

Your setup is pretty soft, relatively speaking. Prodrive Blue springs are 175 lb/in front and rear. It's a little above stock WRX, just over 10 lb/in, on front and a sizable bump up in the rear at +30 lb/in-ish. They are 2-way progressive and primarily a stance (looks) spring. The high rear rate relative to the chassis weight balance should take out a lot of the understeer without having to run a bigger rear bar. I'm not a personal fan of a stiff rear spring, but I see why most companies do it.

My only complaint with the setup is that the Blue springs are primariliy a lowering spring, and that isn't really a good approach for winter.

 

softest setting. Your WRX has a rear VLSD. POWER OVERSTEER that car!!! Afraid to gas it in a turn?? e-brake stabs help.

 

I always just left my swaybar in the stiffest setting all year. i didnt have any issues, but i like going sideways

 

isn't the rear diff and open style?

 

Viscous takes a bit to lock up, but it will eventually. So it is "open" until it starts to slip.

 

what would you all suggest for my forester.

stock struts
swift forester springs
cobb BFSB (big fing sway bars) set to the stiffest
kartboy endlinks in the rear for sure and some aftermarket ones up front that were on the car when I bought it. Last year I just left everything alone, but I was on 06 wrx struts and springs and stock rear endlinks...

 

Pick whatever. It won't really matter that much. Heck, I'm 30% stiffer then a STI, and I'm not changing anything.

Good tires, done.


As far as the rear diff, it depends on which car you own. Basically the base Impreza historically had open rear diffs. The WRXes had the viscous diffs. The 01 RS finally came with a viscous rear diff. And, any car with a winter package would come with the rear viscous diff too.

Most of what makes a Subaru work decent is the symmetrical design. The diffs do a small amount, but they don't really transfer gobs of torque.

You're pretty much forced to install custom diffs or just buy a STI to get any serious type of diff setup.

 

Untrue. Search out the thread Fuji posted about the diff changes in the Forester. The difference in diffs is night and day.

edit: http://mnsubaru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28652

OP, I noticed a definite change in grip and the break loose point after adding sways but it wasn't enough to make me want to mess with the settings every season.