[jimbo1320]

Does anyone know the sizes of our sway bars? I want to compare stock vs D3 vs 2016. I don't plan on racing but would like a little faster turn in. My 04 was greatly improved by adding the Hotchkis kit. One of the best thing I did.

I called D3 to get the specs on their bars but no one seems to know. I am waiting for a call as someone is looking into it for me. I also want to know if their bars are hollow or solid. If anyone can shed some light on this subject I would appreciate it. I know they will be a pain to install but it can't be any worse than a lower pulley change or a heat exchanger install. Thanks.

 

[V Wagon]

Service Parts catalog says the stock front is 29 mm. Not sure if solid or hollow but going to guess solid because the rear bar is 25.4 and specifically states it is hollow.

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On another note, I have no idea what this bar came on aside from a sigma sedan of some form. But part number 25901287 is a 31 mm front bar that exists as a factory part for something.

It also appears AWD base cars got a 33 mm bar, part number 25751736. Not sure how big you are looking to go but it looks like GM made bigger bars for base cars than the V's got in the front.

There are 18,19, and 24 mm rear bars on other CTSes. All say hollow and none helpful as they are all smaller than stock. But an indicator that all the front bars are probably solid.

 

[jimbo1320]

Thanks for the info. I'm looking into Renick enginering bars. The front is 35mm and hollow. The rear is 27mm and is solid. I thought I read that the 2016 "V" has a bit larger sways than ours at 27mm front and 26 rear. I'm still waiting to hear from D3 on their bars. I won't hold my breath.

 

[V Wagon]

I'd be interested in knowing how big the D3 bars are as well, if they do actually answer let us know what they come back with.

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I'm not sure how helpful the V3 bars would be being from Alpha and not Sigma.

 

[jb_bgg]

FYI - 99% sure D3 and Renick are the same specs and bars; look at the pics on both sites.

 

[jimbo1320]

I will post all info I receive. The bars do look pretty much the same though a mm one way or the other would be hard to see from pics.

 

[AAIIIC]

The fact that apparently nobody at D3 can immediately tell you the sizes (or give you a comparison to stock sizing) to me speaks volumes about the sort of "tuning" going on there. Same thing I said in the Renick thread a while back.

On another note, I have no idea what this bar came on aside from a sigma sedan of some form. But part number 25901287 is a 31 mm front bar that exists as a factory part for something.

According to this site, that bar is spec'd for 2010 and 2011 sedans and wagons. (Their online catalog appears to only go to 2011, so the '12-13 cars may have been the same.) If you click on the image on that page, and then go to part #30 (the front sway bar), you can see there are 4 different bars listed for different years and option packages. Unfortunately, it doesn't list the size data that you were able to find.

 

[V Wagon]

You mentioned there being one more front sway bar size than I gave. So I looked that one up too. It is 15250259 on the site, listed as for an FE1. That bar is 24 mm. So not really any help, unless someone wants to do a cheap experiment as that is the only way to reduce understeer using bars you would find in a junkyard.

The 31mm factory bar is REALLY cheap on that site.

 

[tinman]

And what is the material used? Different steels have different torsional rigidity(ies).

 

[jimbo1320]

Ekk!

 

[V Wagon]

I was trying to find the OE bar material for reference (haven't found it yet). That 33 mm bar from the AWD cars, way different (shorter), would never work on a V. The other bars for the base cars wouldn't clear a V oil pan.

 

[V Wagon]

I took a cross section of the stock bar, the assumption that it was solid because it didn't say it was hollow seems to be invalid. 4.6 mm wall hollow bar is what it shows to be. It measures 29 mm in the math to match what the service parts catalog said. I still didn't find the material listed.

 

[tinman]

I was just interested in what material because I could possibly make some. On the other hand, it sounds as if it would be difficult to duplicate these, but we do have the capabilities in our fabrication shop.

 

[jimbo1320]

Called D3 again today. Ans. was new tooling and manufacture 2-6 weeks for new bars to come in. At that time we will find out the sizes? New ones will be different size than old ones, so I'm told. Something doesn't sound wright to me.

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Good luck on finding the material the bars are made of. Could make a difference the way the bar reacts overall.

 

[tinman]

Called D3 again today. Ans. was new tooling and manufacture 2-6 weeks for new bars to come in. At that time we will find out the sizes? New ones will be different size than old ones, so I'm told. Something doesn't sound wright to me.

Agreed. No one changes sizes and designs "just because".

 

[V Wagon]

D3 is advertising bars they don't even have designs for? WTF?

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Material is SAE 1020 equivalent, bars are heat treated and shot peaned as well. Having looked at the drawing now I can confirm the 29 mm OD and 4.6 mm wall thickness of the hollow front bar.

Rear sedan/coupe bar is 25.4 mm with a 3.81 mm wall. Looks like the wagons actually have a 24 mm rear bar with a 3.60 mm wall. Rears are SAE 10B21-M or 4130 and can be ERW or DOM. Also heat treated/shot peaned. Despite the size difference both bars use the same bushing. So a wagon could actually use the sedan bar as a bigger bar upgrade and not even need new bushings.

 

[tinman]

Nice find, V Wagon.

For us to make these is not worth the effort with them being heat treated.