Sway Bar Differences?

[blackmagnum06]

I Wanted To Know If The Hotchkis/st Sway Bars Are More Stiffer Then The Srt Sway Bars. Or Is It The Same?

Let Me Know

[formerice]

I'm 99% sure the Hotchkis are stiffer. SRT and RT are the same, but the struts are different.

[Super T]

Correct, Hotchkis are much stiffer than stock RT or SRT. ST and Eibach don't publish their stiffness numbers, while Hotchkis publishes the % difference over stock. 30-something % stiffer in front and like 150% stiffer in rear. That's why I chose them over the other guys, they're willing to tell you how they perform.

[Mighty Noid]

Read this...
It is on the Charger forum...
http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46884&highlight=sway+bars

[2005rtmag]

The only sway bar I've ever had that broke was the factory hollow 5/8" bar on the rear of my 95 Mark VIII Lincoln. I replaced it with a solid 1 1/8" Addco bar. Tremendous difference in the handling and did not oversteer.

The ST bars are solid.

Addco makes a hollow rear bar for our cars. It's about $160 from Summit. It may be all you need to balance the handling. Go to their web site and look up Chrysler 300.

[Charg-um@BMC Performance]

Sway bars are the easiest mod to feel the difference with I think.

First mod I always do.

[Super T]

^^ I agree, they make a killer difference in handling.

[Ali"i 300C]

Read somewhere that the police version sways are much stiffer, and might be a cheaper fix...anyone have details?

..........my bad, just read the link above that covers the cop version. Anyone done that?

[lmbcfls]

Diameter does not tell the entite story. Hollow bars are typically "stiffer" than solid bars -- a hollow bar will give the same benefit as a larger solid bar. The length of the bar between the outside (outboard) holes is critical - some bars offer several mounting points for the end links, to allow for varying lengths (which allows for varying the bar's stiffness), and (at least in theory) dialing in the desired oversteer/understeer characteristics. A shorter bar will be stiffer than a longer one, with the same diameter.

[critten1]

Read somewhere that the police version sways are much stiffer, and might be a cheaper fix...anyone have details?

..........my bad, just read the link above that covers the cop version. Anyone done that?

This was done a few months back. There was a pretty extensive discussion on this. Even measurements were taken of the widths of the different swaybars.

[bradkaye]

I just know it's a night and day difference, especially with the rear sway. I did the SRT upgrade along with my front swaybar 6 months after I got the car and loved that performance upgrade. 2 years later, I finally ponied up the cash to have the rear installed.

I'm kinda glad I did the rear swaybar at a different time, because it was amazing to feel, with all other things being equal, (shocks, struts, springs, tires,) it totally transformed the peformance of the car. With the Hotchkis addition, you're truly cornering at the limits of the tires and I'm all too aware of the 420 treadwear rating of my Toyo's. My ESP engages more now than ever, (even when it's 1/3 disabled,) because the car just holds.. holds... holds until the tires let loose.

Steering input becomes much more precise, it's hard to explain, but I can feel the rear of the car respond to small steering movements in a turn now.

The only downside is that it really makes for a rough ride on seamed concrete. Living in Georgia where I've got mostly blacktop, it's not too much of an issue, but if I were living in Michigan I would probably opt not to go for this level of performance on a daily driver... it'll shake your fillings loose.

Aw heck. I'd probably rather have loose fillings than slushy suspension.