Vf suspension upgrade

[Forg]

does it already have FE3 in it then?? I have a VF1 SSV Redline and it came with the FE3 setup and honestly I like it, maybe some new standard shocks would be just as good as anything aftermarket.

The SS-V is suspensionally the same as an SS.

 

[mpower]

The SS-V is suspensionally the same as an SS.

ah ok, must just be FE3 in the Redline then. I had a sneaking suspicion it was but wasn't 100% sure.

 

[RevNev]

ah ok, must just be FE3 in the Redline then. I had a sneaking suspicion it was but wasn't 100% sure.

FE3 is in the Redlines, springs are FE2, shocks are a bit softer than FE2 with larger (stiffer) sway bars. FE2/FE3 is pretty good except for the ride height that encourages most to change them for something lower and more visually appealing.

 

[RevNev]

I have a VF1 SSV Redline and it came with the FE3 setup and honestly I like it,

My daily drive is a VF2 SV6 ute (FE2) and I fitted a set of King SL's in the front to lower it a bit, stock shocks and left the rear stock and replaced the 12mm rear sway bar with a 16mm (Maloo) sway bar or VE Evoke sedan bar (same part). On a set of 18" Bridgestone RE003's (stock wheels) the ride and handling balance is extremely good for a minor inexpensive tweak!

 

[Cfb_rolley]

Sway bars is something I think people overlook far too often. It's not expensive to do and can make a pretty good difference to how the car handles without having to go with springs so stiff that you put your back out over bumps. I've had two R31s in my time, one I went with stiffer springs, the other I went with bigger sway bars and hands down the sway bars were a far better option for comfort and handling.

That said, I have no idea how VFs in particular respond to sway bars and I'd like to hear from a few people that have done swaybars in a VF, every car is different. They could very well be big enough already, or they may benefit very much from big sway bars being a heavier car.

 

[mpower]

My daily drive is a VF2 SV6 ute (FE2) and I fitted a set of King SL's in the front to lower it a bit, stock shocks and left the rear stock and replaced the 12mm rear sway bar with a 16mm (Maloo) sway bar or VE Evoke sedan bar (same part). On a set of 18" Bridgestone RE003's (stock wheels) the ride and handling balance is extremely good for a minor inexpensive tweak!

Redline FE3 sway bar is 26mm front and 28mm rear. Helps the car sit very flat in the corners.

 

[Forg]

Redline FE3 sway bar is 26mm front and 28mm rear. Helps the car sit very flat in the corners.

I see you have a VF, at least according to Member's Ride ... they changed the sways for VF2 Redline didn't they? Those specs you've stated are for VF?

 

[RevNev]

Redline FE3 sway bar is 26mm front and 28mm rear. Helps the car sit very flat in the corners.

Heavy sway bars are a "road car" thing to reduce body roll with soft springs and maintain comfort but performance wise they're bad. Instead of pushing the tyres into the road surface as a spring does, a sway bar lifts the inside tyre off the road surface and reduces traction potential by 50% on each axle. On a race car, sway bars are a tuning tool complementing spring rate to change the handling balance of the car between understeer and oversteer. It's the reason Supercars have driver adjustable sway bars as the driver can't stop mid race for a quick spring rate change or shock adjustment. Sway bars in the wet are often disabled totally to increase traction.

Interestingly, the HSV cars don't use the heavy FE3 sway bars and that was largely implemented by Mark Skaife who spent a lot of time with HSV track testing various suspension combinations in VF. The Maloo sway bar setup I've fitted to my SSVR ute with stiffer springs (Kings and Monroe GT Sport shocks), is massively better than the stiffer FE3 bars I removed. Particularly in the rear to maximise traction out of corners (limit wheel spin), a car works best with no rear sway bar. Ultimately, sway bars are compromise device to limit body roll and maintain comfort, they're not a real performance enhancement the way that optimum spring rates and shock dampening functions. Holden realised in VF2, the massive FE3 rear bar in VF1 didn't work and they softened the sedan rear end with alternate pick up points to change the rear bar lever ratio.

 

[harrop.senator]

On a race car, sway bars are a tuning tool complementing spring rate to change the handling balance of the car between understeer and oversteer.

Totally agree with you. I always run "over stiff" springs for most. But I think it's from coming up on cars I used to track that were registered and living in bad farming areas.

My daily WL statesman has 600-1100 lb rears in it , 40 series front tyres 35 rear and I still think it's luxury af. It's all personal preference.

One of the things I don't like about big sway bars on road is mid corner bump steer. If there's a pot hole as the spring and sway bar loads up hard and then comes out flat in a second and can upset the car.

I've always removed rear sway bars from irs Datsuns for track and added more spring. Kept the tyre contact patch better and the shorter range of motion keeps the alignment where you want it.

The 31 had dual rear sway bars but was live axle and set up for drift.

Have a 32 GTR sway bar here for the 180 but don't know if I'll run it. I bought the car as an ex track roller and rear sway bar was removed. Mate was cleaning the shed out so grabbed it in case.

At the end of the day it's a street car though. If comfort bothers you that much I think sway bars are a good option after some progressive springs that are lighter or same as stock on the starting rate.

 

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