has anyone added a rear sway bar to their SS yet? It seems that the people who have added them to the HHR have had great results. Since the suspension is different on the SS, I would imagine we will have to wait for the aftermarket to either come up with a new bar, or just recommend using the current bars that are now available for the HHR's.
In all honesty, I must say that my 07 G5 with 15" wheels seemed to take the curves just as good or even slightly better than the SS. That G5 handled better than the some of the C3 Vettes I use to own. And I do realize that the G5 is much lower to the ground than the HHR, hence the better feel in some instances.
so, if you have any thoughts, or added a bar to your SS, or other HHR in the family, share your views here.........................

 

Anyone that can explain the rear suspension has three stars from me, and could likely offer good advice on the sway bar. There is a triangular cross-section connection between the two trailing arms (suspended by coil springs) with what appears to be a torsion bar (sway bar) running down the middle of it and connecting to each trailing arm. Personally, I have not figured out the kinematics on how that all works.

 

The rear suspension is what's called a "twist beam".The axle beam has a "give"(twisting ability) engineered into it.The rear sway bar(the metal rod welded inside the beam) is what helps resist some of that "give".GM's front drive car semi independent rear suspension has been that way since the "X' cars from 1980.

 

I don't have an HHR but I wish I did...

But when I changed the anti-sway bar on my SS/SC Cobalt--it made a world of difference.

 

The triangular beam is open to allow it to twist with little stiffness, and it's there to keep the two trailing arms parallel with each other as they move up and down. Earlier GM designs were C shaped, and I think VW ones have been, but I haven't looked at them for a long time. The tube inside has a controlled stiffness for sway control, combining the two functions doesn't work out, as a tube of the diameter that would adequately brace the arms sideways would be too stiff, the width across the open V is what gives the beam its bending rigidity without too much torsional stiffness.

 

Three stars it is. This is my first FWD car, so I haven't ever seen anything like that. The beam looks like a crude approach, but hey if it works. Calculating the torsional stiffness of a open triangular section with holes in it could only be done with some good finite element analysis that's for sure. Either that or they just welded it up and measured the spring rate!

 

The stock bars on it are 24mm and 23mm. Those are pretty hefty for stock. Granted someone will probably have a 27mm out there.

 

I put mine up on jacks this weekend to give it a good examination and to paint the calipers. I can't see any reason to replace the bars, they are real stout and for the street this thing handles GREAT!. If I was gonna do any serious track time or autocross, I'd probably try to find some 27-30 mm bars and re-think the coils, but stock SS is really a great street-able set-up.

 

Sway bars are a tuning device/aid. Too much bar is a very bad thing and 30mm bars seem like overkill (WAY overkill) on a car of this size/weight.

 

ok, a little confused here. have not really looked under the SS yet, but from what is being said here, there is a rear sway bar on the SS, but it seems it can't be seen just by looking underneath the car....
I looked at one HHR site that offers different items, and they had sway bars that bolt to the two holes on each side of the rear suspension, which owners were saying what a great improvement over stock.
So the sway bar already in place is more like a straight bar mounted in a slanted position from side-to-side??? The SSR had something similar, but when I added the ADDCO bars, both front and rear, it did make a huge difference.
Again, thanks for all and any input..............