Think he meant worst sway bar installation, not worst write up.
Whiteline Rear Sway Bar Installation on the MS6
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Hi all -- I actually own a 2011 Fusion Sport AWD, and apparently your whiteline bar is about my only option upgrading.
I was a little suprised to see not many in this thread upgraded their end links? Was it not needed or just not mentioned here?
To be honest im not sure if i can even use the MS6 endlinks also :S
I was a little suprised to see not many in this thread upgraded their end links? Was it not needed or just not mentioned here?
To be honest im not sure if i can even use the MS6 endlinks also :S
Just did an alignment after installing Bilstein shocks. Have had SPCs and a Whiteline RSB on for two years. Recently the front tire wear had become atrocious and I could visually tell that the SPC on the left side had rotated significantly. You could feel some grabbing and irregularity in slow speed parking manuevers, but the car still tracked quite well.
The initial caster was 6.2 on the left and 4.1 on the right, which is what the right was after my initial alignment. Obviously, it had changed in spite of the nut being tight and retorqued to 120 lb-ft 3-4 times per year.
The alignment tech and I got the caster back to 4.5 on the left with a bit of trial and error positioning. Although it was not intended, one can somewhat adjust caster as well as camber with the SPCs. BTW this time I got a lifetime alignment package so I can check and readjust as necessary.
I've posted before how this car with stock suspension, Whiteline RSB and SPCs to get about -1.5 or so of camber on the front makes the car wonderful. The Bilsteins have only improved on that!
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The initial caster was 6.2 on the left and 4.1 on the right, which is what the right was after my initial alignment. Obviously, it had changed in spite of the nut being tight and retorqued to 120 lb-ft 3-4 times per year.
The alignment tech and I got the caster back to 4.5 on the left with a bit of trial and error positioning. Although it was not intended, one can somewhat adjust caster as well as camber with the SPCs. BTW this time I got a lifetime alignment package so I can check and readjust as necessary.
I've posted before how this car with stock suspension, Whiteline RSB and SPCs to get about -1.5 or so of camber on the front makes the car wonderful. The Bilsteins have only improved on that!
Tighten the endlinks 1st. Then position one pivot bush u-clamp so the bar is centered within the two slots, and tighten. Finally put the last clamp on the other bushing and tighten.
All final torqueing should be with the car on a drive on lift, or driven the rear up on a stack of 2 or 3 2X6's, so the suspension is not drooping(weight on tires).
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Whiteline vs CS Rear Bars
Whiteline and CorkSport Stiffness, vs MS6 OEM Rear Bar
The oem rear is 23mm, single hole, vertical endlink.
The WL's are 24mm, single hole, vert endlink, and 1.19X stiffer
The CS are 25mm, single hole, vert endlink, and 1.40X stiffer than oem
The WL-2 are 24mm, two holes, vert endlink at outer hole, and 1.19X stiffer vs oem.
The WL-2 at the inner hole are 24mm with 25mm stiffness, 1.40X stiffer
[ As a reference, for the early M6 the Racing Beat rear bar is 27mm vs 19mm oem, and is 4.1X stiffer than the oem ! I chose the 22.5 bar, for 2.00X stiffer. ]
Mod For Stiffer Rear Bar
For a stiffer MS6 rear bar, a stiffer hole could be added to the Cork Sport bar, giving a 26mm effective bar with 1.63X stiffer than oem. It would be a tedious process by hand, but quickly done at a machine shop with an end mill.
For these short position holes, the vertical link takes an angle that is close to interference with other metal. This can be minimized by putting a spacer under the pivot brackets, shown in post 67.
CAUTION! Adding spacers moves the sway bar brackets toward the inner CV joint rubber boot, and may result on contact and creating a tear in the boot that lets grease out and water in. Be careful with spacers.
Corksport Confusion
Corksport advertises that both front and rear bars are 70% stiffer than OEM, and are a matched set. This is completely wrong. The rear is only 40% stiffer (see above) and the front is a large 28.5mm vs 24mm oem bar, and 99% stiffer.
CS quote about new front bar: "Designed to compliment the CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Sway Bar, the increased bar diameter has been engineered to match the stiffness of our rear sway bar to promote neutral handling." This is PURE BS !
With the front bar stiffness almost doubled, and the rear only 40% stiffer, the understeer would be magnified. Not good. But on the plus side, the car would ride much flatter in the corners, and have quicker response to steering wheel inputs.
A Better Front Bar?
There is a very good chance that the Steeda Mazda6/Fusion 26mm front bar for all 4 cyl models will fit the MS6, for a 38% increase in stiffness. Racing Beat's 28.5mm bar fits both the M6 4 bangers and the MS6.
Note: The bar stiffness change is closely related to the ratio of the diameters, raised to the 4th power. I have the formula for bar stiffness, based on beam torsion and bending for the total geometry of the bar, And I have verified the ratio method is very accurate.
For more information about the fit of the MS6 rear bars, and upgraded DSS axles:
http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/forum/f106/ms6mil-rear-axle-breakdown-148277/
Corksport stopped production of their rear bar.
.
Whiteline and CorkSport Stiffness, vs MS6 OEM Rear Bar
The oem rear is 23mm, single hole, vertical endlink.
The WL's are 24mm, single hole, vert endlink, and 1.19X stiffer
The CS are 25mm, single hole, vert endlink, and 1.40X stiffer than oem
The WL-2 are 24mm, two holes, vert endlink at outer hole, and 1.19X stiffer vs oem.
The WL-2 at the inner hole are 24mm with 25mm stiffness, 1.40X stiffer
[ As a reference, for the early M6 the Racing Beat rear bar is 27mm vs 19mm oem, and is 4.1X stiffer than the oem ! I chose the 22.5 bar, for 2.00X stiffer. ]
Mod For Stiffer Rear Bar
For a stiffer MS6 rear bar, a stiffer hole could be added to the Cork Sport bar, giving a 26mm effective bar with 1.63X stiffer than oem. It would be a tedious process by hand, but quickly done at a machine shop with an end mill.
For these short position holes, the vertical link takes an angle that is close to interference with other metal. This can be minimized by putting a spacer under the pivot brackets, shown in post 67.
CAUTION! Adding spacers moves the sway bar brackets toward the inner CV joint rubber boot, and may result on contact and creating a tear in the boot that lets grease out and water in. Be careful with spacers.
Corksport Confusion
Corksport advertises that both front and rear bars are 70% stiffer than OEM, and are a matched set. This is completely wrong. The rear is only 40% stiffer (see above) and the front is a large 28.5mm vs 24mm oem bar, and 99% stiffer.
CS quote about new front bar: "Designed to compliment the CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Sway Bar, the increased bar diameter has been engineered to match the stiffness of our rear sway bar to promote neutral handling." This is PURE BS !
With the front bar stiffness almost doubled, and the rear only 40% stiffer, the understeer would be magnified. Not good. But on the plus side, the car would ride much flatter in the corners, and have quicker response to steering wheel inputs.
A Better Front Bar?
There is a very good chance that the Steeda Mazda6/Fusion 26mm front bar for all 4 cyl models will fit the MS6, for a 38% increase in stiffness. Racing Beat's 28.5mm bar fits both the M6 4 bangers and the MS6.
Note: The bar stiffness change is closely related to the ratio of the diameters, raised to the 4th power. I have the formula for bar stiffness, based on beam torsion and bending for the total geometry of the bar, And I have verified the ratio method is very accurate.
For more information about the fit of the MS6 rear bars, and upgraded DSS axles:
http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/forum/f106/ms6mil-rear-axle-breakdown-148277/
Corksport stopped production of their rear bar.
.
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Spammer much?
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Any chance at all you still have the photos from this this install?
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Before bumping or replying to an old thread, its best to check WHEN the person was last seen that you want the attention from.
Last seen Dec 20, 2018
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