How to stiffen suspension/stop swaying?

[mountie]

I am planning to do that exact thing...... Too feel the difference / improvement..... I'll let you know.

I'm going first to test, without my tools loaded, then with my work tools stuffed inside.

I drove in familiar territory.... Now that I have both sway bars & all shocks replaced.....
I feel, a "newness" with the '05 Yukon XL .
1st thing.... I noticed is less 'recoil' from mild rolling bumps, but still a smooth ride.
2nd thing.... Braking and 'stop light' acceleration, there is almost zero 'up/down' movement looking over the hood. ( rear shocks are not compressing during a 'weight transfer', due to a firmer shock.
3rd thing.... Turning...... Much more stable / solid feel.

( Now for my op-ed )..... Turning aggressively, and you hear your tires noisy, ( technically, that is slowing you ..... ( as they say, " Slow is faster" )..... Tire noise is due to scrubbing ( as in slamming on your brakes).... Same goes for turning noise.
I use the steering wheel like pouring a bottle of wine.... Smooth - not sudden moves.

What I told the students, entering into a turn, ..... start turning your wheel a bit sooner / slower....... steady around the turn...... exiting the turn, same.... sooner / slower. FOLLOW THE LINE.... If you don't, you upset the 'tire patches' and start scrubbing again.

You have 4 tires on the ground. ( Called a " tire patch" )..... All 4 tires should be on the ground, and the 'tire patches' should be the same. Upsetting the 'side to side' weight is what creates a lack of control. ( Unless you are " drifting"..... but that's not fast, around the turn.... it's "entertaining" !!

4 equal tire patches on the ground, in a turn, is fast. If the tires are not 'scrubbing' in a turn, then the next time in that turn, try to go faster.... and still not scrubbing.
( I used to drive Sonoma Raceway a lot).....

( Sorry for the lecture )....

 

[OR VietVet]

I drove in familiar territory.... Now that I have both sway bars & all shocks replaced.....
I feel, a "newness" with the '05 Yukon XL .
1st thing.... I noticed is less 'recoil' from mild rolling bumps, but still a smooth ride.
2nd thing.... Braking and 'stop light' acceleration, there is almost zero 'up/down' movement looking over the hood. ( rear shocks are not compressing during a 'weight transfer', due to a firmer shock.
3rd thing.... Turning...... Much more stable / solid feel.

( Now for my op-ed )..... Turning aggressively, and you hear your tires noisy, ( technically, that is slowing you ..... ( as they say, " Slow is faster" )..... Tire noise is due to scrubbing ( as in slamming on your brakes).... Same goes for turning noise.
I use the steering wheel like pouring a bottle of wine.... Smooth - not sudden moves.

What I told the students, entering into a turn, ..... start turning your wheel a bit sooner / slower....... steady around the turn...... exiting the turn, same.... sooner / slower. FOLLOW THE LINE.... If you don't, you upset the 'tire patches' and start scrubbing again.

You have 4 tires on the ground. ( Called a " tire patch" )..... All 4 tires should be on the ground, and the 'tire patches' should be the same. Upsetting the 'side to side' weight is what creates a lack of control. ( Unless you are " drifting"..... but that's not fast, around the turn.... it's "entertaining" !!

4 equal tire patches on the ground, in a turn, is fast. If the tires are not 'scrubbing' in a turn, then the next time in that turn, try to go faster.... and still not scrubbing.
( I used to drive Sonoma Raceway a lot).....

( Sorry for the lecture )....

The one cloverleaf that I squeal a tire or two is pretty flat and I just like to push it there. That is an exit ramp.

My favorite cloverleaf is the entrance side of the same highway. You start uphill a bit and then you drop down several feet with a steep bank to the right and is 3 lanes wide and then it flattens out at the bottom as you get to where you merge. If you go there the right time of day, it has virtually no traffic. I start accelerating as I come up to the crown and then enter the drop down curve hugging the inside and still accelerating and then drift up about 1 whole lane as it flattens and you merge. That is very fun. The designer/engineer of that cloverleaf is a great guy/girl....

 

[GMMOPARGUY]

The Hellwig sway bar kits are solid steel instead of the hollow tube design like the Eibach. I have ordered the new front and rear Hellwig kits at ebay, to be installed soon. They are kit #'s 7701 and 7702. $7701 is $365.51 and 7702 is $262.59 and I bought from seller "neverenoughauto".

Not saying the Eibach kits are not quality at all but I would prefer the solid steel bars instead of the hollow bars. I just installed new KYB shocks but I agree with @91RS, at least match the 5100's or install known age all new shocks. The shocks control front and rear spring bounce oscillations and to a point the sway from centerline but the sway bar kits really will stiffen up that sway. I am really looking forward to the different comparison when I get those Hellwig kits on.

I replaced my shocks all around with Billstein 5100’s, just bought an Eibach rear sway bar with polyurethane bushings and up front I am doing polyurethane sway bar bushings on the stock sway bar and polyurethane sway bar end links….. if I still feel sway then I’ll cough up the $$$ for a sway bar up front

 

[mountie]

I replaced my shocks all around with Billstein 5100’s, just bought an Eibach rear sway bar with polyurethane bushings and up front I am doing polyurethane sway bar bushings on the stock sway bar and polyurethane sway bar end links….. if I still feel sway then I’ll cough up the $$$ for a sway bar up front

Yea... the stock front sway bar is a hollow pipe. Good bushings won't improve the cheap bar.

 

[91RS]

There it is. The tires rub. Stock height does not rub.

The good looks are worth it. Michelins rub on the K2 tucks at stock height when the fender liners warp slightly (which is basically all of them), so it isn’t that big of a deal.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yea... the stock front sway bar is a hollow pipe. Good bushings won't improve the cheap bar.

Yea, cannot see where a hollow sway bar can be nearly as efficient as a solid steel bar. Lighter, yes. Better, no.

 

[OR VietVet]

Sorry, I cannot see the good looks of a lowered vehicle. Stock height and stock truck in great shape, low mileage and no rust and then you got my attention. A lowered or lifted vehicle, IMO, will always have quality/uncertainty issues. Can't count on the work quality, unless I do it or know the qualifications of who did the work. The quality of components as well. Give me stock and improve handling and brakes and a clean rust free look. That is value to me.

 

[91RS]

Why would the work quality be any different than if someone replaced all the same components with stock replacement parts? The factory boys leave stuff loose and unplugged all the time, too. Cheap stock replacement parts have questionable material quality, I’ve seen so many worn out again in a year.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on the looks because the stink bug stock ride height (with the rear higher than the front) looks terrible. The 2/4 drop on mine looks killer, rides as good as OEM because it’s mostly OEM, aligns to factory specs, and handles better. The Hellwig sway bars don’t fit nearly as well as the OEM do but the improvement is also worth it.

 

[89Suburban]

Why would the work quality be any different than if someone replaced all the same components with stock replacement parts? The factory boys leave stuff loose and unplugged all the time, too. Cheap stock replacement parts have questionable material quality, I’ve seen so many worn out again in a year.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on the looks because the stink bug stock ride height (with the rear higher than the front) looks terrible. The 2/4 drop on mine looks killer, rides as good as OEM because it’s mostly OEM, aligns to factory specs, and handles better. The Hellwig sway bars don’t fit nearly as well as the OEM do but the improvement is also worth it.

What exhaust is that?

 

[mountie]

Why would the work quality be any different than if someone replaced all the same components with stock replacement parts? The factory boys leave stuff loose and unplugged all the time, too. Cheap stock replacement parts have questionable material quality, I’ve seen so many worn out again in a year.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on the looks because the stink bug stock ride height (with the rear higher than the front) looks terrible. The 2/4 drop on mine looks killer, rides as good as OEM because it’s mostly OEM, aligns to factory specs, and handles better. The Hellwig sway bars don’t fit nearly as well as the OEM do but the improvement is also worth it.

The Hellwig bars fit easily front & rear on my stock '05 Yukon XL... Are you saying, the bars don't fit as well if your truck is raised or lowered?