I have the FRPP 1.5" kit with the SVT shocks. I have a few hundred to spend on sway bars. What is the best route to go? Should I get sway bars that "match" the springs/shocks? In other words, do spring rates and sway bar size go hand in hand? Does Ford Racing have a sway bar kit? I was looking at the Eibach kit since their spring rates are the closest to Ford Racing. Thanks for any help.
To a degree yes, sway bars should be compatible with spring rates. I say this because a stiffer spring does not necessarily need a stiffer bar. In some cases a well matched spring and shock can negate the need for bigger sway bars (the spring rates are used to balance the car and then the bars are used to "fine" tune. Going with really stiff bars can be overkill for the street (realistically.....when, where, and how much are you really going to rely on them?). In addition, really stiff/big bars can also require reinforced control arms as well as beefier links and attachment points so keep that in mind.
The goal is a neutral handling car where you induce oversteer when (and only when) you want it. Some bars (usually big ones) can induce oversteer on their own terms which means it can happen when you don't need it or least expect it (bad weather, poor street conditions, etc. for example). Moderation is the name of the game when selecting bar size especially for a street driven car. My experience is that on a Focus you probably don't need much more than a 22mm rear bar and in most cases you don't need to increase the front bar size at all (especially if you start with decent shocks and springs).
Look at it this way...... as you increase front bar size you increase push (understeer). This is the trait you're usually trying to eliminate. To offset this, you then have to increase the size of the rear bar (thus the reason for front and rear bar kits). Most cars are delivered with a fair amount of understeer from the factory as its more controllable for the normal driver. For an aggressive driver, barreling into a corner and then turning and have nothing happen (aka push) can be just as scary as too much oversteer is for an inexperienced driver.
