GAGT sway bar installation

[ChevelleSSLS6]

With my STB installed it feels a little better, so I'm looking into GAGT sway bars. What parts do I need (front and rear sway bar, duh... what else?) ? Are the bushings the same, are there provisions for the rear sway bar in the GASEs?

Any installation how-to or tips?
thanks,
matt

[PontiacGT]

Uh.........


Try the "how-to" section :roll2:

[XoticGA]

Originally posted by PontiacGT
Uh.........


Try the "how-to" section :roll2:

:roll: Instead of just being a smarty.. you could try to help him..


I looked, Matt and didn't come up with anything... I imagine you did the same and came up empty handed...

Thanks for the help, PontiacGT :bigok:

[DontPassTheFence]

dont the new GAGTs come with a front sway bar? IIRC pfyc.com should have some sway bars... I know atleast one company out there makes some!

[Bjornboy81]

if you're only going to do one sway bar, do the back. In a front wheel drive car that's really the one that matters...it'll help keep both front wheels down on hard turns.

[DontPassTheFence]

Originally posted by Bjornboy81
if you're only going to do one sway bar, do the back. In a front wheel drive car that's really the one that matters...it'll help keep both front wheels down on hard turns.

Yep; and on that note, I cant understand why my 97gagt came with a front sway bar from the factory and not the rear one as well!! (and yea, the car is equipped with both FE3 and FE7 packages...)

[Bjornboy81]

...that's messed up....

[JoeyK]

Originally posted by DontPassTheFenc
Yep; and on that note, I cant understand why my 97gagt came with a front sway bar from the factory and not the rear one as well!! (and yea, the car is equipped with both FE3 and FE7 packages...)

Because understeer is alot easier for a common person to deal with as opposed to oversteer.

[coupe]

There is a "how-to" on gagt.com with pics.

[SilverGA2001]

I'd suggest while you were down there, you might as well get some Energy Suspension bushings. I didn't at first, and used the bushings that came with the sway bar from PFYC, they are supposed to fit into the factory bracket, but I had a problem where they weren't exactly filling up the bracket like they should, and the bushings shifted side to side, making an unusual popping noise. Replaced them with ES bushings and never had the problem again, and the zirk fittings make lubricating a snap.

As far as doing a front bar, I disagree with others on that issue. But then, it's still up to you.

[jayhawk]

Originally posted by JoeyK
Because understeer is alot easier for a common person to deal with as opposed to oversteer.

Sad but true. :sad2:

[ChevelleSSLS6]

Oversteer is a lot more fun, and so long as the car doesn't go perpendicular to the road it's not too bad.

I live in michigan so it's normal to see rwd vehicles using throttle steer and fwd guys using e-brakes on turns. The rest of the people just go really really slow. <edit: this applies to snowy/icy road conditions

Can someone post a link (or cut-n-paste) the article from GAGT.com? I'm not a member there.

[JayDoc]

Here you go: rear sway bar install (http://www.grandamgt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14989).

I installed both front/rear PFYC sway bars. The rear is pretty easy and I definitely recommend getting the ES greasable bushings. The modification to the brackets is simple if you have a bench grinder or a dremel. The front is much easier to install if you have access to a lift because you need to lower the subframe.

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by JayDoc
Here you go: rear sway bar install (http://www.grandamgt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14989).

I installed both front/rear PFYC sway bars. The rear is pretty easy and I definitely recommend getting the ES greasable bushings. The modification to the brackets is simple if you have a bench grinder or a dremel. The front is much easier to install if you have access to a lift because you need to lower the subframe.


I agree with that. The rear is easy. The ES bushings really made it all worth it. Just curious, which bushings did you use up front?

[JayDoc]

I used pn 355-9-5164G, 1 1/8" greaseable, from Jeg's.

[96GreenGaGT]

i like oversteer. much easier to manage for me then understeer. my 96 has oversteer. dunno why the newer ga's are understeer.... or maybe i'm wrong about mine... but it seems like it has oversteer because i don't have to turn the wheel much to make it turn at slower speeds... and jerkin the wheel like less than half an inch at higher speeds causes the car to turn drastically.

drifting oversteered cars are a lot of fun but not many people really know how to actually drive a fwd car with oversteer.....or understeer even...

[nathan_w1]

What are you doing to get a FWD car to oversteer?

[ChevelleSSLS6]

Originally posted by nathan_w1
What are you doing to get a FWD car to oversteer?

in snowy and icy conditions, hold throttle at entry of turn, and a little into the turn let off throttle, and the back end might swing... a little. this is from experience with my 2000 SE.

my best friend has a 95 SE quad4 and he says he can get oversteer easy.

[nathan_w1]

I've done that before, the few times that we actually get snow in Georgia. I was under the impression he was doing that on dry pavement.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

ok to answer the original Q, GT swaybars are bigger than SE sway bars, so yes, you would need new bushings. So if you can get GT swaybars for cheap, they will help a little.

[DontPassTheFence]

Originally posted by nathan_w1
What are you doing to get a FWD car to oversteer?

My 97 GAGT gets oversteer but only under hard braking when entering a corner, then rolling off the brake while holding a steady steering input, and then if the turn is sharp enough, or enough road/room is provided, I can then kick the clutch, a bit of heel-toe, and use the throttle to get more oversteer, but then that quickly induces good ol' understeer and the car will start to move to the outside of the turn (which is good for complex-apex corners, even though Ive never encountered any)

[Peyman]

hey where did you guys get the ES bushings from? got a part #?

[GregFarz78]

The rear is easy to install but I recommend greasable bushings or you'll be removing your sway bar every few months to regrease it, the front is a little more difficult you have to drop the subframe if you don't have a lift have it installed for you professionally

[Silver71]

Holy thread revive.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

i know right? wtg peyman!

Now to correct myself from 2 years ago, *ahem*, the front bar's are the same size, SE and GT, the rear is larger on the GT's. You'll need the middle bushings from the GT, but the endlinks are the same size, oddly enough. The GT bar is one thickness all the way through, while the SE is thick on the endlinks and narrows down.

Edit: You can get the rear bar cheap at a junkyard, and it's barely a 1/2 hour install... makes the rear feel firmer compared to the se bar.

[Ralph]

these PFYC bars are nuts but the front took a while even on the lift

[88si]

So is there much difference between the PFYC GT rear and the stock GT rear sway? I'm looking to upgrade the rear for autocross. If there's no real difference, I'll try to get a junkyard one or just order one from Pontiac if possible.

[Ralph]

Huge difference. I can't remember the sizes but there is a picture floating around showing it.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

yea, like i said, the junkyard gt sway bar is the $10 budget upgrade

[88si]

Dang - if I can't get the pfyc before the season, I'll hunt around for a GT one then.

Thanks guys.