Eibach Rear Sway Bar Impressions

[NS_Stinger]

So over the holiday I installed the rear Eibach sway bar on my otherwise totally stock 2018 AWD GT. Unfortunately I can't give a really detailed handling review because I'm on winter tires and the roads are quite icy in my area. Below I'll give some brief first impressions and will likely come back and update the handling impressions later.

Bar Impressions:
The bar itself is of high quality and so is the glossy red finish on it. The supplied brackets and bushing are also both of high quality. The con is that the bushing brackets have definitely not been engineered for the Stinger, they're a universal bracket and if you attempt the install yourself you'll see why. The holes in the brackets are slotted so you can slide them back and forth versus a fixed drilled hole which is what I would've preferred, also the brackets have bracing on both sides which make accessing the nuts to tighten it even harder on a car that you already have very limited room to work with.

Installation:
I installed the bar with the rear of my car up on jack stands. Let me tell you that installing this bar like this was a royal pain in the ass and if you're a bigger guy with big hands I would recommend you just have a shop do this for you.

The location of the brackets is horrible and very hard to get to, especially on the drivers side where the bushing is in close proximity to fuel lines, it's not great on the passenger side either because of some kind of wiring harness mounted directly above the brackets. Although I managed to get mine installed and it isn't making any noise, I'm still a bit concerned if I managed to get the bushing brackets as tight as I want them, especially since the bushing brackets are slotted and not drilled allowing them some movement if not properly tightened. When I do my summer tire swap in the spring I will probably try tightening them again. If the brackets weren't so obstructed this would be a breeze of an install. I also spent 45mins looking for a nut I dropped into the rear lower control arm because you have to work blindly when reinstalling the nuts for the brackets and I kept dropping them over and over trying to get them to thread.

Handling on Soft Setting:
Like I said I haven't done any serious handling tests yet but here are my initial impressions after about 1.5hrs of seat time on the soft setting (I think I'll go to the hard setting in the spring to give it a try). The bar definitely stiffens up the ride in the rear a little bit, but not nearly as much as I was expecting. Body roll in the back has been greatly reduced which inspires a lot more confidence especially on sweeping turns and sharp 90 degree turns. I assume the hard setting would totally eliminate and roll but I'm looking for a middle ground since this doubles as a second family car for me.

I haven't had the opportunity to see if the mid-corner wiggle is gone yet so I'll report back on that but things in the bar on the soft setting feel much more confident and buttoned down than before, even on my Icex3 winter tire setup of 225/45r-18 all around.

 

[Waynerm002]

Thanks for the write up on your experience with the install. Looking to hear more about the drive. I'm thinking I may go with both, if I actually get it.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I also spent 45mins looking for a nut I dropped into the rear lower control arm because you have to work blindly when reinstalling the nuts for the brackets and I kept dropping them over and over trying to get them to thread.

LOL! A true nightmare. I watched the Tork video of the rear sway bar install, and decided that anyone who puts this thing in earns his hourly wage. I have one coming in the next week or so (if there are no fubar interruptions); and my local mechanic said he'll put it in. Then I can come here and join in the reviewing!

(I think I'll go to the hard setting in the spring to give it a try)

I am going to do this the opposite way: stiff first, and if I like it, I won't bother using soft setting.

I assume the hard setting would totally eliminate and roll but I'm looking for a middle ground since this doubles as a second family car for me.

I don't understand. Why would this sway bar on either setting impact the Stinger as "a family car"? You drive it like you stole it only when you're by yourself, right? (don't want to scare/anger the spouse, and be a poor example to the kids)

I haven't had the opportunity to see if the mid-corner wiggle is gone yet so I'll report back on that but things in the bar on the soft setting feel much more confident and buttoned down than before, even on my Icex3 winter tire setup of 225/45r-18 all around.

This sounds really good. A/S Motivos ought to be even better. By "mid-corner wiggle", do you mean what causes the jabs of understeer that I experience on the OE sways? I'll get on a cloverleaf to the freeway and try to pull .7 or .8 G and the tires will start to roar and then I'll get a jab of understeer followed by a second one if I don't back down to .5 or .6 G. (Today I took the traction and stability controls off, and the tires hardly made a sound at .6 to .7 G; and the handling felt less "restricted" somehow: I am totally tyro at this stuff; it sure is fun! "Save something for the last", is one of my mottos: and I have certainly done that in the performance car realm.)

 

[NS_Stinger]

LOL! A true nightmare. I watched the Tork video of the rear sway bar install, and decided that anyone who puts this thing in earns his hourly wage. I have one coming in the next week or so (if there are no fubar interruptions); and my local mechanic said he'll put it in. Then I can come here and join in the reviewing!

Totally agree it's worth getting a shop to do it, I've installed 2 sway bars on other cars and both were a breeze compared to this car.

I am going to do this the opposite way: stiff first, and if I like it, I won't bother using soft setting.

The reason I stuck with soft was because it's still 75% stiffer than the OEM bar but hard is something crazy like 175% stiffer and they only recommended it for smooth roads and tracks. The roads in my area are what I would call war torn, the look like they've taken mortar fire.

I don't understand. Why would this sway bar on either setting impact the Stinger as "a family car"? You drive it like you stole it only when you're by yourself, right? (don't want to scare/anger the spouse, and be a poor example to the kids)

I have a 6mth old and a 4yr old so I don't drive spirited at all when they're in the car. The reason for mentioning the family is that the hard setting makes the rear of the car stiffer feeling over bumpy roads, so I'm looking for a happy medium on ride quality when I'm hauling the family around.

This sounds really good. A/S Motivos ought to be even better. By "mid-corner wiggle", do you mean what causes the jabs of understeer that I experience on the OE sways? I'll get on a cloverleaf to the freeway and try to pull .7 or .8 G and the tires will start to roar and then I'll get a jab of understeer followed by a second one if I don't back down to .5 or .6 G. (Today I took the traction and stability controls off, and the tires hardly made a sound at .6 to .7 G; and the handling felt less "restricted" somehow: I am totally tyro at this stuff; it sure is fun! "Save something for the last", is one of my mottos: and I have certainly done that in the performance car realm.)

Yup jabs of understeer and the feeling of losing the backend when you encounter a pothole or dip mid-corner. It's tough for me to say whether this is taken care of now since the tires I'm running really aren't built for grip and speed.

 

[MerlintheMad]

The reason I stuck with soft was because it's still 75% stiffer than the OEM bar but hard is something crazy like 175% stiffer and they only recommended it for smooth roads and tracks. The roads in my area are what I would call war torn, the look like they've taken mortar fire.

114% stiffer; or said another way, 114% increawhen se in pounds per inch of loading, over the OE sway bar; it's 33% stiffer than the "soft" setting.

The reason why I am not doing the front sway bar at this time is because the increase in loading of the Eibach front sway bar is 51% more loading than OE when "Stiff". So of course I want to try the rear first and see what it does wi. The front is a breeze to plut in, c. half an hour, literally right in your face with nothing hidden. So we'll see.

Here are the front Eibach specs: Front 25mm adjustable: Soft 366 lb/in (+39%), stiff 398 lb/in (+51%)

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm looking for a happy medium on ride quality when I'm hauling the family around.

(sorry, I posted too soon to include this)
I have to wonder if Comfort mode would turn the trick, enough. I guess we'll both know soon enough! You can report from "soft" and I can report from "stiff". This should be fun.

Yup jabs of understeer and the feeling of losing the backend when you encounter a pothole or dip mid-corner. It's tough for me to say whether this is taken care of now since the tires I'm running really aren't built for grip and speed.

I really don't know what "losing the back end" feels like, or what it means. Because the few times I have pushed in a turn hard enough to hear the tires roar, and produce jabs of understeer, the back end has felt, if anything, like it was driving the car, i.e. tucked in tight. The grip, anyway. Yes, the back end feels "floaty", in the sense that I can tell that it isn't rock solid, but rather lifts a bit, and "sways around" a bit; but nothing inimical to handling and control. So "losing the back end" isn't something that I have felt; at least I don't think so.

 

[NS_Stinger]

I really don't know what "losing the back end" feels like, or what it means. Because the few times I have pushed in a turn hard enough to hear the tires roar, and produce jabs of understeer, the back end has felt, if anything, like it was driving the car, i.e. tucked in tight. The grip, anyway. Yes, the back end feels "floaty", in the sense that I can tell that it isn't rock solid, but rather lifts a bit, and "sways around" a bit; but nothing inimical to handling and control. So "losing the back end" isn't something that I have felt; at least I don't think so.

With the stock suspension when I encounter a dip or pothole mid-corner while driving spiritedly the backend steps out or wiggles giving me the impression the back of the car has lost grip and might get away from me, something doesn't feel right back there...not sure how else to put it. I think the car handles well enough but it has a feeling of instability in the back that I never felt in my last car which was a large FWD sedan (Acura TL with upgraded rear sway bar and lowering springs). From what I can tell the sway bar on soft has given me a lot more confidence in the car, but until I can really push it with my Pilot Sport tires on I can't say if that mid-corner issue has been corrected for me or not.

 

[SteveCo]

... and the feeling of losing the backend when you encounter a pothole or dip mid-corner.

So "losing the back end" isn't something that I have felt; at least I don't think so.

I have a specific on-ramp near my house I use to test this - it's a relatively new and flat piece of paving, but has a dip in the pavement about half way around. If you take that corner at a decent speed, when the back end hits that dip it almost feels like it's going to lose control, but then settles down again. 100% reproducible, and a number of drivers and reviewers have noted it that behaviour with the stock suspension.

When trying this I generally went very early in the morning or late at night, so I could test different speeds when there weren't other cars using the ramp at the same time.

 

[MerlintheMad]

If you take that corner at a decent speed, when the back end hits that dip it almost feels like it's going to lose control, but then settles down again. 100% reproducible, and a number of drivers and reviewers have noted it that behaviour with the stock suspension.

Is this what Albert Biermann calls "playful"? The Eibach is taking the playful quality out of the rear end and making it all business.

Perhaps the actual handling of the car, and potential lap times, are not augmented with a driver who knows what s/he is about. But for most of us, stiffer is going to inspire confidence and make us corner faster.

 

[Socalstinga]

With the stock suspension when I encounter a dip or pothole mid-corner while driving spiritedly the backend steps out or wiggles giving me the impression the back of the car has lost grip and might get away from me, something doesn't feel right back there...not sure how else to put it. I think the car handles well enough but it has a feeling of instability in the back that I never felt in my last car which was a large FWD sedan (Acura TL with upgraded rear sway bar and lowering springs). From what I can tell the sway bar on soft has given me a lot more confidence in the car, but until I can really push it with my Pilot Sport tires on I can't say if that mid-corner issue has been corrected for me or not.

I've experienced that same feeling, but even on my G37 sedan on coils my back end will step out a little bit but get right back on track due to the stiffness of the coils. On the Stinger, i have to let the throttle go a little before it catches traction again. Thinking of putting on some rear sways...I purchased front and back when I first got the car but never put them on. ended up selling them and now I can't get em...lol

 

[MerlintheMad]

I purchased front and back when I first got the car but never put them on. ended up selling them and now I can't get em...lol

Can't, why not? Is there some kind of backlog on Eibach sway bar orders?

 

[NS_Stinger]

They're currently a little harder to get your hands on, they told me mine would be back ordered but it was only delayed by like 2-3 days.

 

[SteveCo]

For those contemplating getting the bar kit (front and back), Tirerack still has it on sale for a great price. Stock indicator is showing as 'Available at Supplier', so presumably they are available, at least for now. The sale has been on for a few weeks, so not sure how much longer that will last.

There was a period in December where virtually everyone was out of stock on the rear bar.

 

[SteveCo]

Perhaps the actual handling of the car, and potential lap times, are not augmented with a driver who knows what s/he is about.

Certainly possible - the stronger the swaybar, the less independent an independent rear suspension becomes. At some point, their contribution to 'anti-sway' will actually degrade the ultimate cornering ability of the car while keeping it flatter, increasing lap times and decreasing road holding.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Certainly possible - the stronger the swaybar, the less independent an independent rear suspension becomes. At some point, their contribution to 'anti-sway' will actually degrade the ultimate cornering ability of the car while keeping it flatter, increasing lap times and road holding capability.

Fascinating. My instincts are not leading me astray. Since I am not tracking my car, and since I enjoy moments of speed, including cornering, my biggest concern should be apparent stability; in other words, the car needs to "send" to me a solid feeling of security, even if it is actually slower going. I certainly won't notice the difference in actual speed totalled up to make a lap; since I won't be doing laps, much less timed laps to shave off tenths and even hundredths of a second. I am definitely pursuing "road holding capability" here.

It will be interesting to compare what I am getting on my impromptu "skid pad" (the cloverleaf off I-215 onto nb I-15). Currently, with the Nitto Motivo UHP A/S, I can get close to 50 MPH and hold .6 to .7 G. So, after the sway bar swap, that will be first test of it: watching the MPH and the G meter; and of course, feeling with the seat of my pants for increased stability and less roll.

 

[Socalstinga]

Can't, why not? Is there some kind of backlog on Eibach sway bar orders?

yea, for awhile it was out of stock in most places...

 

[AV8R]

I waited 5 weeks for mine to get them in Oz.

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Thinking of putting on some rear sways...I purchased front and back when I first got the car but never put them on. ended up selling them and now I can't get em...lol

Well you should revisit this mod & get another F&R Set & have them fitted, you won’t regret it, it just steps the car up another level with the handling.

 

[Dochidalgo]

Fascinating. My instincts are not leading me astray. Since I am not tracking my car, and since I enjoy moments of speed, including cornering, my biggest concern should be apparent stability; in other words, the car needs to "send" to me a solid feeling of security, even if it is actually slower going. I certainly won't notice the difference in actual speed totalled up to make a lap; since I won't be doing laps, much less timed laps to shave off tenths and even hundredths of a second. I am definitely pursuing "road holding capability" here.
It will be interesting to compare what I am getting on my impromptu "skid pad" (the cloverleaf off I-215 onto nb I-15). Currently, with the Nitto Motivo UHP A/S, I can get close to 50 MPH and hold .6 to .7 G. So, after the sway bar swap, that will be first test of it: watching the MPH and the G meter; and of course, feeling with the seat of my pants for increased stability and less roll.

Definitely, the Kia Stinger suspension engineers failed to properly calibrate springs and sway bars even though it is a GT and not a sport car. This affirmation is concluded by an owner who uses it for the conmuter on a highway from the house to the hospital ( 8 miles) and vice versa, 155-mile road round trip a couple of times a month. I totally agree with MerlintheMad comments, especially with "pursuing road holding capability" in his own words. My driving style is fast when and where is secure to do it and I need a car with all the engine power well planted on the ground and transmit to me the feeling of security. Obviously, more horse power, needs better brake, exhaust, cool, suspension systems, a never ending race....I been there with my high modded 1997 Pontiac Firebird Trans am. So, I am not truly interested in add more HPs, thru ECU tune or piggybacks. I get enough HPs more with the SSR downpipes.
That "road holding capability" was totally fullfiled by my former 2016 Nissan Maxima SR (the "sport" version, without the useless sunroof), so I am in the position of assessing the poor performance of the my Stinger suspension. I am satisfied with the Eibach kit installed on my Stinger, the suspension performance improve a lot even in the sway bars "soft" setting in curves and corners, and the low profile with the springs improve the car response on speed bumps. This kit is "a must mod" in the Stinger.

 

[GRStinger]

With the stock suspension when I encounter a dip or pothole mid-corner while driving spiritedly the backend steps out or wiggles giving me the impression the back of the car has lost grip and might get away from me, something doesn't feel right back there...not sure how else to put it. I think the car handles well enough but it has a feeling of instability in the back that I never felt in my last car which was a large FWD sedan (Acura TL with upgraded rear sway bar and lowering springs). From what I can tell the sway bar on soft has given me a lot more confidence in the car, but until I can really push it with my Pilot Sport tires on I can't say if that mid-corner issue has been corrected for me or not.

I'm interested to follow this post and see if the after-market sway bars 'fix' this. I, like others, experience that "nervous" little wiggle when hitting uneven pavement while cornering at speed. I assumed it was the nanny brain getting confused trying to figure if it should stabilize laterally or vertically - but what do I know. Keep us posted.