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This is the 7/8". After installing my Aussie bar, I decided there is no way a Contour should ever have more rear roll resistance than that. A 7/8" solid (this one) or a 15/16" hollow (Aussie) are essentially the same except one is a little lighter. With either one, you will have more rollbar-induced bias to oversteer than you need, even with the 20mm non-SVT front bar. There are a huge number of other suspension parameters that need to be addressed before you can get more effective rear roll stiffness. I'm lifting my inside tire on tires that are not all that sticky, so until I get 60/40 weight distribution and much higher spring rates, I have as much stiffness as can be used by the car.
I don't know if you were hoping for the 1" or 7/8", but I thought I'd take this opportunity to state that testing has shown the Aussie to be very close to overkill, and that anything stiffer is of no benifit.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Well I have my custom 1" hollow, heat-treated bar in my car now -- and I love it. The weight difference between the solid BAT bar and mine is amazing, and even a few pounds on a suspension component does matter. My bars will be available for purchase next month, once I get back from Cougarfest and come with poly bushings and stronger endlinks (I've seen too many Cougars break the endlinks, so I designed new ones).
E1
1999 Cougar - Supercharged 3L
1992 Talon TSi - AWD Turbo
1992 Eclipse GSX - AWD Turbo
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Originally posted by EternalOne:
Well I have my custom 1" hollow, heat-treated bar in my car now -- and I love it. The weight difference between the solid BAT bar and mine is amazing, and even a few pounds on a suspension component does matter.
The swaybar is the one suspension component where weight is minimal in effect. The only unsprung weight on the thing is the ends, and then only 1/2 the weight counts since it's hinged.
Quote:
My bars will be available for purchase next month, once I get back from Cougarfest and come with poly bushings and stronger endlinks (I've seen too many Cougars break the endlinks, so I designed new ones).
E1
What's wrong with Stazis endlinks?
Please PM me! I'll cancel this to make yours happen if it's a better product. You omitted one major detail: wall thickness. How thick is the tubing you used? You bar could be either stiffer than the Aussie (bad thing!), or less stiff than the BAT (possibly bad). Fill me in on the details!
Remember people, stiffer is not always better! We have independant suspensions for a reason: why make them less independant? There is more than enough bar on a stock Contour to keep body roll in check, so the bars should be used for tuning of handling at the limits. However, spring rates, ride height, wheel size, tire choice: those all matter here too! There is no "right bar", but I feel the 21mm (13/16, really) BAT bar in the rear with the 19mm front SVT bar will provide the roll stiffness and handling balance that a high-end suspension needs. A 20mm front will work well with the Addco, BAT, or Aussie.
So please: stiffer is not better! Look at that picture above. If I used all four tires to corner, I could make it around the corner faster. I'm hoping to correct that with spring rates, but we'll see. Suspension tuning is just that: tuning. Extremes are NEVER good. Big wheels are bad, but really small wheels are slow too. Lots of camber helps you corner, but kills you in the straights... it's always something in the middle that will be the fastest.
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1. 98_HO_Contour
2. SVT4STV
3. GetLuckier151
4. SvtEdwardo420
5. Res
6. RG
7. BlackwidowSVTT
8. KingpinSVT - maybe
9. tropictour
10. Mkingracing
11. Blackfoot
12. Morbid - if no Aussie.
13. lbizboy - NECO
14. SoonerLove - NECO
15. tnkgurl - NECO
16. predator - NECO
17. vodfan - NECO
18. aircougar - NECO
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It seems there is no more interest. I don't know what happened to all the people waiting for the other GB, but I guess they don't want in. We don't have enough for my GB, but Eternal 1 says he can do something. I'd just order the Addco bar for $160 shipped from shox.com (you need to look under Contour) if you want it now, or wait for E1 if you don't need it until next season.
BTW:
My testing is complete, and I've determined a few things:
Aussie bar/Addco is way too much for stock suspension. BAT 21mm is a much better balance. This holds true for any springs with rates similar to stock as far as f/r stiffness ratios. The stock suspension is a compromise. Soft springs don't do well with heavy loads, so Ford put stiffer springs in the rear than the weight distribution would call for, so as to deal with rear seat passengers and trunk cargo. They balanced these springs with the stiff front swaybar. You can beef up the rear bar to match, but then you have rear rates that are too high, and you lose traction. This is a very nose-heavy car, so you'll never get really tail-happy like a Porsche or other rear-heavy car, but you'll tripod when cornering, which lifts the car off the ground and puts MORE weight on the overworked front tire, and you lose some of the benefits of the stiff bar.
With Ground Control coilovers, the rates go up much more in the front than the rear. They are balanced with the car at 65/35 (525#/280#) so that a race-ready car will get the best handling. The Aussie/Addco bar works perfectly with these spring rates. All four wheels stay put, but handling is neutral for a fwd 65/35 car.
That said, if you get the Addco/Aussie for street use, you'll probably not ever notice the extra stiffness, so it won't hurt you to get the Addco if E1 ever comes through for $100 or less. It's only during track time that you'll push it hard enough to see the difference.
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hey all, per Phil's reco i ordered the Addco sway bar from shox.com yesterday for $129. i spoke with Daryl there this morning. he said that Addco was shocked to hear someone actually ordering one since they have never even made one before!  looks like i get to be the guinea pig on this one. they said itll take 4-8 weeks to be done. maybe if some more people order some things will speed up.
btw its 22mm bar. 1mm over the bat bar and not a 23mm stazi bar in sight 
ps ill post pics when it comes in.
Last edited by svt4stv; 08/23/05 04:12 PM.
Originally posted by Tourgasm:
Sometimes you can mess up a word so bad that spell check doens't know what the hell you're talking about.
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Joined: May 2003
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Originally posted by svt4stv:
I ordered the Addco sway bar from shox.com yesterday for $129. They said itll take 4-8 weeks to be done.
D'ya have any updates from Addco - after one month of waiting?
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 246
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
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Question,
Would some type of subframe connector alleviate this "Tripoding" that you (auto-x fil) experienced?
'00 CSVT Koni/B&G (New), SCA intake, 18 inch Falken Circuit Spec (gunmetal), CF hood, Headlights by Dan, Mirko, deleted front license plate/painted chrome ring. Headers/y pipe installed - TruBendz Borla system no Res and optimized TB. Getting there!
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Joined: Aug 2004
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Addicted CEG\'er
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Originally posted by R_G:
Originally posted by svt4stv:
I ordered the Addco sway bar from shox.com yesterday for $129. They said itll take 4-8 weeks to be done.
D'ya have any updates from Addco - after one month of waiting?
still waiting that reminds me i need to call and see what's up. they said it could take up to 8 weeks.
AutoXfil said subframe connectors could increase chances of tripoding but i discussed this with Stazi who said the opposite. he said the whole point of them is to keep all four wheels on the ground. 
Originally posted by Tourgasm:
Sometimes you can mess up a word so bad that spell check doens't know what the hell you're talking about.
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I might be interested, pending the results of svt4stv's bar.
A Contour is not just a car, it's an experience
99 T-Red SE Zetec ATX
Born April 16, 1999
98 E0 Silver Frost CSVT
#3175/3565
Born August 21st, 1997
Stored at P.R.T. for the winter
67 Mustang 289 project car
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