CapYoda

iTrader: (30)

welp finally got that stupid sway bar on. thanks to 0100010's advice on using a needle vise grip (I didn't know those sucker can grip so much.)

after a few quick test drive, the car does feel different.. when I take a steep turn, something is different about it... but only extensive driving will I be able to tell any improvements...

still, those few turns I made, the car definitely felt more neutral... I took a semi 90 degree left turn at higher than regular speed without feeling any oversteer or understeer...

I dont think I torqued the nuts on the endlink up to spec (just found out it may be 28 ft.-lb) so I'm going to adjust that later when I have time...

the car's a 01 ex 5spd, btw. only other suspension mod is a front strut bar...

when I have time, I'm going to put on the front sway bar bushing... (the hardness difference between that and the stock rubber bushing is so much!)

some tips on installing the sway bar:
- start on the driver side first if you just turned off the car after an extensive drive. touching the hot exhuast pipe and getting burn isn't fun. - better yet, cool the car down first.
- get a needle vise grip, just incase the endlink bolt start rotating on you when you try to take out or tigthen the nut.
- get a torque wrench. torque the nuts for the brackets to 16 lb.-ft, and the nuts for the endlinks to 28 lb.-ft
- you'll also need a socket wrench. 14 and 12 mm socket.
- it helps to have grease between the bar and the bushing... I used the Synthetic bushing grease that came with the Neuspeed Front Sway Bar Bushing. get something like that. heh.

as long as the bolt doesn't rotate on you when you try to take out the endlink nut, the install is pretty much an easy bolt on.

anyways, if anyone needs help on installing one, I'll be glad to help out.

01SOHCcivic

iTrader: (1)

nice man
how much was the sway bar???

oh and post some pics!!!!

bambuski

awesome man, thanks for the info.

CivicVTec

iTrader: (9)

u can get 22mm at ClubRSX.com for $89.95...but like i said u r making your car more dangerous because u change the factory front & rear sway bar ratio...

CapYoda

iTrader: (30)

the sway bar itself runs for like 60 bucks at aucraautomotiveparts.net (Pretty cheap, compare to some aftermarket ones, huh?)

if you do a search you'll find lots of info on it.. but other parts you'll need is basically the bushing, and thats it... (thats like 70 bucks total, with shipping. cheap.)

I didn't use the stock bracket, I bought the rsx ones.. they're a bit different in size (rsx is a bit bigger) but the stock ex bracket would work too...

I also ordered like bolts and nuts. which didn't come. heh. bastards. (thats like 5-6 bucks worth of bolts and nuts. they say they'll ship it when its in stock, but I dont really care right now I guess.)

I hardly think this will make the car mroe dangerous... but yeah, sway bars aren't exactly thicker = better, messing with the stiffness of your car will yield some different handling characteristic. more oversteer, or understeer, or whatever...

oh yeah. if you want pics, do a search and you'll see plenty...

and I think I detect a bit of a harsher ride on the rear...

netcbc

iTrader: (1)

what does it look like? how coem u chose the rsx one over neuspeed?

sicsol

Instead of using vice grips, try finding the correct allen key for the end of the stud. This way you will not damage the threads.

The bar itself looks like the stock one but thicker.

It is much cheaper than neuspeed and its a genuine honda part.

sicsolx

0100010

sicsol - There isn't a "head" on the bolt that an allen key can fit into, it is just pillow mounted onto a motion arm tied to the lower control arm. Using the needle nose vise grips doesn't damage the threads at all, the end of the bolt before the pillow mount has a raised collar that you can grip onto.

sicsol

When I did mine, I used a wrench to hold the bolt and an allen key to spin the bolt. An allen key (correct size of course) fits into the hole at the end of the stud. If I am understanding what you are doing you can possibly damage the threads of the bolt or damage the ball joint itself (if you are wedging it inbetween the ball joint and the bolt). But hey if it works for you, then more power to ya. I just figured maybe you did not see the open end on the end of the stud.

Or maybe you are talking about something different all together. My suggestion refers to separating and mounting the sway bar to the swivel joint on the lower control arms.

sicsolx