WOO HOO!!!! i love ruining people's conversations and dreams..

that crap doesn't even exist. hopup is lying, and me and das from my.is checked into it. eibach has 1 product out for the 2is, and thats springs.

don't believe me? well then go ahead and order :-D

 

A couple of things for you guys.

1. I already called Eibach directly on those and they are not coming out till fall.

2. I had H-sport sway bars in the past and they were night and day difference. It took away 80% of all the body roll. I recomend them first before any other company. I also called them directly and they are not making anything yet.

3. Also sway bars will help WAY more than strut bars. Proven fact.

 

Weird. The Eibach website has the Sway Bars listed for the 2IS with the following part number. 8287.320

 

Agree. If you put a strut tower bar on a 1989 chevette, then you might notice a good difference. However, today's chassis are extremely stiff and aftermarket sways will provide the most bang for the buck in terms of handling.

Another note: don't set them too stiff as it will reduce body roll at the expense of overall grip. Independent suspensions are independent for a reason and setting the bars too stiff will diminish each tires ability to react differently to the road.

 

All I am saying is if you have a front and rear sway bar already (decent factory ones) then I believe the addition of a strut tower brace will be nearly as good as simply swapping out the factory sway bars for aftermarket ones.

Ideally, for the best handling, you would swap out the factory sway bars for thicker aftermarket ones and add a strut bar. This will provide the best handling all around without changing springs or shocks, but also can be expensive and time consuming.

The point I was trying to make is that the IS handles fairly well from the factory, I don't think it is so lacking as to need to purchase entirely new front and rear sway bars, at least not for everyday driving. A strut tower brace provides an inexpensive, easy to install way to noticeably improve the handling.

Of course my experience with a strut tower brace comes from an entirely different (cheaper) vehicle, a 97 Honda Civic. But I can attest that the addition of a strut bar on that vehicle greatly enhanced it's handling.

 

The factory sway bars are not decent to me. I think the IS does not handle good at all from the factory, but thats because I was coming from a fully modifeid 2005 S4. I am positive that when I get sways and strut bars to go along with my coilovers, my old S4 stock would still handle better, but thats cause of the quattro. I know I cant have my old S4's handling but I can sure try.

 

How do you like your coilovers? Where did you purchase them from, and how much? How much for install also, if you don't mind me asking. Very interested in doing coilovers now. Had Eibach, but took them off and replaced with factory. TOO MUCH RUBBING

 

I don't see how AWD can improve handling. Quite the opposite, actually, because the system adds weight to the car, and raises the car's COG. Two things to make a car handle worse. From my perspective (my opinion), the only thing that AWD helps with is acceleration when the power being delivered to the wheels is greater than what the tires can handle at any given moment.

 

You should do more research then if that is what you think. Look at a EVO or an WRX STI. AWD cars have better grip. Weight is a concern but you also have more grip. I could not get my S4 lose no matter how hard I tried. If you havent driven one do so and you will see. Ever see that top gear episode where they raced the BMW M3 vs the Audi S4 around the race track? Audi is 400lbs heavier and still went thtough faster.

 

I like the coilovers alot. I got them from Steve at evolutionautosports.com. Tell him Ray with the IS 350 from las vegas sent you. Install should cost 150-250.

 

How much for the coilovers? Were they a lot?

 

Go to the website call and ask for steve.

 

So you don't rub in the front at all? What about when you go over any bumps?

 

I have to hit a bump real real hard to rub, and when i do it is very slight

 

More grip when the tires are slipping from acceleration, yes. It doesn't provide more lateral (i.e. cornering) grip. It actually reduces lateral grip because 1) the car weighs more, and 2) the car's COG is normally higher than a similar 2WD vehicle.

The basis for my argument:
When driven properly (talking about racing here), you will enter a corner at a speed that's as close to your cornering limits as possible. You maintain that speed (basically, with a certain angle of slip) all the way through the corner, until you reach the point where you can start "unwinding" the steering wheel, and at that point will keep increasing the throttle at a rate that keeps you on your intended path without breaking the tires free. AWD cars weigh more and usually have the higher COG, which results in worse handling, which requires slower speed through the corner. If the track is wet, then yes, the AWD should have an advantage when exiting the corner because it will be able to allow for more throttle without breaking the tires free (as easily).

The S4 / M3 comparo that you mentioned, was that on a wet track? Still, you're not comparing apples to apples. I can show you that the 2WD Ariel Atom will destroy the S4 around the Top Gear test track, but that doesn't prove that 2WD vehicles handle better than AWD. You have to compare apples to apples. Set up a RWD S4 (if possible), and race it on a dry track against an otherwise identical AWD S4, and I'll bet you that the RWD version would handle better, and be faster across the board.