View Poll Results: whats better solid or hollow sway bars
hollow bar
27
84.38%
solid bar
5
15.63%
Voters: 32. You may not vote on this poll
sway bars solid vs hollow
sway bars solid vs hollow
some of you may remember a thread about a sway bar issue. but we never got down to the answer weather a solid bar is better or a hollow bar is better. lets not bring up the vendors involved or problem. state your opinions and facts and try to not get this locked.
Cobalt specific which bar is better? I have no idea. I have heard good things about a certain vendors sway bars but I refuse to do business with them directly. Maybe one day i will buy a used one.
Senior Member
Joined: 11-06-06
Posts: 992
Likes: 0
From: Pontypool, Ontario
Hollow is stronger. I've been saying this for awhile around here to no avail. We learned this in the motocross world along time ago when messing around with handlebar designs. A hollow tube is much stronger and resists bending alot better when it bends it will snap back into place alot of the times where solid metal either brakes or bends and loses all previous strenght. They actually man Hollow rear shock springs now as well.
Haz l33t wheelz.
Joined: 09-14-07
Posts: 18,883
Likes: 3
From: Costa Mesa CA
This is the best document I have found out there that states the pro's and con's of each, which is directly related to the original question. Much of which, what some have posted above, is not correct information.
http://www.whiteline.com.au/docs/bul...%20Swaybar.pdf
If you dont want to read all 7 pages, just scroll down to page 7. There is a conclusions which sums the entire article up. However there is some good pointers throughout the article, so you may want to save the link to review when you have time to read it complete.
As far as "better" that is a question of what you want from it. There is pro's and con's to each style, which again page 7 sums up very nicely.
http://www.whiteline.com.au/docs/bul...%20Swaybar.pdf
If you dont want to read all 7 pages, just scroll down to page 7. There is a conclusions which sums the entire article up. However there is some good pointers throughout the article, so you may want to save the link to review when you have time to read it complete.
As far as "better" that is a question of what you want from it. There is pro's and con's to each style, which again page 7 sums up very nicely.
Haz l33t wheelz.
Joined: 09-14-07
Posts: 18,883
Likes: 3
From: Costa Mesa CA
If a hollow bar's performance offsets the cost and skill to produce it, i would call it good business.
Senior Member
Joined: 02-03-08
Posts: 3,454
Likes: 1
From: Port Perry Ontario
the 2003 article quoted assumes correct materials used for a torsion member...untreated ms1055 is not appropriate material for use. That said, hollow bars, given equal material have lite wt and ease of attachment on the plus side. The Twisting beam that it is attached to in this case is different to most independent or semi-independent rear suspension design. It means that the add on sway bar does NOT and CANNOT behave in the application like a more conventional sway bar. Therefore the manner of the attachment becomes an issue. Usual disclaimers...
I dont know why this is effing hard guys.
Solid stock is easier to bend than tube stock without damaging it, therefore making solid cheaper to produce.
-------------------------------------------------
Given two bars of the exact same shape and outside diameter a solid bar will be stiffer(this is not the same as stronger)
-------------------------------------
Given two bars of the exact same shape and stiffness a tubular bar will lighter.
------------------------------------------------
When we talk about "strength" of a bar, we are generally talking about how much force it takes to bend the bar to the point where it wont return to its normal shape. This is "tensile yield" its a mechanical property, and all steels have a listed "tensile Yield strength" A higher number is a "stronger" bar.
-----------------------------------------------
Carbon content of steel is an important chemical property, it DOES affect how strong the steel is but:
you can not judge a steels strength based solely on its carbon content. IE Carbon content doesnt directly determine tensile yield strength so its virtually worthless to discuss the merits of one steel over another based on its carbon content. For example I know of one "medium" carbon content steel right off the top of my head that is significantly stronger than "high" carbon steel 1055, but the discussions here were leading people to judge a material by those last two digits, you cant do that.
Steel is numbered in a 4digit fashion"xxxx" the las two places give the steels "nominal" carbon content in hundredths of a per cent.(40 mean 0.40%, 18 means 0.18% etc.......nominal just means its the general designation for steels in that range, its not an exact number, 1055 steel can have between .50-.60% carbon for example)
-------------------------------------------------------
Solid Material Pros: Less difficult to produce typically
Less expensive to produce typically(as less expensive bending techniques can be used,and less time consuming processes can be used to make attachment hardware)
Solid Material Cons: Heavier end product(and this is all unsprung weight in our vehicles)
Solid User Pros: Cheaper to purchase
Solid User Cons: Much heavier than comparable tubular product
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tubular Material Pros: Lighter product (all unsprung weight in our vehicles)
Tubular material Cons: specialized bending equiptment required, more labor intensive to assemble
Tubular User Pros: Significantly reduced product weight
Tubular Use Cons:More expensive to purchase
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solid stock is easier to bend than tube stock without damaging it, therefore making solid cheaper to produce.
-------------------------------------------------
Given two bars of the exact same shape and outside diameter a solid bar will be stiffer(this is not the same as stronger)
-------------------------------------
Given two bars of the exact same shape and stiffness a tubular bar will lighter.
------------------------------------------------
When we talk about "strength" of a bar, we are generally talking about how much force it takes to bend the bar to the point where it wont return to its normal shape. This is "tensile yield" its a mechanical property, and all steels have a listed "tensile Yield strength" A higher number is a "stronger" bar.
-----------------------------------------------
Carbon content of steel is an important chemical property, it DOES affect how strong the steel is but:
you can not judge a steels strength based solely on its carbon content. IE Carbon content doesnt directly determine tensile yield strength so its virtually worthless to discuss the merits of one steel over another based on its carbon content. For example I know of one "medium" carbon content steel right off the top of my head that is significantly stronger than "high" carbon steel 1055, but the discussions here were leading people to judge a material by those last two digits, you cant do that.
Steel is numbered in a 4digit fashion"xxxx" the las two places give the steels "nominal" carbon content in hundredths of a per cent.(40 mean 0.40%, 18 means 0.18% etc.......nominal just means its the general designation for steels in that range, its not an exact number, 1055 steel can have between .50-.60% carbon for example)
-------------------------------------------------------
Solid Material Pros: Less difficult to produce typically
Less expensive to produce typically(as less expensive bending techniques can be used,and less time consuming processes can be used to make attachment hardware)
Solid Material Cons: Heavier end product(and this is all unsprung weight in our vehicles)
Solid User Pros: Cheaper to purchase
Solid User Cons: Much heavier than comparable tubular product
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tubular Material Pros: Lighter product (all unsprung weight in our vehicles)
Tubular material Cons: specialized bending equiptment required, more labor intensive to assemble
Tubular User Pros: Significantly reduced product weight
Tubular Use Cons:More expensive to purchase
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Banned
Joined: 02-19-09
Posts: 3,818
Likes: 0
From: Carol Stream
i dont know why this is effing hard guys.
solid stock is easier to bend than tube stock without damaging it, therefore making solid cheaper to produce.
-------------------------------------------------
given two bars of the exact same shape and outside diameter a solid bar will be stiffer(this is not the same as stronger)
-------------------------------------
given two bars of the exact same shape and stiffness a tubular bar will lighter.
------------------------------------------------
when we talk about "strength" of a bar, we are generally talking about how much force it takes to bend the bar to the point where it wont return to its normal shape. This is "tensile yield" its a mechanical property, and all steels have a listed "tensile yield strength" a higher number is a "stronger" bar.
-----------------------------------------------
carbon content of steel is an important chemical property, it does affect how strong the steel is but:
you can not judge a steels strength based solely on its carbon content. ie carbon content doesnt directly determine tensile yield strength so its virtually worthless to discuss the merits of one steel over another based on its carbon content. For example i know of one "medium" carbon content steel right off the top of my head that is significantly stronger than "high" carbon steel 1055, but the discussions here were leading people to judge a material by those last two digits, you cant do that.
Steel is numbered in a 4digit fashion"xxxx" the las two places give the steels "nominal" carbon content in hundredths of a per cent.(40 mean 0.40%, 18 means 0.18% etc.......nominal just means its the general designation for steels in that range, its not an exact number, 1055 steel can have between .50-.60% carbon for example)
-------------------------------------------------------
solid material pros: Less difficult to produce typically
less expensive to produce typically(as less expensive bending techniques can be used,and less time consuming processes can be used to make attachment hardware)
solid material cons: Heavier end product(and this is all unsprung weight in our vehicles)
solid user pros: Cheaper to purchase
solid user cons: Much heavier than comparable tubular product
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
tubular material pros: Lighter product (all unsprung weight in our vehicles)
tubular material cons: Specialized bending equiptment required, more labor intensive to assemble
tubular user pros: Significantly reduced product weight
tubular use cons:more expensive to purchase
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
solid stock is easier to bend than tube stock without damaging it, therefore making solid cheaper to produce.
-------------------------------------------------
given two bars of the exact same shape and outside diameter a solid bar will be stiffer(this is not the same as stronger)
-------------------------------------
given two bars of the exact same shape and stiffness a tubular bar will lighter.
------------------------------------------------
when we talk about "strength" of a bar, we are generally talking about how much force it takes to bend the bar to the point where it wont return to its normal shape. This is "tensile yield" its a mechanical property, and all steels have a listed "tensile yield strength" a higher number is a "stronger" bar.
-----------------------------------------------
carbon content of steel is an important chemical property, it does affect how strong the steel is but:
you can not judge a steels strength based solely on its carbon content. ie carbon content doesnt directly determine tensile yield strength so its virtually worthless to discuss the merits of one steel over another based on its carbon content. For example i know of one "medium" carbon content steel right off the top of my head that is significantly stronger than "high" carbon steel 1055, but the discussions here were leading people to judge a material by those last two digits, you cant do that.
Steel is numbered in a 4digit fashion"xxxx" the las two places give the steels "nominal" carbon content in hundredths of a per cent.(40 mean 0.40%, 18 means 0.18% etc.......nominal just means its the general designation for steels in that range, its not an exact number, 1055 steel can have between .50-.60% carbon for example)
-------------------------------------------------------
solid material pros: Less difficult to produce typically
less expensive to produce typically(as less expensive bending techniques can be used,and less time consuming processes can be used to make attachment hardware)
solid material cons: Heavier end product(and this is all unsprung weight in our vehicles)
solid user pros: Cheaper to purchase
solid user cons: Much heavier than comparable tubular product
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
tubular material pros: Lighter product (all unsprung weight in our vehicles)
tubular material cons: Specialized bending equiptment required, more labor intensive to assemble
tubular user pros: Significantly reduced product weight
tubular use cons:more expensive to purchase
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
