-
Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features
Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!
Steeda or aFe Sway-Bar?
- Thread starter MilosDad627
- Start date
The front and rear bars need to be balanced correctly- as I'm sure you all know. For me, on a street driven vehicle, I'd do the PIU front and rear sways and shocks. You better believe that Ford has made some significant investment in engineering to address that market segment. The PIU vehicles are tested pretty extensively and the results made public, so you can bet it's a pretty well balanced vehicle. Otherwise, I'd stick with the Steeda parts. Just my opinion.
-
4
- Show All
- Messages
- 291
- Reactions
- 178
- Points
- 37
- Location
- Sacramento, CA, USA
- Vehicle
- 2021 Explorer ST Carbonized Gray
You're stating above that the Steeda "gives it a good balance" so I'll assume you're talking about the ST and roll balance between front and rear. I'll also assume that if you make that statement you've tested them. You are correct with your statement concerning the need for front and rear sway bars to reap the full benefits of either as it only possible to adjust and balance the roll rate if you have both the front and rear installed (AFE only.).
I would probably go with the AFE rear sway bar due to it's adjustability and overall build. You could follow that in the future with their front bar and know they were designed to work together. This gives you the ability to adjust front to rear. Keep in mind though that sway bars can make you ride stiffer than you want. Plus, there's no real benefit to matching sway bars and tuning the suspension if you only want to go fast in a straight line. It's all in the eyes of the beholder.
Here are the AFE specs. after their testing;
DETAILS:
Here are the AFE specs. after their testing;
DETAILS:
- CNC Bent, Tubular Front & Solid Rear Sway Bars
- Ø38mm (1.5”) Front Sway Bar, 3-Way Adjustment
- 387 lbs/in (31% Stiffer than Stock)
425 lbs/in (44% Stiffer than Stock)
475 lbs/in (61% Stiffer than Stock) - Ø25.4mm (1”) Rear Sway Bar, 3-Way Adjustment
- 227 lbs/in (97% Stiffer than Stock)
260 lbs/in (126% Stiffer than Stock)
290 lbs/in (152% Stiffer than Stock) - 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum Bushing Brackets
- 90A Durometer Polyurethane Bushings
- Durable Red Powder Coat
- Direct Fit Installation Requires No Modifications
- Proudly Made in the USA
-
1
- Show All
IRS cars react to swaybars drastically different than solid axle cars. Again…I can’t find a need for a front bar on this car. It’s 51/49 on the weight balance and it wants more rear bar. It doesn’t want more front bar. Just the rear bar is more than 99% of people will ever put to hard use. The cost and install difficulty on the front bar just make it not a really good buy. The rear bars are worth every penny though.
-
3
- Show All
There are many threads on these sway bars, but the comments here cover the gist of it.
I’ve said many times that for an IRS-equipped vehicle, if you want to take corners tighter (i.e., more over-steer), you only need a larger rear bar and/or stiffer rear dampers. A front bar is just a waste of money. If you want to do it on the cheap, the PIU rear bar (23mm vs 21.7mm for the ST) is only $100. As also mentioned, the PIU shocks are another upgrade. I wouldn’t bother with the PIU front bar since it’s 35mm like the base model (one is hollow, one is solid), and the ST’s front bar is 34mm - the smaller front bar being better for tighter turning.
This chart from my Cobra site sums up all the high points nicely, along with good reading at these links:
http://terminator-cobra.com/suspension.htm
http://terminator-cobra.com/chassis & steering.htm
I’ve said many times that for an IRS-equipped vehicle, if you want to take corners tighter (i.e., more over-steer), you only need a larger rear bar and/or stiffer rear dampers. A front bar is just a waste of money. If you want to do it on the cheap, the PIU rear bar (23mm vs 21.7mm for the ST) is only $100. As also mentioned, the PIU shocks are another upgrade. I wouldn’t bother with the PIU front bar since it’s 35mm like the base model (one is hollow, one is solid), and the ST’s front bar is 34mm - the smaller front bar being better for tighter turning.
This chart from my Cobra site sums up all the high points nicely, along with good reading at these links:
http://terminator-cobra.com/suspension.htm
http://terminator-cobra.com/chassis & steering.htm
-
5
- Show All
