Front Wheel Drive Understeer

One way to improve the handling of a FWD car is to loosen or disconnect the front anti-sway bar.

This will reduce the understeer by making the outside rear tyre take more of the weight transfer during cornering. The outside front tyre is then called upon to carry less of the weight, and it therefore doesn't become overloaded, loose grip, and cause understeer.

Another advantage of disconnecting the front anti-sway bar is improved front wheel articulation, which reduces wheel spin and improves acceleration out of the corner.

It was an easy job to disconnect the anti-sway bar on my Mini. Removing the bar from the car would have required me to lower the front subframe, so I left the bar on the car. And rather than disconnect both sides of the bar, I just disconnected the right side by removing the drop-link. I thought the bar might hit the A-arm, but I didn't hear any rattles during a brief drive, so it should be fine. I'm looking forward to Monday's commute!

[This is a free quick and rough solution for FWD understeer. The best way to finely adjust the handling is with spring rates, anti-sway-bars, dampers, and wheel alignment.]

Categories:Cars