If improving performance is on your to-do list, installing a set of aftermarket Kia Optima sway bars should definitely be in your top five of must-haves. Unless your ride is built mostly for drag racing, in which case many don't run a front sway bar for weight transfer reasons, your Kia Optima performance will benefit and you'll feel like you're riding on rails after installing a set of Kia Optima sway bars.

Sway bars are actually torsion springs, and can indeed have an effect on your Kia Optima suspension's spring rate during cornering and on rough roads. Adding aftermarket Kia Optima sway bars, also popularly known as "anti-roll bars," is a great way to improve the overall handling of your ride. These sway bars are generally thicker than the original Kia Optima sway bars, and are therefore stiffer. The result is less side-to-side lean in turns and less understeer, which means that your vehicle will handle better under most conditions.

Q: Are sway bars available for the front and rear of each vehicle?
A: One sway bar is used to tie the front suspension together, and one is used to tie the rear suspension together, so for maximum suspension upgrade, you could buy a front and rear sway bar. When available, they are often sold in complete sets that include the front and the rear.

Q: How do you install a sway bar?
A: Sway bars are installed by removing your factory end links and sway bar. Re-install the new bushings and position your new sway bar on the vehicle in the OEM location and secure it with the same bolts.

Q: Is an anti-sway bar the same as a sway bar?
A: Anti-sway bar and sway bar are two terms that mean exactly the same thing.

Q: What are sway bars? Why buy a sway bar?
A: Sway bars give your car additional stability. A sway bar is a metal bar that spans the whole entire axle and joins each side of your suspension together. Aftermarket sway bars they are usually thicker than factory ones, which means they will create a more level ride, reducing body roll and under steer. With a new sway bar, you can accelerate into turns instead of braking through them.