# SE to SE-R sway bar swap



## avusilvia (Feb 1, 2009)

so if I put in an se-r front sway bar(the only one there is) into my 1.6 se wil it fit and will if offer any benefits? I'm only asking cause its cheap and1.6l se body roll sux.
thanks guys
-mike


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Yeah it fits. You need the bushings too im sure. Bigger sway bar tighter turns and less roll.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

If you add a sway bar to the front you stiffen the front, and without a corresponding stiffening at the rear you will get more understeer.
So also add a rear sway bar or increase the size is you already have one if you dont like what you get !!.


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## avusilvia (Feb 1, 2009)

I'm don't want to spend the $150 or $200 for a suspension trechniques rear bar or the $300 for both front and rear just yet. I figured $20 from a junk yard is quite nice. so is this even worth it or will my understeer be even worse. From what IanH was satying it sounds like it'll be worse handling with the se-r sway bar. so the questio arises again...is $20 worht rthwe swap and is the swap even worth the time or will it hurt my handling?


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

the se-r sway bar will give you better handling all around.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

my GXE did not have a front sway bar, my SE-R does....
Now from what i understand the SE-R spring rates are different and it has the sway bar...
The Spring has a different part number on the Courtesy web site...Dont know about the Shock settings...
So try it !!
if it under steers too much add the rear springs and shocks from the SE-R


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

they all have sway bars man


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

wrong, my 97 GXE did not have a sway bar. We purchased this new.
Courtesy parts shows only a sway bar on the 95-99 SR20 powered cars.


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

IanH said:


> wrong, my 97 GXE did not have a sway bar


I have never heard that in my life. 

Napa online shows sway bar bushings and repair kit for the 1997 nissan GXE sentra


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

2dr_Sentra said:


> I have never heard that in my life.
> 
> Napa online shows sway bar bushings and repair kit for the 1997 nissan GXE sentra


This is from the Nissan parts listing.....Note the SR20DE in the Sway bar parts box.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

I owned one of these with a GA16DE (97 GXE) from new till summer 2008 and it did not have a sway bar.


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

I still have never heard of it. Right or wrong ive never heard of it.


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## avusilvia (Feb 1, 2009)

maybe its just the gxe or 4 door models. My 200sx 1.6l se has a front sway bar and all front mounting points. IanH check your front tie rods, since the sentras were pretty much cut form the same sheet metal stock, you might have the right mounting points for even just a front sway bar from say a 200sx. Junk yards will have them for cheep. BTW w/o the bar what's it like to turn?


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

The GXE is gone, sold it last summer.
Still have the SE-R.
Yes the GXE has the holes in the control arms for the sway bar. didn't check the chassis mounting points though.
GXE turned fine, was OK, not much different to the SE-R on the same tires. Tires made all the difference.


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## avusilvia (Feb 1, 2009)

that's interesting. it's all in he fight against body roll. lol


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

200SX SE and SE-R sway are 100% identical!


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## avusilvia (Feb 1, 2009)

so wes ur saying they are the same? then the se-r's handling prowess was all in the shocks and spring rates. the control arms... are they beefier then?


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

avusilvia said:


> so wes ur saying they are the same? then the se-r's handling prowess was all in the shocks and spring rates. the control arms... are they beefier then?


No AFAIK everything was the same from the spring rates to the shocks. An easy way to confirm is have a nissan dealer cross reference part #'s. 

Control arms are the same too.


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## Jr71vette (Dec 13, 2003)

Wes is right, the bars are identical. there is no difference in the part no's. Also, you may want to invest in a rear bar for better handling. I have the adjustable rear progress bar and it was like night and day for my car...which came with a front sway bar...i think you got duped out of a front bar, or you just didn't notice it there. All of them have front bars----the rear bar is only on the older 1991-1994 sentra's


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## nissanspeed666 (Sep 24, 2008)

I just did Ksport full coilovers and front and rear STRUT bars and I have NO body roll what so ever. But Your also looking at like $1000 for the whole setup maybe more. But I do want to do upgraded sway bars.


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## sinning (Mar 28, 2008)

where do they sell the rear bars for the 99 gxe i have a front stillen strut bar looking for the rear


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## nissanspeed666 (Sep 24, 2008)

sinning said:


> where do they sell the rear bars for the 99 gxe i have a front stillen strut bar looking for the rear


 I got my strut bars off ebay, and my coilovers thru LSDmotorsports


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

sinning said:


> where do they sell the rear bars for the 99 gxe i have a front stillen strut bar looking for the rear


This thread is about sway bars. Are you looking for a rear sway bar or a rear strut bar? Honestly if you guys are lookign for something that makes a big difference in handling then buy a rear sway bar. 

Stillen and Progress make the best ones.


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## sinning (Mar 28, 2008)

rear sway bar it is then...


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## nismo_97 (Mar 15, 2012)

I noticed this too, I have a 97 sentra and I bought a 95 200sx as a donor car. I have new stabilizer bar links but when I went to install them I noticed the sentra doesn't have a front stabilizer bar yet the 95 200sx does. Both cars are B14 chassis both cars have the GA16 engine. Is it safe to install the entire front stabilizer bar from the 200 on the sentra or is that going to screw up spring rates and throw everything off?


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

As we said above yes its fine, you will decrease roll, but may pick up additional under-steer.
Does the GXE and 200Sx have same rear bar ? If not change it over as well, I am assuming it will be thinker.


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## nismo_97 (Mar 15, 2012)

The rear suspension setup is exactly identical, thats why I found it weird


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