BT Tech Front Swaybar?

I have been "toying" around with the idea of producing a larger diameter front swaybar for the Prius. I already designed one that has been on my car now for the last 2 months and the results have been outstanding.

This part along with our strut tower brace and stiffening plate really transforms the car and makes it a pleasure to drive both at high speeds on the highway and around the twisties. VERY little lean when turning and a very neautral balance meaning that does not over or under steer.

The only drawback is that it will require professional installation by a qualified mechanic or an advanced DIY'er.

To produce these in relatively small quantities is not inexpensive so before I even "think" about a production run, I wanted to see how many of you would be interested in such a product. Actual production pricing is not set in concrete yet but expect such a part to cost around 200.00 or so.

Please respond to this post if this is something that you think you would want.

 

Hello Bill... I will take a picture of it and post it when I get it back from the fabricator. I have it being modeled so that I can make a fixture for a possible production run.

 

Very good question.. The Prius employs a solid rear axle with a torsion bar and a small diameter sway bar. If we were to increase the size of the bar, it could potentially induce too much oversteer which is never a good thing.

Also, when you increase the diameter of a sway bar you run the risk of inducing too much harshness to the ride which will diminish ride quality.

There is always a trade-off when it comes to automotive suspension systems. You can have go-kart type handling but will result in a suspension that will rattle your fillings loose. On the other hand, you can have a really soft suspension that floats causing too much sway and reduced handling which can compromise safety.

The key is to find the happy medium where the ride quality is not overly harsh yet keep the car planted and well controlled in the twisties....

 

Your understanding is correct. Normally, a larger front swaybar would result in more understeer and to compensate for this one would add a larger rear swaybar to even things out.

The Prius acts a bit different though than your "normal" car in that installing a slightly larger (3mm) front swaybar, there was more roll resistance and much sharper transitions were the result.

To my knowledge the touring and the base sway bars are the same diameter. The touring uses different shocks, higher spring rates and larger wheels and tires.

 

Hello Tom.

With the addition of our stiffening plate and front strut brace I found that the car feels a lot more "refined" and structurally more solid compared to before.

A good test is to drive the car over a bumpy railroad crossing. The car has a much more solid feeling now compared to before when if felt that the entire structure had an uneasy shake to it.

If someone is a "spirited" driver, they would definately notice the difference after installing the strut tower brace. Transitions are a lot more crisp and precise. The stiffening plate makes a marked improvement to the vehicle in whole. Both components when installed make the Prius signifcantly more enjoyable to drive both on the highway and on a nice winding road!!

 

If you are running in Solo2, check out our Strut Tower Brace. In the type of driving that you are doing, this will make a huge difference and if your driving skills are in check, lower lap times will result.