Front Swaybar without Endlinks

[camguynj]

Thinking of getting a front swaybar to improve my DD handling a little without upgrading the end links. Was leaning towards the BMR swaybar and installing it on the softest setting. Any comments about upgrading the sway without upgrading the endlinks for a DD.

[BMR Sales]

You "can" upgrade the front sway bar without upgrading the end links. You just risk the possibility of bending or breaking the factory links if you hit a big bump or pot hole. The stiffer sway bar puts additional stress on the somewhat "wimpy" factory end links, so we do recommend upgrading the end links, but it is not 100% mandatory!

The bigger question is....why the front? The 5th Gen Camaro will benefit more from upgrading the rear sway bar, which will help with the understeer seen with the factory bars. So, unless you already have an aftermarket rear bar, my recommendation would be to upgrade the rear first....if you can only do one. Of course, it would be better to upgrade both to balance the front and rear out at the same time, but I understand that sometimes that is not in the available budget!!!

[LimaCharlie]

^^I agree with BMR. The 5th gen Camaro is known for its bad understeer and a bigger rear sway bar will remove some of the understeer tendencies.
The good news is your 2013 SS has the FE4+ suspension which means it has the stronger end links (12mm studs compared to the earlier 10mm studs). You have the same end links as the 1LE, ZL1, and Z/28 (I believe). They will resist bending more. For a DD, I think you will be OK with the stock end links. However, if you start doing autocross or road course racing, I would consider getting better end links.

[JDP Sales]

The 13+ do have stronger endlinks so changing them out is not as important as 10-12, but it's still a good idea.

I would also recommend doing both sway bars at the same time. Your car will already understeer at the limits and a front bar will only make that worse. A rear only can be potentially dangerous as it may introduce oversteer. Sway bars are really about balancing, so I highly recommend doing both front and rear even if you have to run OEM endlinks for a while.

Feel free to call, PM or email me anytime with questions.

Best regards,

Tyler
888-308-6007

[rtcat600man]

All GREAT advice.

From everything I have seen and read over the years being on the forum is, ends links are a nice to have change if money is no object, or if you are tracking the car (road course, SOLO events, etc.) Otherwise the stock end links will hold up fine. Run them and use them until you are forced to replace them. Save the few hundred dollars for other more important mods.

[camguynj]

Originally Posted by BMR Sales

You "can" upgrade the front sway bar without upgrading the end links. You just risk the possibility of bending or breaking the factory links if you hit a big bump or pot hole. The stiffer sway bar puts additional stress on the somewhat "wimpy" factory end links, so we do recommend upgrading the end links, but it is not 100% mandatory!

The bigger question is....why the front? The 5th Gen Camaro will benefit more from upgrading the rear sway bar, which will help with the understeer seen with the factory bars. So, unless you already have an aftermarket rear bar, my recommendation would be to upgrade the rear first....if you can only do one. Of course, it would be better to upgrade both to balance the front and rear out at the same time, but I understand that sometimes that is not in the available budget!!!

Thanks for clarifying, much appreciated.

[camguynj]

Originally Posted by LimaCharlie

^^I agree with BMR. The 5th gen Camaro is known for its bad understeer and a bigger rear sway bar will remove some of the understeer tendencies.
The good news is your 2013 SS has the FE4+ suspension which means it has the stronger end links (12mm studs compared to the earlier 10mm studs). You have the same end links as the 1LE, ZL1, and Z/28 (I believe). They will resist bending more. For a DD, I think you will be OK with the stock end links. However, if you start doing autocross or road course racing, I would consider getting better end links.

Thanks for that info!