To Hotchkis or not to Hotchkis

Silver ACR · Post by **Silver ACR** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 4:15 pm

I hear lots of superlatives here attached to the hollow Hotchkis sway bar set-up, and I'm wondering if it's $250-ish better than my Eibach solid bars, which are 24mm/22mm front/back, respectively.

Anyone have experience with both?

03neonRT · Post by **03neonRT** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 5:23 pm

I also would like an answer, in a post not to long ago, someone said they were great, then someone said that bigger isnt better, then someone said they were awesome, then someone said they were a waste of money unless you had built suspension...sooo, how about a straight answer!

And your looking about $270.00 shipped from Titan...

ewetho · Post by **ewetho** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 12:55 pm

Hotchkis stuff has always been very well ENGINEERED and of very high quality. I could see them leaving understeer still in the vehicle though for most drivers, being it is considered safer. As far as how big is big enough that is up to you and your driving style. Me I have urethanede 20MM stock up front and 22MM Progress out back and find it to ber very well balanced. Remember though you need some body roll to transfer weight, just watch the nascar boys run a road coarse. They do not just throw on the biggest nasteist stuff they can find and say yeah. If you are turning hard enough and you feel you are getting too much body roll then try upgrading to hotchkis and see what you think. Said to be a little stiffer than Progress but LIGHTER.

Making tubing hollow does not weaken a structure substantially so they are stiffer be design than 24/22. But material can make a bigger difference than size. What we have a big problem with is lack of data. Like lowering springs with NO spring rate data sway bars have rates which should be compared.

Subjectively the Hotchkis are the stiffest so the real question we can probably answer is do you feel you have too much body roll for your driving style or not. If you stiffen too much while you can load up the suspension for lateral G measusrement you tend to loose transistional speed such as a slalom. THings to think about. These are generalasations but something to think about.

Knoxville_R/T · Post by **Knoxville_R/T** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 11:46 pm

I have them on the srt and love them. the body roll on these cars is horrid. After having these, hp blues, and eibach springs on the old rt, the stock suspension in the srt is crap. These have made it a lot better. I have yet to put on new struts or lowering springs and it handles quite well.

grambo · Post by **grambo** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 12:49 pm

I have them. They are badass. No matter what type of suspension setup you have they will make a considerable difference. Body roll is a thing of teh past.
Check out the parts review section for posts on the Hotchkis Products. Also check AUTOCROSS as these are the folks that car most about slicing apexes.

scneonchic · Post by **scneonchic** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 2:52 pm

I have them. They look nice. I have yet to see how they help handling, but Ive heard nothing but good things about them.