Front sway bar questions.

[drift_newbie]

I'm stuck in g-stock this year for scca autocross, and I'm trying to decide if it's worth my money to buy the whiteline 3 way front bar. Per stock-class rules, I can change the front bar, but not the rear.

What does everyone think? Also, does anyone know if the hicas rear bar would bolt onto my '89 base hatch? It's like 21mm versus my tiny 15mm stock bar, so I thought this might help balance the car if I do the whiteline front bar, (keeping it on the d-l, of course...)

Thanks,
-ben

[DSC]

I think you'll have some pretty heavy understeer with a whiteline front bar and stock rear. You could always try it on the soft setting, take it off if it understeers to much.

Isn't it legal to put the 21mm bar on? Dono if it counts for the updated/backdated parts that are allowed or not.

[kalieaire]

it's legal to use same model year suspension parts.

There are some small restrictions for some parts of the car to be swapped between trims, but anti-sway bars are not included in that restriction.

[LanceS13]

That sounds like a pretty good stock class setup. If you got a set of adjustable shocks as well, it'd probably be a pretty competitive car. The front bar might make it push at the limit, but since there will be less body roll and less resultant camber change, that limit will be a little higher. Translation: it might not be quite as fun to drive, but it will be a little quicker. Besides, the rear HICAS bar (for which there is no reason you'd have to keep on the down low...it's a completely legal update/backdate) will neutralize it some of that push as well as further reduce body roll. Good luck.

[ALTERED4]

from the rulebook, section 13

"Except for modifications authorized below, Stock Category cars must be run as specified by the factory with only standard equipment as defined by these Rules. This requirement refers not just to individual parts, but to combinations thereof which which would have been ordered together on a specific car. Any other modifications or equipment will place the car in Street Prepared, Prepared or Modified Categories as appropriate.

Option package conversions may be performed between specific vehicles of a particular make and model, but only between configurations from within a particular model year. Such conversions must be totally complete and the resultant car must meet all requirements of this section."

in other words upgrading your rear bar would be illegal, unless you did the entire hicas swap and any other options that came with that partucular model (im sorry, im not too familiar b/w s13 trim modes)... take my case for example, ive got a base 97... if i wanted to put in a rear sway bar from an se, i would have to entirely convert the car into an se model, not worth it imo...

[LanceS13]

I stand corrected. I admit I wasn't terribly serious about the rules when I ran E Stock. My car was completely stock at the time.
For some reason, I was thinking any package could be used and that the bigger bar was a suspension package in itself.
But ALTERED4 is right. As that excerpt states, you'd have to take every part of the HICAS SE package and put it on your car to run legally in stock with the HICAS bar (you'll get a VLSD as well, though).
However, if you run locally, you could probably get away with it w/o a protest. And even if you are protested, it's not like it'll cost you a Nat'l championship or anything. Not that I'm endorsing or encouraging this, but I can't honestly say if I had a stock S13 and HICAS rear bar just lying around, I wouldn't try to get away with it myself on the local level.