Stock for stock the Ford Fiesta ST is one of the best handling FWD cars ever made, but thanks to that torsion beam out back, it has a nasty habit of lifting a hind leg more than a dog with a bladder problem when you throw the Fiesta ST aggressively into corners. A little bit of extra love from Eibach helps dial in the Fiesta ST Suspension in the form of an Eibach Front Sway Bar for Fiesta ST and Eibach Rear Sway Bar for Fiesta ST.
The stock Fiesta ST suspension performs great, if a bit harsh. The Eibach Front Sway Bar for Fiesta ST reduces body roll even further for even sharper handling without making the ride any harsher than it already is.
Here you can see how the sway bar sits in the front of the car, we took this just after we had the bar in place before mounting it to the end links and tightening down the sway bar mounting brackets to secure it to the car.
You can see the front bar’s red paint peering out from the little gap there.
Here’s a view of the front after installation. This Oxford White Fiesta ST features a few little custom touches to give it a unique look – a matte black hood and roof treatment gives it a nice contrast and the matte hood reminds us of the super-stock factory musclecars of yesteryear like A12 Darts and such. The OEM wheels have been plastidipped dark gold, giving the car a little extra visual pop. A set of Mudflaps sets off the “urban rally” look.
In the back, the Fiesta ST doesn’t have a factory sway bar – instead, it has a torsion beam rear axle – the fwd equivalent of a live rear axle. This means that the wheels often want to do different things and when one wheel goes down, the other goes up and vice versa. Fitting an Eibach rear sway bar helps correct this by reinforcing the torsion beam and providing somewhere else for that kinetic load energy to go, enhancing the handling of the car by helping keep both rear wheels on the ground during hard cornering maneuvers.
You may also note the aftermarket exhaust – Chris, the owner of this Fiesta ST, has fitted it with a totally custom 3in catback exhaust system for Fiesta ST that has a sound all its own.
With a stiffer front sway bar to totally eradicate any hint of under-steer and a rear sway bar tying the suspension together where previously there was nothing at all – and it’s worth noting that this type of rear sway bar for the Fiesta ST (several designs have appeared on the market) is one of the few that is compatible with torsion beam braces as well.
It’s the little details that make the difference. The simple mudflaps give the car a slightly more aggressive visual edge and the stubby antenna is a great touch.
A set of sway bars is a fantastic way to upgrade almost any car, and that holds true even for a car that is renowned for its handling right out of the box, and a set of Eibach Sway Bars for Fiesta ST are a great compliment to any suspension setup, whether you plan to stay with stock springs, drop the car with a set of Eibach Pro-Kit Springs for Fiesta ST or even coilovers.
If you’re interested in upgrading the handling performance of your Fiesta ST, talk to the Ford ST Mod Experts at ModBargains. Call 714-582-3330 (x8009 to speak to Ford specialist Elliott) or chat live at www.modbargains.com for modding advice from our friendly and enthusiastic Modification Experts.
Story by Nicholas Gregson
Photos by Doug Johnson, The Driven Lifestyle and Nick Gregson