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ORIGINAL: niteryder
wut is the difference between a tie bar and a sway bar, and which works better for suspension?
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A tie bar can be thought of as a 'bridge' that connects ('ties' together...hence the name) the mounting points for your suspension. In essence it is a chassis brace that braces the area where the struts and/or suspension arms connect to the chassis. A car will handle best if the chassis is stiff (does not flex) and all of the flexing is done by the suspension itself.
A sway bar is basically a torsion bar (somewhat like an unfurled spring) that connects both sides of the suspension (left and right). The sway bar basically increases the spring rate (resistance) of the suspension when the car goes around corners. Another name for a sway bar is an 'anti-roll bar' because the inreased spring rate works to reduce body roll (sway) when the car is cornering. Reduced sway allows for better tire grip and so it can change the handling aspects of the car.
Both of these things help the car to handle better; they just do it via different methods. IMHO a sway bar (particularly a rear one) will have a more profound effect on a car's overall handling than a tie bar.
-Trevor
tie vs. sway
