I have a 100% stock lX, and i would like to do a few things to make it handle a little better, but i have no idea where to begin.

I have searched, and searched, but it seems one person says i put in a rear strut tower brace, or rs trunk bar and i could not believe the difference, while someone else will say, that was the biggest waste of money, and to get a rear sway bar...

but others will say that the rear sway is not making the car handle any better just makes it seem like it?

would it be better to get a new front and rear sway instead of just a rear???


so what is a good way to start on the suspension?? i dont track the car, and prob. wont. but i do go out to the mountains and canyons.

thanks for any help

 

A bigger rear sway bar will make the biggest handling improvement on the car if you change nothing else and make the car more neutral (less understeer). Most of the chassis/suspension guru's don't recommend you run a front sway bar on the Evo because it can cause the front tire to lift on hard turns, causing a loss in traction.

A rear strut will improve chassis rigidity and to a small degree handling but that is not necessarily going to be felt like the addition of a rear sway bar.

 

• A rear sway bar will NOT make the biggest handling improvement. Not at ALL. It might have the biggest impact on changing the dynamics of the suspension, but that doesn't mean it's an improvement. You do NOT want to just add a rear sway bar. That is a poor suggestion.
  
• We already have a front sway bar. No need to touch it.
  
• There are no rear struts and therefore no use in getting a rear strut bar. They are only for show.

Now, to the OP. If you don't plan to race but want a balanced and PROPER suspension setup, then just do something basic like the Megan coilovers for around $800, get the car corner balanced, and get a nice alignment. Then, be sure to have NICE tires (like the stockers), because a good suspension is pretty useless without proper tires. This will give you a lower center of gravity, stiffer spring rates, proper damping, and proper balance/geometry throughout the car without spending much. Yeah, in a racing environment, it wouldn't be at the top, but for your purposes, it should work well.

 

My answer was based on the 3 criteria mentioned by the OP and whether or not they were worthwile starting points. He spoke about a rear strut bar, adding just the rear sway bar or adding both front and rear. He made no mention of coilovers.

FWIW, Mueller does offer a Stage I upgrade which is just the RRE adjustable rear sway bar, rear trailing arm bushings and an alignment by John based on the customers needs. All done using the stock springs and struts. I do agree with your recommendation, but coilovers were never mentioned by the OP.

 

might be little OT...but what would be the best coil-over (2 or 3 way adjstable) for the EVO9

I currently run a KW V3 clubsport and i am not fully content...


what would be an alternative in a comparbale price range (up to 2500 US$)?

THX.

 

T51, he didn't specify just those parts. He was clearly confused and asking for help on what would be best for him to upgrade for his purposes. In my opinion, that would be a mild set of coilovers. We also spoke in PMs, and he is aware that just doing springs + sway bar is not a good idea. However, going with a package like the Robi Basic is a good idea. Yes, that package has springs, rear sway, and bushings, but the key is that the parts are all designed and tested to complement one another beautifully. A properly configured set of coilovers will still beat that combo, but it's not a bad choice for people who don't want coils. I just don't want people to get random springs + random sway and think it's the same as Robi Basic.

VOLFLO, why are you not satisfied with your KWs? I would guess that it's not the coils themselves that are not satisfying you but rather how your car is setup and your driving. Did Robi setup your KWs, or did you just buy them and install them? With the proper combo of mods, corner balancing, and a proper alignment, those should go BEYOND satisfying you.

 

For someone who does not track their car that much but is still looking for a more capable car, I would recommend a Robispec basic-type package over the Megans. Especially for a daily driver guy/girl that is not interested in messing with coilovers too much.

I personally would rather the robi basic set-up even with a lot track time.

- Andrew