Unplugged Performance Sway Bar Installed!

[okusa]

I had the rear bar installed on Wednesday by UP in Hawthorne. I was planning on doing it myself, but for $90 I couldn't resist. As others have stated, the car is now much more planted, both on hard acceleration and during aggressive driving. I also agree that the car could use a bit more negative camber, but one thing at a time.

Has anyone installed any front end bits yet? I'd love to clean up some of the slop in the steering.

 

[Rambino]

Its very easy to d

Thanks, I'll do it myself as well. There are 3 holes to choose from; which one did you go with ? I read somewhere to try the middle hole but someone else recommended the 3rd hole. I'd prefer the stiffest setting.

So do you notice better handling with the lowering links ? Besides looks, any other advantages with the lowering links?

I went full stiff.. I personally think it could be stiffer compared to other bars ive used on other cars.. IMO though, the full stiff on this car is a perfect street/highway setup.. Also the bar is VERY easy to install yourself.. just follow the instructions they give and make sure you follow the Torque specs they give for the frame mounts.. if you strip these you are screwed..

 

[Drew-MS]

Its very easy to d

I went full stiff.. I personally think it could be stiffer compared to other bars ive used on other cars.. IMO though, the full stiff on this car is a perfect street/highway setup.. Also the bar is VERY easy to install yourself.. just follow the instructions they give and make sure you follow the Torque specs they give for the frame mounts.. if you strip these you are screwed..

Sounds good, cheers

 

[GDawg614]

Just remember to let any shop you use, have the directions which can be downloaded from Unplugged Perf. website.. There are specific torque ratings for certain bolts that the shop must adhere by (specifically where the main brakets mount to the frame) its aluminum and the torque spec is very low to not strip it..

Love this sway bar.. major improvement for sure

Can you give me some background so I can understand how you drive/use your car?

I’m 52 and daily drive sports cars in summer/fall. I used to daily drive Range Rover Sport during winter and now have the Plaid.
I would be excited to make my new Plaid more exciting to drive, and more buttoned-down, but only as long as it is comfortable.
No zero interest making it into a slammed Subaru equivalent, and no interest in improving its track or drag racing abilities.

Also ... Where do you live? I’m in Ohio … not warm-weather only (like Southern California).

Help me understand your driving and how the car handles differently now ….
Thanks so much!

 

[Rambino]

Ive had many cars, I do all my own work and set them up for different things like track, canyon runs, highway etc.. Now im in sunny florida so its mainly highway here and I drive the Plaid very hard and test all it limits often.. Like you I still want an enjoyable and supple ride but also performance.. The sway bar will add a bit of stiffness over bumps but its not very noticeable esp if you drive in Comfort mode.. The primary benefit of the sway for this car is highway stability, easier lane shifts, and it manages the 1000hp better when under load.. thats also beneficial on low speed curvy roads..

For you, id say try the sway on the stiffest setting and go down from there depending on your comfort zone.. Its less than 10 min to adjust.. You def will get a more buttoned down feel.. I also changed my rear spoiler to an aftermarket one to introduce some downforce.. I did notice an improvement in high speed stability with that as well.. Over all the combo gave me a very button down feel.. Im adding Unplugged Brakes rotors and pads soon, that should take some of the bump out making the corners lighter.. The car could def benefit from lighter wheels, that would give a big upgrade in comfort as well which I plan to do while also increasing performance.

 

[GDawg614]

Very helpful! These stock brakes aren’t so great, both for pedal feel and stopping power. LMK your impressions of the Unplugged brakes. I was going to get winter wheels/tires … but now you have me thinking maybe I should use the arachnids for winter tires and look into lighter wheels for a set of summer wheels/tires. I’ll look into the sway bar. Thanks!!!

 

[OCS300]

Ive had many cars, I do all my own work and set them up for different things like track, canyon runs, highway etc.. Now im in sunny florida so its mainly highway here and I drive the Plaid very hard and test all it limits often.. Like you I still want an enjoyable and supple ride but also performance.. The sway bar will add a bit of stiffness over bumps but its not very noticeable esp if you drive in Comfort mode.. The primary benefit of the sway for this car is highway stability, easier lane shifts, and it manages the 1000hp better when under load.. thats also beneficial on low speed curvy roads..

For you, id say try the sway on the stiffest setting and go down from there depending on your comfort zone.. Its less than 10 min to adjust.. You def will get a more buttoned down feel.. I also changed my rear spoiler to an aftermarket one to introduce some downforce.. I did notice an improvement in high speed stability with that as well.. Over all the combo gave me a very button down feel.. Im adding Unplugged Brakes rotors and pads soon, that should take some of the bump out making the corners lighter.. The car could def benefit from lighter wheels, that would give a big upgrade in comfort as well which I plan to do while also increasing performance.

Highway stability is also what I’m after. Which spoiler are you using? Pics?

I’m planning to get the front lip that MP posted on instagram when it’s available, but haven’t decided on spoiler yet.

I’m on the stiffest setting with the rollbar but sometimes feels like the side to side jarring is a bit much on the local crappy Chicago roads. Will be trying the medium setting for a bit.

 

[Rambino]

I bought a cheap ebay spoiler w matte finish .. it actually looks quite good lol and I was able to get a Matte finish to match the interior carbon I have..fitment was perfect.. Fits 12-19 Tesla Model S OE Factory Style Trunk Spoiler Wing Matte Carbon Fiber | eBay

I triple up the double sided tape on the back end to give it a bit more rake and then use black sealant all around to secure and waterproof everything.. Its not as much downforce as id like but it beats the factory spoiler which is designed for airflow and no downforce (aka longer electric range) ..

It did actually make the rear end a lot more stable at high speed combined with the rear sway bar, but now the nose searches and is suseptible to side wind gusts.. I was checking out the MP front lip as well.. TBH im still holding out hopes a Plaid + comes out still with proper brakes and active aero.. then id truly be content..

 

[OCS300]

Nice. I was waiting for the MPP to post pics of their rear wing, which they did this weekend on Insta, but it’s a bit too extreme for what I’m looking for since I most likely will not be tracking the car.

The shape/style of wing I really like is this one that RPM makes for the Model 3. I’m hoping they come out with something similar for the plaid. It wound be a great look with the MPP front lip.

Model 3 Jupiter V-Style Spoiler - Real Molded Carbon Fiber

Model 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler/ Blade

www.rpmtesla.com

My hope for Tesla ever releasing their active aero wing as an add on option have pretty much died out.

 

[SteelClouds]

This thread brings back some memories of the early 80s.. there were and probably still are, two schools of thought for handling. Stiff springs or big a** sway bars ( anti roll bars to be technical).. there were near religious wars fought over these schools. What was the dividing line was this. Was the car going to be a track car or a street car. For a track car, with groomed tracks, no pot holes etc, alignment for track, coilovers etc.. stiff springs were awesome. However, they sucked on the street in every day driving. For street or enthusiastic driving on street tires which at the time were Goodyear Eagles.. very soft.. very sticky.. the big bars ruled the day with progressive springs. The idea was the suspension was allowed to "work" a bit soaking up the bumps and irregularities in the road while still giving solid control. The stiff springs tended to bounce off this stuff and in the worse case, lose the contact with the ground because the suspension could not follow the road surface.

The drivers preference always has a huge role in this design tradeoff. Some drivers want the ultimate handling even on the street.. some drivers are willing to compromise a bit for ride quality. I've gone both ways myself.. been there.. done that.. got the bruises . These days I'm more about some comfort and enough handling to be fun.

I love reading all the details that folks are doing to their car suspension and hearing the different results. Thanks for sharing

 

[frankthetoad]

I did install it myself. The PlaidAF install takes way longer than it did for me. I put the rear wheels on ramps and it took less than an hour. There are two panels. One behind the rear wheels and one next to and foward of the rear wheels. The rear most panel stays on. Remove the other one. You have to reach in to get the bolts out and remove the stock bar but its not that hard. Install is opposite of the removal. Very easy with basic tools.

As for the change in handling, it makes a marked difference. I always felt like the rear of the car was rolling over. Front seemed fine. This fixes that issue. For example, car is much flatter taking a 180 to 270 degree on ramp at speed. I would prefer a bit more negative camber but its not critical.

I also installed lowering links last week and dropped the car about 3/4" all around.

I did install it myself. The PlaidAF install takes way longer than it did for me. I put the rear wheels on ramps and it took less than an hour. There are two panels. One behind the rear wheels and one next to and foward of the rear wheels. The rear most panel stays on. Remove the other one. You have to reach in to get the bolts out and remove the stock bar but its not that hard. Install is opposite of the removal. Very easy with basic tools.

As for the change in handling, it makes a marked difference. I always felt like the rear of the car was rolling over. Front seemed fine. This fixes that issue. For example, car is much flatter taking a 180 to 270 degree on ramp at speed. I would prefer a bit more negative camber but its not critical.

I also installed lowering links last week and dropped the car about 3/4" all around.

Just to be clear, you replaced the rear sway bar with the rear wheels on ramps? I'd like to do the same, but just received an email from UP saying "Due to the weight of these vehicle the springs are under extreme tension on the strut. You'll need at a minimum a hydraulic spring vice."

How was your install?

 

[whenryb]

Just to be clear, you replaced the rear sway bar with the rear wheels on ramps? I'd like to do the same, but just received an email from UP saying "Due to the weight of these vehicle the springs are under extreme tension on the strut. You'll need at a minimum a hydraulic spring vice."

How was your install?

Correct. You are replacing the sway bar. Struts have nothing to do with it and there are no springs on the Model S/Plaid. It is air suspension. Seems to me they are referring to a different vehicle.

This is a very easy install.

 

[Rambino]

Correction to my original post.. The Stiffest Setting on the Bar is towards the rear of the car when on the ground.. It is the opposite of the current directions on their website.. although it may be updated eventually. I confirmed this with Unplugged and also changed the setting to the furthest hole towards the rear. This creates a more of a 90 degree angle which increases the stiffness.. Driveability is still Excellent, no discomfort at all, definitley worth the change..

 

[yamanote]

Just to clarify, your original impressions were actually with the bar set to full soft, and even that was a big improvement over the stock sway bar?
I was leaning toward medium but might give soft a try if so, I carry a full car often so don’t want to make it too stiff in the rear.

 

[OCS300]

Just to clarify, your original impressions were actually with the bar set to full soft, and even that was a big improvement over the stock sway bar?
I was leaning toward medium but might give soft a try if so, I carry a full car often so don’t want to make it too stiff in the rear.

I first tried the stiffest for a few months, then the softest for a few months, and now have settled on the middle/medium. This is my daily so I feel the middle is the best compromise.

With the stiffest setting I found the side to side jerking of the car too uncomfortably when only one side hits a bump (hope that makes sense)

 

[yamanote]

I first tried the stiffest for a few months, then the softest for a few months, and now have settled on the middle/medium. This is my daily so I feel the middle is the best compromise.

With the stiffest setting I found the side to side jerking of the car too uncomfortably when only one side hits a bump (hope that makes sense)

Thanks, that does make sense. Is there much difference between soft and medium?

 

[OCS300]

Thanks, that does make sense. Is there much difference between soft and medium?

Enough of a difference where I was not happy with soft. The biggest difference the sway bar made for my style of driving is when I punch it, the rear end was much more planted and the car more controllable during the “take off”.

With soft, it was still a little squirrelly, better than stock, but still squirrelly. With medium and hard, the rear is planted and it shoots straight.

 

[kriRanX]

Had this bar installed on my X plaid today at AutoRnd/Zevcentric in Fremont, and all I can say is wow; it is insane that one bar can dramatically alter the dynamics of the car. It is so much more planted and stable during those freeway maneuvers, which was the primary reason I bought the bar. The car is just solid at all speeds. Really solid. What is shocking is that the comfort levels seem to have gone up as there are way less unwanted motions. I run my X plaid in the advanced setting with comfort and handing dialed to firm or in sport (depending on how smooth the road is). I liked how it felt, but I was getting way too much unwanted feedback from the suspension over rough pavement; now the car just seems to glide over those imperfections, and I can feel it being so much more solid and satisfying. When cruising on the freeway or changing lanes, the car is just rock solid and so much more sure footed.

I can now sway the car back and forth at 70 mph, and it just does what you ask it to do, without upsetting the chassis balance. I can take some freeway exits at 5-10+ mph now, and when you reach about 7/10 of the limits, the rear tires start to lose traction/squeal a bit before the stability control kicks in. The x plaid did not understeer too badly, but now the balance is pretty neutral and with a hint of oversteer, which is awesome. The car no longer pushes on the front end. What a dramatic difference on an 5400lb AWD SUV.

The car also now puts down power in the rear with so much more certainty. You can feel the rear just as a solid unit when you accelerate hard. It is so satisfying and the feedback is amazing, telling you exactly what the rear is doing without any drama. The car also is much more eager to turn in.

I am probably the first person who installed this bar on a X plaid (at least the first with a public review), but I am so glad I did. BTW, this thread was helpful in me deciding to get the bar.

Many, many thanks to Unplugged Performance for making this bar. I am not aware of any other company that does aftermarket sway bar for the X plaid. I have not felt this much of a difference ever that a single mod had made to a car. Thanks to Andrew as well from UP for helping me with answering all my questions.

When I bought the X plaid after watching couple of popular reviews on youtube, the reviewers were clearly impressed with the handling in the canyons (we all know its fast in a straight line). They were actually very surprised. After I drove it myself on my favorite roads, I knew the car was amazing, with being able to enter corners at some good speed while having the confidence that the car will stay in it's course through a turn. I also felt that all it needed was to stiffen the rear and maybe some bigger tires. With the bar now, and my bigger wheel/tire setup on the way (285/35/22 & 315/30/22 summer tires), I feel the car will be a monster. I am guessing it might get close to (or even exceed given the massive power/torque advantage) the Cayenne Turbo GT’s ring time with the right brakes.

I set mine at full stiff. Let me know if anybody has any questions