Swaybars- Whiteline VS. Jap brands

[~Hypnotik~]

I'm planning on ordering some Whiteline adjustable swaybars for my S13 today, but I've heard good and bad stories about the Whiteline bars. I don't know which to believe.

Has anyone compared the Whiteline bars to a Jap brand such as Cusco, ARC or Nismo? Is it really worth paying almost double the price of the Whiteline bars for a quality Jap brand?

Please help!!

[franks]

if you had a race car, maybe.

[sidewaymambo]

Tell us what's good and bad people told you? sounds interesting.

What I understand is that the material used to make swaybar in OZ all use same tube/beam from BHP (or similar), unless someone import the material from oversea..

Some use tube to make swaybar..

[T0nyGTSt]

Bars are bars are bars.

As long as the tube has minimum flex or the desired flex or the right weight, how can you go wrong.

eg. are Japanese strut braces better than Aussie ones?

T.

[franks]

id say design is also crucial in terms of what is better...for example, front strut braces that go back towards the firewall instead of just straight from strut top to strut top could be advantageous? or, cusco's triangular rear strut brace?

i'd say they'd be much better than aussie made ones simply because they've spent the R&D dollars...

[46n2]

i dunno, but I've got an ARC swaybar on the front and it's shibby

[Sydneykid]

Hi guys, interesting topic. We can have the "quality" argument for ever after all spring steel is spring steel right? And the Japanese buy their spring steel from Australia anyway.

For me the issue not one of quality but one of range and fit for purpose.

Firstly range, if I want a 22 mm rear stabiliser bar for an R32 I can get quite a few brands, but if I want a 24 mm one, then it's Whiteline. Ditto the front, if I want a 24 mm front stabiliser bar for an R32 I can get quite a few brands, but if I want a 27 mm one, then it's Whiteline. If I want adjustable bars then it's Whiteline.

Fit for purpose, does it do the job that is was bought to do. I buy stabiliser bars to control the roll and fine tune the chassis balance. If a buy a 22 mm bar I expect to get a 22 mm bar, I expect to to fit on the car and not to break. To me the Whiteline bars do this. Now if I was a show and shine kinda guy, maybe the story would be different. Those shiny Japanese brand name bars sure do look smick, plus the name carries some cred.

So I reckon any extra cost is for looks and cred not functionality, if its looks you're after then you are probably prepared to pay the extra for the Japanese brands. If you are only chasing function then I see nothing wrong with Whiteline.

Regarding strut braces, there is a growing trend in Japan to link the brace back to the firewall. Sure this adds a modicum of extra strength, but you should see the damage after an accident! Noting that a firewall is a very structural member on a chassis and is very expensive to replace. I have seen a $2,000 accident covered by insurance, turn into a $10,000 accident not covered by insurance, by using a firewall mounted strut brace.

I can easily change the wheels back to standard for insurance purposes, but it is impossible to disguise a firewall mounted strut brace after the damage has occurred.

Hope that adds to the thread

[(B1) MR_fanny]

is it any better to have 27mm front sway bars compared to the 24mm ones?? whiteline adj are set for 24-27mm adjustment rite?? im still waitin for those to arrive. was lookin on nengun and saw some cusco ones for 190...had second thoughts about the whitelines because of the cusco wow factor...then figured that hey theyre not even adjustable and i could easily buy 2 whiteline ones with change for the money it would costs to buy 2 cusco ones.

[skyline]

There is nothing at all wrong with aust. made products (whiteline) we lead the world in so many areas that we dont have to follow like sheep what japan and usa are doing!!!!Im on my second set of whiteline bars and they have transformed the way my 96 gts-t handles.

Regards,

SKYLINE (Kym)....

[Silver-Arrowz]

is it any better to have 27mm front sway bars compared to the 24mm ones??  whiteline adj are set for 24-27mm adjustment rite?? im still waitin for those to arrive.  was lookin on nengun and saw some cusco ones for 190...had second thoughts about the whitelines because of the cusco wow factor...then figured that hey theyre not even adjustable and i could easily buy 2 whiteline ones with change for the money it would costs to buy 2 cusco ones.

It's personal choice you perfer 24mm or 27mm. Some may find that 27mm at the front will oversteer too much, some may not.

With the adjustable ones you can tune the setup to your driving style. Fixed ones you have to adjust your driving style to the setup.

If your after wow factor, jap ones. If you want something to get the job done, Whiteline. I've used adjustable Whiteline sways on my old WRX and GTR. They did the job very well. Even wacked one on my dad's old Daewoo espero for laughs. Gave my mates Pulsar SSS a hard time through corners.

[Sydneykid]

It's personal choice you prefer 24mm or 27mm. Some may find that 27mm at the front will oversteer too much, some may not.

Hi SA, slight correction there, larger front bar (27 mm compared to 24 mm) will result in less oversteer or more understeer, which ever way you want to describe it.

A larger rear bar (22 mm to 24 mm) will result in more oversteer or less understeer, which ever way you want to describe it.

You are right adjustable are great for getting the balance just right for your tastes. Problem is many people buy them and just whack'em on the hardest setting and never change them. In that case adjustables are a waste of money, they should have just bought the hardest ones in the first place.

Bottom line, if you really want to spend the time adjusting them, then buy them. If you just want to stick them on and forget about it, then save your money and buy fixed ones.

Hope that adds to the thread