remove sway bar

[supersmoothpunk]

why would removing the sway bar from the featured caprice improve traction/speed?

[DanStokes]

The sway bar will tend to keep the front end from lifting under acceleration which negatively impacts drag racing times. For LSR or going around corners you definitely want the sway bar. There is also some weight advantage to removing the bar for a drag strip run but I doubt you would see a big difference.

Along the same line, we used to go to the junk yard and look for worn out shocks (if the car didn't already have a set) to allow the front to rise more easily. You may have heard of 90/10 drag shocks? These are new shocks that allow the front end to lift easily at launch but return slowly back to level. Not the best for street use. Guys - am I being old-school here? Haven't been on a strip in many years.

Oops - forgot to add - removing the sway bar improves drag strip ET's for the reasons stated but actually negatively impacts top speed. The faster you go the more you want the car (especially the nose) down on the track. Removing the bar tends to let the nose lift at speed.

Dan

[CDMBill]

Not a lot has changed Dan. I remove the sway bar for the drags and Drag Week. But put it back for everything else. You can simply remove the links to acheive the goal of freeing up the fornt end travel. On mine the 1.125" bar weighs 22# all by its self 25# with the links and mounts so off it comes when ET really counts.

I don't see any difference in frornt end rise with or without the bar down track, just at the launch. I Think this is very much dependant on other factors.

[DanStokes]

I guess your darn Camaro just acts funny at speed! (Punk - I'm teasing Bill. He sometimes gets told his Mustang is a Camaro for reasons unknown).

Dan

[supersmoothpunk]

I guess your darn Camaro just acts funny at speed! (Punk - I'm teasing Bill. He sometimes gets told his Mustang is a Camaro for reasons unknown).

Dan

I thought it was a mach 1? Does look like a camaro a bit.

[DanStokes]

DING! DING! You win the prize!

Dan

[supersmoothpunk]

DING! DING! You win the prize!

Dan

1972?
whats my prize?

[supersmoothpunk]

I work with a guy who`s got a mach 1 that he`s owed since 1984. Living in the UK they are pretty rare.

[jcharliem]

Yup, by removing the bar... theory is it helps with weight transfer resulting in increased traction and better times. Pffftt... I removed the bar on my Chevelle for that purpose... didn't do a darn thing. Too much of a pain to put back on... it's still leaning against the garage wall.

[BigBlockMopar]

Traction can only be improved if you have wheelspin with the bar installed. Otherwise it's just weight you're shedding.

[Loren]

I work with a guy who`s got a mach 1 that he`s owed since 1984. Living in the UK they are pretty rare.

Pics! I'd bet they're rare in the UK. Just this morning I was driving by a very rarely seen here (in California) Spitfire 1500 thinking that what made an enthusiast car cool in England didn't work so well in the states, and vice-versa.

Oh, to stick with the subject...removing the sway bar, or just the effect caused by bushing bind by disconnecting, is so tiny-minimal, but when you are at the balance point of something that may be all it takes to make a difference. I would guess that you're letting the rear end have another 10-20 lbs. before it would-have otherwise.

[DanStokes]

Loren, of course, is right. I was trying to give the theory but in practice the effect may be pretty limited. Still, guys do it regularly.

Dan

[CDMBill]

BigBlockMopar and Loren have this right in that a lot of cars aren't at the point where it'll make any difference other than weight if removed. But, in the context of dozen's of little changes that add up to a big performance change this is on the list.