[black_linear]

So I am quite confused with the installation of sway bars on 9-3 SS. I went car shopping with a friend this weekend. He is probably going to get an 03 9-3 SS, since he has been drooling over mine for the past couple of years. He really wants an Arc, but isn't really sold on the fact that its worth the extra dough over the Linear... but that's not the issue at hand. We came across a question I could not answer, but I thought it might be solved here...

We were looking at an '03 Arc that had updraded wheels and looked like it was possibly lowered. I wanted to see if the car was possibly equipped with the sports suspension, so I checked the sticker on the door. However, it didn't even have sway bars, so it obviously didn't have the sports suspension. I then looked at my car and realized that my Linear w/o sports suspension did have both front and rear sway bars. We looked at two other '03 Linears that also did not have sway bars. Then we looked at an '04 Linear that did have the sway bars.

My only thing I could figure out was that the '03 linears and Arc were realatively earlier build dates. I figured maybe this was some sort of silent upgrade that happened towards the end of the '03 MY. The only other thing I could find that was a possible correlation, was that my car and the '04 Linear with the sway bars were both manual trannies. I am going to head to the dealer to check out some '05's and see if they all have the sway bars, but I know the dealer near me doesn't have much in stock. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

[VectorDC03]

My understanding is that sway bars are considered to be part of the suspension, so they would not be listed as a separate feature.

I've upgraded sway bars on pretty much every car I've had so far... The last one was a 2001 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS (love that car). I believe it had both front and rear sway bars, so I ended up getting a thicker rear bar. Stock cars are usually made with thicker front bars to induce understeer.

I'm sure all Saab models have both front and rear sway bars... the question is whether they are the same size across models and whether Vector/Aero ones can be upgraded

 

[M4Gunner]

one thing to remeber. the difference between the two, is only 1 mm (from everything ive read) if someone can confirm that, *lumberg* that'd be greeaat, yeah.

 

[black_linear]

Here are two images of the suspension configurations... the first is an '03 Linear, the second is an '03 Arc. The suspension configuration being...

Springs (F) - Springs (R) - Sway Bar (F) - Sway Bar (R) - Struts (F) - Struts (R)

So these two do not seem to have sway bars installed from the factory. Am I correct? Looking on eBay at various cars, it seems to be something that was upgraded later on in MY 03.

 

[Diggs]

My 03 Launch Linear with sports suspension has the code:

7-3- - -8-3- - -

Nothing in the sway bar designation.

Build date Oct 02

 

[VectorDC03]

black_linear,

I'm sorry, but what do these pictures mean? Are you sure you posted correct pictures? I see VIN numbers and nothing relating to suspension...

 

[Diggs]

black_linear,

I'm sorry, but what do these pictures mean? Are you sure you posted correct pictures? I see VIN numbers and nothing relating to suspension...

Look at the bottom of the tags.

 

[VectorDC03]

I'm beginning to feel rather stupid here... Are you referring to those numbers with dashes?

7-1--? How is that related to suspension? What do those numbers represent? Lack of numbers in the end - does that mean the car has no struts?

 

[Diggs]

I'm beginning to feel rather stupid here... Are you referring to those numbers with dashes?

7-1--? How is that related to suspension? What do those numbers represent? Lack of numbers in the end - does that mean the car has no struts?

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I

A=Front Springs
B=Rear Springs
C=Front Sway Bar
D=Rear Sway Bar
E=Front Struts
F=Rear Struts
G=?
H=?
I=?

The different numbers represent different options. In the pictures above that don't have sport suspension they have different numbers than on mine.

I have codes 7 front springs and 3 rear springs and 8 for front struts and 3 again for rear.

 

[VectorDC03]

Interesting info, thanks!

I still find it hard to believe that any Saab would have no sway bars. Even Civics got them in the front! Is it possible to build a suspension without sway bars? Perhaps no number means something like a standard sway bar, without upgrades?

 

[Diggs]

Found this little tidbit:

http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12717

 

[voodoochile]

I think all modern cars have anti-roll bars in the front (at least), and most have them front and back.

But often they are very spindly looking things, e.g., on a Civic or Tercel.

 

[Aero_adam]

It is possible to design cars without "sway bars". It depends on the location of the roll centre for the front and rear axles. Sway bars can be detrimental to grip as it tends to unload the inside wheel when cornering. I am pretty sure that my old VX220 (effectively a Lotus Elise with an EcoTec engine) had no sway bars.

If the roll center is very high, then the vehicle has less need for sway bars as it naturally has less of a roll moment. Have a scoot about on the internet and see what it is all about.

Having no sway bars is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[voodoochile]

Sure there are exceptions, and a swaybar is in no way the best solution. But it seems to be the cost-effective one, and most cars do have them. Certainly the Saabs do.

 

[thomjam]

Saab calls them "anti-roll bars" in the MY2004 specs on my convertible. front and rear although the thickness is not given.


Jaime

 

[black_linear]

So it looks like if we go back and look at one of these cars, I will climb underneath and take a look to see if I see anything different.

It seems like maybe these cars would also have the sway bars as well. It appears that the suspension was designed for them. Perhaps it is just a different part installed in these cars and not a lack of equipment as I originally thought.

 

[Aero_adam]

I must admit - I thought you had observed that they weren't fitted... they are easy to see, I didn't realise that you were just reading the door jam sticker.


I'd be surprised if they dont have them, if some of the range need them then they probably all do.

 

[Viscouse]

While I can't tell you the difference, there is one. You should really call your parts department more often... :cheesy:

Front Anti-roll bar 24, 2mm 24421799
Front Anti-roll bar, sport suspension 25, 5mm 24411075

Rear Anti-roll bar 24459743
Rear Anti-roll bar, sport suspension 24459744

I do not know what the other numbers in the front bar info is.

 

[black_linear]

While I can't tell you the difference, there is one. You should really call your parts department more often... :cheesy:

That's funny! So that's your secret source of information...

My parts department gets annoyed with me when I ask for obscure part numbers. They never seem to be able to find anything.

 

[vector93]

It is possible to design cars without "sway bars". It depends on the location of the roll centre for the front and rear axles. Sway bars can be detrimental to grip as it tends to unload the inside wheel when cornering. I am pretty sure that my old VX220 (effectively a Lotus Elise with an EcoTec engine) had no sway bars.

If the roll center is very high, then the vehicle has less need for sway bars as it naturally has less of a roll moment. Have a scoot about on the internet and see what it is all about.

Having no sway bars is not necessarily a bad thing.

Pretty sure you mean a vehicle with a low CG has less roll moment.