RSX rear swaybar - Works awesome
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RSX rear swaybar - Works awesome
Just installed the RSX 19mm rear sway bar, and it works like a charm. Don't know why I didn't do this way sooner. I know this topic has been covered thoroughly, but the results were so good that I just had to advertise this mod.
It took under half an hour for the job after reading up on the howto at
http://www.xenja.com/7thgencivic_RSX..._DIY/index.htm
I felt the difference in the first turn I made. For anyone who has the dinky 13mm stock one, this is a total must-have, unless you're getting the thicker aftermarket stuff.
And just around a hundred bucks total for parts at the acura dealer. A great bang for the buck.
Gives the car a much more planted feel.
My 02 EX Coupe has a 25.4mm bar up front stock, and the balance is very good for sport/street. Not enough to get you into trouble.
It took under half an hour for the job after reading up on the howto at
http://www.xenja.com/7thgencivic_RSX..._DIY/index.htm
I felt the difference in the first turn I made. For anyone who has the dinky 13mm stock one, this is a total must-have, unless you're getting the thicker aftermarket stuff.
And just around a hundred bucks total for parts at the acura dealer. A great bang for the buck.
Gives the car a much more planted feel.
My 02 EX Coupe has a 25.4mm bar up front stock, and the balance is very good for sport/street. Not enough to get you into trouble.
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Rep Power: 0 Let me first say that I don't race or autocross my civic, so I probably can't get you technical feedback that a lot of other forum guys like zzyzx can. I would like to think I have enough knowledge about cars and performance to be credible (I've rebuilt 3 motors, do all of my own maintenance and worked as a machinist to get through college).
So...what I notice from stock to RSX sway bar - the first time pulling out of my driveway I could notice that the car was slightly firmer. I know a lot of may think that the sway bar doesn't affect spring rate, but they do connect both the rear suspension sides and for me it translated to a slightly firmer ride. Even the low speed right turn ont the main street was a noticable. Less body roll...more accurate steering.
On to the large circular onramp to the freeway... the RSX bar was definitely a confidence builder. I take this onramp all the time so I know how my car felt before. It's different with the new sway bar in how the car behaves in a turn like this. Taking fast corners in my EX sometimes felt like I was scrubbing the sidewalls of my front tires and the inside rear corner was flailing. Now it feels like wants to do these corners faster. The nose of the car does feel more responsive to your steering input. In other words it got rid of a lot of understeer.
Here's another real world example. Mulholland Hwy ... stomping grounds for the bikers here in socal. This was one my favorite places to ride when I had my GSXR. All you locals already know this, but the fun parts start at a small community in Topanga Canyon and winds your way all the way to Malibu via Kanan Road with generous sweepers and tight technical sportbike heaven stuff. In some of the turns, the radius starts to decrease so you need to turn in more in the middle of a turn. In stock form, as you crank the wheel tighter and tighter for the turn, more scrub you'll get making it feel like it can't handle the speed thru the turn. With the sway bar, it feels more of the steering input goes to the wheels. Turn the wheel a little ...get a little back from the car.
Now if you're wondering why Honda didn't do this stock (besides Honda thinking oversteer is safer), it seems that there are some tradeoffs, although slight. I did notice that there is a little more road noise. And a little more sensitivity in the steering wheel. You'll feel small bumps a little more, and it'll feel a little like it wanders a bit more at high speed. And like I mentioned before, it feels a little firmer.
Even with these tradeoffs (hardly), I think the 19mm RSX sway bar adds a much more sporty feel to the car, and makes it more fun to drive while retaining safety and ease of driveability. I commute with my civic an hour each way to work, so it's gotta be reasonably comfy and the RSX bar doesn't really take too much away from that.
So...what I notice from stock to RSX sway bar - the first time pulling out of my driveway I could notice that the car was slightly firmer. I know a lot of may think that the sway bar doesn't affect spring rate, but they do connect both the rear suspension sides and for me it translated to a slightly firmer ride. Even the low speed right turn ont the main street was a noticable. Less body roll...more accurate steering.
On to the large circular onramp to the freeway... the RSX bar was definitely a confidence builder. I take this onramp all the time so I know how my car felt before. It's different with the new sway bar in how the car behaves in a turn like this. Taking fast corners in my EX sometimes felt like I was scrubbing the sidewalls of my front tires and the inside rear corner was flailing. Now it feels like wants to do these corners faster. The nose of the car does feel more responsive to your steering input. In other words it got rid of a lot of understeer.
Here's another real world example. Mulholland Hwy ... stomping grounds for the bikers here in socal. This was one my favorite places to ride when I had my GSXR. All you locals already know this, but the fun parts start at a small community in Topanga Canyon and winds your way all the way to Malibu via Kanan Road with generous sweepers and tight technical sportbike heaven stuff. In some of the turns, the radius starts to decrease so you need to turn in more in the middle of a turn. In stock form, as you crank the wheel tighter and tighter for the turn, more scrub you'll get making it feel like it can't handle the speed thru the turn. With the sway bar, it feels more of the steering input goes to the wheels. Turn the wheel a little ...get a little back from the car.
Now if you're wondering why Honda didn't do this stock (besides Honda thinking oversteer is safer), it seems that there are some tradeoffs, although slight. I did notice that there is a little more road noise. And a little more sensitivity in the steering wheel. You'll feel small bumps a little more, and it'll feel a little like it wanders a bit more at high speed. And like I mentioned before, it feels a little firmer.
Even with these tradeoffs (hardly), I think the 19mm RSX sway bar adds a much more sporty feel to the car, and makes it more fun to drive while retaining safety and ease of driveability. I commute with my civic an hour each way to work, so it's gotta be reasonably comfy and the RSX bar doesn't really take too much away from that.
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Rep Power: 0 thanks for the info....so basically when I install this bar the car's tendency to understeer will be minimized right?? I hear the handling becomes more neutral and oversteer is more likely to happen...is this true??
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The cars Tendency to understeer in SLower corners will be reduced, the cars tencency to Oversteer in Faster cornrners will be increaced (A cars tendency to oversteer naturally increases as speed increaces).
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