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MANY props to Slikor for his RSX sway bar D.I.Y., and anyone who contributed to this thread detailing the installation of the lower tie bar. below are the pics I took:



RSX anti-sway bar install:

after jacking up the car on jack stands, I began by taking off the endlink nuts:



after the nut was about half way undone, I decided I would take slikor's advice and use WD-40 to ease the removal (and it did, so I recommend you use wd-40 too). I sprayed the other side while I was at it:



after removing the bushing brackets and the bar, I took a pic of the old sway bar compared to the new one:



after I put on the new sway bar and brackets, the bushings didn't look right.. i went ahead and completed the install though. someone PLEASE tell me if this is okay.. it looks like that on both ends, where the bar bends to go outward in the center:



putting back on the endlink bolts was a piece of cake.. you don't have to use the 5mm hex wrench like you do to take it off:





DC Sports lower tie bar install:

I began by cutting a block of wood to hold the control arm in place.. everyone said it would make the install so much easier, but I didn't really understand why it would be so hard to realign the hole for the bolt ..until I actually got started. Trust me, USE THE BOARD:



here's how I used the board:



This is what the control arm bolt looks like. Taking it out is tricky.. you unscrew it about an inch, then pull it out until it won't come out anymore, then continue unscrewing it. look at the design of the bolt:



I put on the right side of the tie bar and began tightening the bolt back.. it's just the opposite of taking it out; screw it in like an inch, then hammer it in with the other end of the ratchet about 2 inches (THANKS WHOEVER THOUGHT UP THE BOARD IDEA), and continue tightening the bolt, but not all the way.



did the same thing on the left side.. then torqued the control arm bolts down to 43lb./ft. (just tighten them until you cant tighten them anymore). tighten the allen bolts on the bracket and the jam nut on the left end of the bar. I just tightened them as much as I could:





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I took the car for a test drive at a school parking lot. I LOVE IT! hope this post will eventually help someone with their installation. The whole process from start to finish for me was probably about 3 hours, including the frequent trips back to the house to get a drink and cool off. I could probably do it all over again in less than an hour.

now if you don't mind...

 
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is your handling significantly better or is it just a lil better????

 
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sweet! Thanks for the DIY and the pics, Mex.

So is the wrench in the sway bar install 5mm all around?

 
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i am wondering the same thing, i really want the rsx sway bar

 
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I think it improved the handling significantly. of course I also installed a rear tie bar and a front strut bar, but i've heard others say the rsx sway bar is one of the best suspension mods ever. get it, it's worth the $80 or so you pay for it.

as for the tools, I used a 5mm hex wrench, 12mm socket, and 14mm wrench.

for the tie bar I used a 17mm socket, 14mm socket, and 15(i think)mm wrench. and a torque wrench, but all you really need to do is tighten it as much as you can.

 
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you really don't need to cut a piece of wood to hold it up...just use a vise grip and grip it so it won't move...saves alot of time from cutting out a piece of wood...

 
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hi, this is MugenRacerX on my girls SN... the board DIY was my idea...your welcome Mex..hehehe..good ol HondaWerx.com tech support..hehehe glad the board idea worked well. She handleing better???

 
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I really would have used something else, but a piece of wood is all I could find. my parents barely have any tools.. just a hammer and saw in the basement. lol, it's actually quite funny how I came across the piece of wood... when I finished the sway bar install I went to the basement to find something that would hold the control arm in place.. the idea of stacking books crossed my mind [IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG] we have so much junk laying around there. so i came across this piece of wood with 4 circles cut out, and I realize.. this is the same peice of wood I used when I was 9 years old to make wheels for a wooden toy car! over a decade old. so I cut off the end with the circles cut out and trimmed the other end cause it still wouldn't fit under the car.

 
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and mugenracerx, you have this swap bar for sale at your store for 82 + shipping?[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG]

 
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the sway bar kit is $82.00 shipped on Hondawerx.com FREE SHIPPING as it say on my page [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG] this swap is only a direct bolt on for EX civics

 
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Time to go shoppin for some metric wrenches then.

lol, that's funny that something you used for a toy car 10 years ago would help you with a real car now. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

 
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Question:

Is it recommended to install a lower tie bar when you do the RSX anti-sway bar swap? I've heard that just using the anti-sway bar by itself may stress the suspension too much if there is no tie bar. I was waiting for the Neuspeed rear lower tie bar to come out before I did the bar swap.

 
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kinda makes you think of the good times, huh, mex?[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/IMG]

i heard that the rear lower tie bar doesnt do much unless youre into autocrossing. im prolly still gonn get one though to round out the whole package eventually.

to mex for the diy

 
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the 19mm rxs rear sway isnt thick enough (in my expert opinion :rolleyes[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG] to rip out the rear subframe... but a 22mm, u may need a rear lower tie bar to reinforce the subframe... in either way, I would get one to compliment the rear sway bar anyway.

the bushing looks about right... mine sticks out a bit like that too... I mean, I guess it could be more perfect, but I didn't want to bother adjusting the bushing...

I'm still waiting for the neuspeed rear tie to come out... I bought it in APRIL!! from a local shop... I thought it was out then, and they said they need to order it... I stopped waiting when neuspeed email me back telling me it'll be out late July.

what kinda springs or shocks or coilovers were those Mex?

edit: just found out in members section that they were b+g... how do those rides? I was gonna get 'em from 2cute for a grand.. but I backed out...

where'd you get those EDM tail lights!?!?!

 
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Will the RSX sway bar fit a 2002 LX which does in fact have a rear sway bar on it. I have read people saying it is a even swap out for an EX Civic?? Would like to know if anyone with an LX here has done so??

 
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One of the best diy's I've seen. did you install your coilovers yourself. If so, put up a diy.

 
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the RSX rear sway should also be a direct bolt on for a 02 LX which comes with rear sway bar (13mm) compared to the 01 EX's (12mm)

02s EX and LX comes with 13mm (Honda uppped it a bit and threw one on for the LX, cuz we desperately need it!)

hence the 80 bones RSX rear sway bar addition is one of the best mods we can do for the price.

 
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one of my friend said i should wait till i get my camber kits before i do this project, otherwise, soemthing bad wuld happen, true?

 
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excellent job, Mex, great DIY man im glad i could help with my DIY [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/IMG]

i've had my RSX 19mm anti-sway bar installed for close to 2 months now, and you will not believe the difference it makes in the car's handling. i installed this before i got my 17" wheels, and without any other suspension mods (i had no tie or strut bars anywhere) and i would without a doubt do it over again, and unquestionably recommend this to everyone. in the past 2 days, i installed my rear upper strut-bar and rear lower tie-bar and they've made a noticable difference...a great combination with the sway bar i think. better cornering in both tight and gradual turns, better lane transitions, better "slalom" abilities (when jerking the wheel side-side rapidly it doesnt roll nearly as much and it is easier to maintain control) and with my low profile, grippy tires and 17" wheels, its just awesome.

also, my bushings look the same, Mex, and i dont think theres any way to get around it.

there is no reason to wait to get a camber kit before you do this mod, nothing bad will happen and the camber is not changed at all (at least it shouldnt be[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG]).

EDIT: oh, i almost forgot, instead of that piece of wood i used the car's jack to hold up each lower arm when i removed the bolt. its kinda tricky to get the jack to grip the slanted arm, but it worked. in fact, i didnt use the jack on the left side cause i didnt think i'd need it, and sure enough when i removed the bolt the lower arm shifted so the holes didnt line up anymore [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/IMG]...anyway, it wasnt that hard to push the arm outwards a bit and line the holes up again, but i'd recommend either taking your wheels off (which i didnt do) and/or using the jack or a piece of wood

 
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Are those the B+G Coilovers. If so, how do you like them. I am having a handling problem with my civic and some new 17" rims/tires(215/45/17). Small bumps in the road cause the whole steering system to vibrate (wheels seem to skip over road surface with many small ripples in the road)at highway and slower speeds. Do the coilovers soak up these smaller bumps well?

Thanks
Mike

 
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I love the way my B+Gs handle.. but with 3 or more people in the car it can get pretty bouncy. The only complaint I have with my B+Gs is a clanging noise whenever I turn my wheels at a slow speed. some say that grease will fix the problem, but for me it seems to be something else causing it. there's actually a thread on this in the Suspension Forum.

 
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Just wondering when you jacked your car up for this, did you jack it up from the side of the car or back.

Thanks,

 
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well, I initially jacked it up from the side then stuck a jackstand underneath the rear as shown below:



though I recommend you jack it up from the rear and use the jackstands on the sides.. it's safer.

 
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thanks for the tips and Diy. Going to install mine next week, hope it goes well.