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after installing rstb i have a ?

S

SVTJON87

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
May 29, 2006
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Glen Ellyn, IL
today as I'm waiting for my motor to be cold i installed my RSTB (one of rawburts). now i lined up everything on both sides then took a level to it. leveled it then tightened it down. got up and looked and its not level with the rear deck/ seat openings. now as far as the level goes its level. should i leave it or level it by eye with the rear deck?

or i guess use the traits the strut towers have and line both ends up with that?

no i have not been able to drive it yet as I'm still waiting for my motor to be cold before pulling the uim/lim off.
 
if the body of the car isn't level then the bar isn't going to be parrallel to the rear deck etc ...


I also agree just install and line it up to the same point on both strut towers and you'll be good to go.
 
to those who have the rear strut bar, what exactly does it do, I know it stiffens the chassis, but does it really improve handling, and how does it compare to the front strut bar, which is better, or are they equally important?
 
Last edited:
98TredSVT said:
to those who have the rear strut bar, what exactly does it do, I know it stiffens the chassis, but does it really improve handling, and how does it compare to the front strut bar, which is better, or are they equally important?
Click to expand...

i believe this has all been discussed before.

rstb's help with the cars flexing around broken roads/speedbumps. the cars feels slightly more rigid and composed. imo it just makes the ride more compliant at slower speeds; handling doesnt change much. i believe most people, not all, say that the fstb is not necessary because it is so close to the firewall. some say they can feel a difference others say they dont (i have never used one so i cannot comment).

back to the origonal question:

RawBurt said:
Just throw it in there and tighten it down, it should level itself. Either way, its going to do its job.
Click to expand...
 
I have had both and never really felt a significant difference. The only suspension mods that made a big difference were the Koni kit and the BAT rear sway bar.
 
updates!:
been driving the car around today. over bumps and such the rear is much more ridged. i like that feeling. makes the car feel secure. now as for handling, i would like to say the rear feels more planted on a sharp turn at higher speeds but I'm not sure. something feels different in those turns though. just cant put my finger on it. I also want to say the rear is quieter but i doubt it. (it was silent before) or so i thought.
 
After I installed mine, I noted a tiny bit more oversteer. Didn't help the handling much, but made the car slightly more fun to drive and push into the corners.
 
IIRC the svt contour was designed to have over steer. "the fun factor". with the sway bars and such. I'm pretty sure i read this in a review article a while back.

BUT dont quote me on that.

all in all i like the RSTB.
 
SVTJON87 said:
IIRC the svt contour was designed to have over steer. "the fun factor". with the sway bars and such. I'm pretty sure i read this in a review article a while back.

BUT dont quote me on that.

all in all i like the RSTB.
Click to expand...

Sorry about the "don't quote me on that" comment-I couldn't help.

No automotive engineer will ever design a suspension to oversteer as this is an UNSAFE condition for most drivers and could lead to dreaded litigation. In the event of a loss of steering control you want the car to plow straight ahead. This is understeer. The opposite entails the car doing 180's, 360's, etc. which is a loss of control oversteer situation. You will do way more damage to other vehicles, lamp standards, Armco barriers, etc. if you lose it by spinning out than plowing straight ahead.

For neophytes: plowing/pushing = understeer and loose = oversteer.

Adding a RSTB will provide a noticeable improvement in handling (when pushing the car hard) due to the inherent flex from the large trunk pass-through opening. This a weak point in the chassis. RSTB's are way more useful/noticeable than frt STB's which basically are for looks. Stiffening the chassis s/b the first handling mod done so that the chassis isn't acting as the "5th spring". It is the backbone/spine for all suspension components to attach to.
 
i didnt really notice anything after i installed my RSTB. still dont know where it was originally from. also could be from the fact that the rear struts are blown and thats what im mainly feeling
 
mine is the clamp down style. no bolts. so its rubbing on the towers. needs to be tighter. and that shows it works because my car is flexing out of the driveway.
 
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