# 2005 GTO Sway Bars recommendations



## a.orozco818 (Jun 14, 2021)

So im running a mostly stock 05’ GTO with 245 tire profile, recently i did a rolling pull from 1st-2nd gear and the car whipped right in 1st and left as soon as i hit 2nd but i was able to keep it straight i knew when to do this as to put no one or myself in danger but i wanted to get some recommendations for a sway bar that will keep the rear more straight while doing pulls, to prevent fish tailing im also getting a wider tire profile eventually (275) to help this and to keep straight as much as possible when i want to let the car loose from time to time and just put power to the ground instead of slipping and sliding


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## AlaGreyGoat (Jul 6, 2006)

I got a Hotchkis Sway Bar Set #2278 and poly End Link Bushings. You also need Radius Rod Bushings. 
Stiffer Rear Springs help, also.
These helped handling considerably.

Larry


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

If the car has a posi rear, then both tires spin. If both tires spin, then you have no tires in the rear getting traction... meaning you have nothing holding the car in place. A sway bar will not cure this. There are measures that you can take to reduce the effect, but since the dawn of time, cars with a posi go sideways and cars without go straight. This is why cars do burnouts at the dragstrip... To heat up the tires and reduce wheel spin on launch.

A car with a manual trans is usually worse, because you may be/ can be over revving at launch.

Wider, stickier tires will help, but you will also wear them out much faster.

My advice is to learn how to drive your car. In my 35-year experience, they tend to be predictable and consistent. Take it out into an empty lot and keep driving it until you learn to compensate and control it.

FYI... Even if you get fatter, stickier tires,sway bars, etc... There's still no substitute for mastering your car, and I would do that first. You may have heard that a better driver can beat a a poor driver with a faster car? Well when you straighten your car out as your competition drives into the bushes, then you will win.

But above all else, going sideways is what's awesome about owning a hotrod... so enjoy it.


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## AlaGreyGoat (Jul 6, 2006)

armyadarkness said:


> If the car has a posi rear, then both tires spin. If both tires spin, then you have no tires in the rear getting traction... meaning you have nothing holding the car in place. A sway bar will not cure this. There are measures that you can take to reduce the effect, but since the dawn of time, cars with a posi go sideways and cars without go straight. This is why cars do burnouts at the dragstrip... To heat up the tires and reduce wheel spin on launch.
> 
> A car with a manual trans is usually worse, because you may be/ can be over revving at launch.
> 
> ...


I agree, but having a stiffer, more controllable suspension makes it easier to control and drive out of a tire spin situation.
When your car jumps sideways from a spin, especially at higher speeds, a mushy suspension makes for a really scary experience!
Also, when driving hard in turns, a mushy suspension alloys for body sway and a rear tire to unload a loose traction.

Larry


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## a.orozco818 (Jun 14, 2021)

AlaGreyGoat said:


> I got a Hotchkis Sway Bar Set #2278 and poly End Link Bushings. You also need Radius Rod Bushings.
> Stiffer Rear Springs help, also.
> These helped handling considerably.
> 
> Larry


When i bought the car off the original owner he had upgraded all suspension components with polyurethane all around and added BC racing coil overs he got a wider rim to get a little bigger tire profile than stock, the tires (falken tires all around) still have relatively around 70- 80% thread semi-new basically ive never done a burnout in the car yet (haven’t really learned how in a manual yet honestly and tires aren’t cheap haha) im a pretty tame driver im not out racing doing donuts and the such ill do a pull ever so often on a open road in dry conditions, over all i try not endanger anyone. Ive heard of GTOs having this issue due to tire profiles/“stickiness”, sway bars, stock rear ends. So just wanted to know what fellow GTO owners are doing to keep the car straighter in the rear 
Thanks for the input


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

AlaGreyGoat said:


> I agree, but having a stiffer, more controllable suspension makes it easier to control and drive out of a tire spin situation.
> When your car jumps sideways from a spin, especially at higher speeds, a mushy suspension makes for a really scary experience!
> Also, when driving hard in turns, a mushy suspension alloys for body sway and a rear tire to unload a loose traction.
> 
> Larry


Agreed... It's worth noting that upgraded components will allow you to control it much better! My GTO is a 67 with a posi, and it's a joy to do burnouts, because I have chromoly, tubular upper and lower arms, front and back, UMI springs and bars up front and out back, Bilsteins all the way around, and have eliminated all rubber bushings.

A 67 is far more difficult to control than an 05, so yes, upgrades will change it dramatically. The car will still go wild, but you'll be the director, not the viewer.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

a.orozco818 said:


> When i bought the car off the original owner he had upgraded all suspension components with polyurethane all around and added BC racing coil overs he got a wider rim to get a little bigger tire profile than stock, the tires (falken tires all around) still have relatively around 70- 80% thread semi-new basically ive never done a burnout in the car yet (haven’t really learned how in a manual yet honestly and tires aren’t cheap haha) im a pretty tame driver im not out racing doing donuts and the such ill do a pull ever so often on a open road in dry conditions, over all i try not endanger anyone. Ive heard of GTOs having this issue due to tire profiles/“stickiness”, sway bars, stock rear ends. So just wanted to know what fellow GTO owners are doing to keep the car straighter in the rear
> Thanks for the input


Well now you confused the Hell out of me... So I'll leave it at this... Congratulations and welcome to the GTO community! Learn how to drive your car and have fun!


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