Vlad_Stein

Well... it has been 7 and a half months since I ordered TRD Sways for my GS and they are finally here!

I did the install myself. It took me quite a bit more than other people have claimed (2 hours with a pizza break), but a lot of that time was spent on jacking the car up and putting it properly on jack stands (I had to saw off some strips of wood to shield the rubberized undercoating from the metal jackstands). All in all, nothing complicated (I was a little scared to do the install by myself at first).

As far as driving impressions go, I am impressed! The car leans very little in turns, feels more responsive and has a better (quicker) turn-in. Actually, the first couple of days, when you are not used to it, you turn the steering wheel untill you brain registers a proper amount of lean (which is of course more than needed with the new bars), so that I constantly kept turning more than I had to in fast sweepers. Ride harshness has not increased a lot, in my opinion, but the little interior rattles and creaks in my car disagree.

Another word of caution... because there is less lean in the car, everything seems to happen a lot faster (in terms of weight transfer), so if you are at the limit of adhesion in a turn, you would have less of a warning (in terms of time) before you get in trouble. So, you might want to get used to the car a little before pushing it really hard in the corners.

Overall impression: a great mod for the money, gives you great road feel in turns and you won't have to strain and concentrate in order to feel the difference between the old and the new setup. Highly recommended (although I still spit in TRD's corporate eye because I had to wait so long).

400DGRZ

iTrader: (2)

Cool! Great write-up.

SUPRATRD

Hey Vlad,

I can attest to his determination to get these..................he was 1st on my waiting list for the sways.

So........I take it you like!! See, wasn't it worth the wait and constant emails aking when the @$%&*@# there going to arrive.

No use waisting your spit, it will be years before they know there's sways out there for the GS.............I was importing them before TRD had them, used to be a lot easier to get them.

Glad you like them Vlad............

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Vlad - glad another person is swayed! Sorry, couldn't resist.

amlin423

I'm considering the TRD sways however I wouldn't want to wait that long. Is there another brand of sways I can use on the GS?

Thanks

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Intrax, which are adjustable, but it's been said they need fairly frequent lubrication to stop squeaking.

GunnerMac

I can honestly say that the TRD sways are the best mod I've done to my GS. I can't believe how much better the car handles.

LXOGOOD

Yup! I second that...

Vlad_Stein

Thanks, Steve!...
If I didn't order them from you, I would probably be still waiting for them.
By the way, not that Steve needs it (he has a good enough reputation on this site already), but the service was great: quick and hassle-free. I had the parts in 2 days. Well done!
I am just glad that I have the sways now.

At this point, I am very satisfied with the car. Next step would be stickier tires (and may be, wheels). It all depends on whether I get to keep my job or not. My company is going to lay off some people.

If I make it, next mod would probably be the TRD LSD.

oldguy

I believe my mods are done now. The sways were last, just last week, after a TRD LSD and STB and LCB and Bilstein's. Stock springs and 16's. Just the right combination for me. A luxury ride with fine handling. Few cars in town faster or better handling or more comfortable.
And the sways did go on in under two hours. Why would I bother to not speak truthfully?

The last "hotter" car I drove was a M-B C43. Way to much, except what a blast for awhile. Probably not faster, way less comfortable, and somewhat more cramped than my Lexus

RON430

Hey oldguy, just curious, do you think the ride got any firmer with the sways? It might have gotten a slight bit firmer but really I think it is a nonevent. I believe the guys that are posting that they feel an increased ride harshness but I am wondering if it is something that is a combination of the sways with 17 or bigger wheels (which is always going to mean lower profile tires) and or shorter springs. Like I said, with the stock springs and 16s, the bilsteins and sways put the handling in bimmer territory, great tradeoff of handling and ride.

oldguy

No, the ride just got better and much flatter. No one that wants a sports sedan would find the combination you and I have uncomfortable. As I think about it, no one would find it bad riding, at the speed THEY would drive. This does give the head room to drive much faster, harder, or just plain smoother at a quicker pace. Just the Bilstein's helped a lot, and the sways finished the job nicely.
Don't understand the folks that want more brakes. Wait, I understand more of anything, but this car stops better than almost anything as it is. I remember in 98, one of the mags said the C-5 corvette was the standard for stopping, and the specs in the back of that mag listed the GS400 as being like 3 feet longer from 60mph.

I think the limits on handling now are the tires (brand and aspect) and lowering. I expect to do neither as the cloverleafs go just fine now and it's still quite comfortable.

gsintensive

now I know how lucky i am to receive the swap as soon as I wanted them.

thx a lot steve

RON430

oldguy - I am really curious about why some guys ride is degrading so much with the sways, I , like you, didn't really notice any difference in ride to tell you the truth. But the handling is significantly improved. High speed sweepers are non-events with the sways on that with the bilsteins alone were starting to get a little tippy.

Don't know why I am fascinated with the brakes myself but if those Wilwood's fit under the stock 16s, I am probably hooked. The stock brakes are pretty good on this car but you know from the old road racing days, I just love a goot set of binders. Never kept score but I passed a lot more guys under braking than I ever did under acceleration. Just like to know I can outbrake the guy in front. Then you play with the pedal to keep the guy behind you from clobbering you. The only thing I have done to my car for looks is the TRD grill and it is not much. I must admit that the stock calipers are pretty doggy. Not sure a coat of paint does much. Besides, I love to change pads on four piston calipers by just pulling the pins and swapping the pads while leaving the caliper alone. OK, so I'm lazy.

oldguy

Ron430 I also have noodled about those whose ride gets lots worse from the sway bars. Have no idea as to how it could be that much different from our experience. I could see shorter springs, lower profile tires, stiffer shocks, each adding some of their own change, but the sways, in theory, should only make the front of the car and the back of the car more a unit.
Last spring you replied to my question that you have michelin mxm, not four season, tires. Am I remembering that correctly? And that you were not that happy with them. I put that tire, in 16's on my 98, and thought they were a big improvement over the goodyears. Am curious as to what you would buy now. With the limited slip I am tempted to try to get through winter, again, with no snow tires. But then I for sure would need all-season tires.
I've given thought to whether I might have liked the torsen LSD even with the changed ratio and higher price.