I'm confused

[88FestivaLX]

I keep reading stuff about the rear sway bar on Festivas. Mine doesn't have anything back there. Was it optional or is some other part considered a sway bar? Please excuse me for being partially retarded.

[leapin]

The rear beam IS the sway bar....An intedgrated unit you could call it.

[88FestivaLX]

Ah, ok. Thats what I was thinking, but wasn't sure. I'm not used to these FWD cars, ha. Thanks!

[elcamino1]

There was no swaybar on the 88-93 US Festiva.
If you do the Aspire swap there's one built into the rear beam.

[CharlieZ]

Call it a sway bar if you like but Festivas as well as Aspires had what's known as a torsion beam. The torsion beam twists as the rears wheels rise and fall "somewhat" independent of each other. Can you imagine the ride if the two trailing arms were connected with a rigid beam?

[88FestivaLX]

Yea, when I looked under there I was like, "That looks like a torsion beam. I don't think it has an actual sway bar". Ha

[Safety Guy]

FYI, the Aspire rear stabilizer bar is simply a metal rod about 1" in diameter welded from the inside of the trailing arm to the other inside trailing arm. You'll have to look inside the "C" section of the torsion beam (the open part faces the front of the car) to see it.

It reduces the torsion beam's ability to twist from side to side and thus moderates the rear roll radius.

Karl

[CharlieZ]

FYI, the Aspire rear stabilizer bar is simply a metal rod about 1" in diameter welded from the inside of the trailing arm to the other inside trailing arm. You'll have to look inside the "C" section of the torsion beam (the open part faces the front of the car) to see it.

It reduces the torsion beam's ability to twist from side to side and thus moderates the rear roll radius.

Karl

At last. A post that should put this issue to rest.
Thanks.