Which strut bar?
 

OK I've seen a few different brands, which is the best?:

Neuspeed, DC Sports, Focuz, Matrix, or any other brand?

If you are planning on getting an intake go with Neuspeed or dc sport. Even if your not getting an intake get one of those two just because they are better quality then most!!!:tup::)

Is one better than the other, or are they about the same?

The same, but Neuspeed is cheaper so go with them.
Read the thread below to learn more about suspensions.

Click here

Is there any strut bar made for our cars that also attach near the base of the windshield, like the one at the very bottom of that link?

I went with the DC Sports instead of the Neuspeed because someone on this site said that they tried both and that they felt that the DC Sports actually performed better.

I have the DC Sport and I like it.:tup:

Neuspeed is cool. I've had mine for about a month.:tup:

That would be me Grey. I still have the black Neuspeed bar installed, looks OEM (when you remove the stickers) which is cool but I feel no improvement whatsoever over stock. When I had the DC installed it was an obvious difference. I would make a point of driving around on the Interstate and take off ramps at higher than normal speed just to feel it hug the road on the curves. Big difference in handling. Then I read a bunch of posts on this forum about how the DC was just for show and that it could not possibly work well because of its design and that the Neuspeed would be a much better performing product because it is a solid bar so I made the switch and sold mine to Ryno I think. Now I'm back to stock performance and wish I had never switched. I'm thinking about selling this bar and getting the DC again. Of course this is just my opinion and I am not going to get into the strut bar design debate but in my case, the DC Sports front upper strut bar clearly out performed the Neuspeed hands down.

I think both are GREAT bars and companys..
but NEUSPEED gets my vote...:tup::tup::tup:

Rob:)

Rob, I don't mean to sound rude, and I appologize if I do, but do you like neuspeed because it's the brand that you carry, or because you really think it's better?

SQCivic: Ah, it was you! Thank you. I don't know how the Neuspeed feels like, but I love my DC Sports strut bar! I can feel the increased steering response. It works! It's one mod that actually makes a difference in my cars handling. The rear tie bar from DC Sports is barely noticeable. Maybe if I get a rear sway bar it will help out more, but for not it's just bolted on in back doing pretty much nothing.

<< Rob, I don't mean to sound rude, and I appologize if I do, but do you like neuspeed because it's the brand that you carry, or because you really think it's better? >>



Ok...i knew you would think that.
I sell BOTH brands.
But, NEUSPEED bar is made with 1 piece of metal, thus reducing any flex that occurs when there are pivot points in the bar. The DC bar has 2 pivot points. These are the adjustment knobs on each side. Now, these may not be major factors, but they are factors which do inhibit performance.

Dont get me wrong. I LOVE DC stuff...just for this application..i like how the NEUSPEED looks and performs.

Cant I have an opinion?

Rob:)

I totally agree with that analysis of the construction of both bars, that's why I switched from the DC to the Neuspeed. Still, DC performed much better for me. I really want to keep the Neuspeed because it looks more factory (when you use black with no stickers) but it's not doing anything for my handling like the DC bar did. Maybe there are other factors involved (tires, wheels, weight, etc.) that come together on my particular car to give me these results but it's an obvious difference for me.

I just put on my Neuspeed one. Excellent installation (even a monkey can do it) and it performs well...I can feel a definite difference :tup:

anyone know where to find pics of both? do they both come in blue?

Here is my engine bay with the Neuspeed....

Neuspeed Strut Bar

ok now im debating whether this is even worth it or not. i wanted to get a strut bar but i dont wanna shell out $100 for a neuspeed or even more for a dc sports.

Just got me some low (45) profile tires and i was thinking a strut bar would be good and I was gonna get that really cheap one from contemporary motor sports (follow the "parts" link up top) for like $24.

but .... im thinking if you can't feel the difference on a neuspeed, the no name strut bars prolly do nothing at all, especially since they got them pivot points and all.

Any words?

OK,

Here is my opinion, suggestions and experiences.......the upper bar is all relative to the driver!!!!

1. The average daily driver, doesn't push even the cheapest of Strut bars to their allowable limits of the metal most of the time.......so unless you like to autocross or a complete madman of a driver.....which is unsafe anyway.....and don't have a big budget to spend ( many of us)...then go with a cheaper($$$$) bar and not DC Sports....the performance gain is not worth the money increase!

2. I've had many styles already on my car...and to be completely honest and pushing my car to hard limits.....yes performace was noticable......"BUT" definitely not $100 more worth it......I finally ended up with the OBX...which no one as mentioned yet..........which is a good overall design and of great metal quality..look at my ride pics.

3. Lastly,....the largest "NOTICABLE" gain came when I applied both the rear upper and front upper tower bars as a combo version.....Man...that was the response ticket...along with my suspension set-up...my honda can hang pretty damn close with my "FACTORY PORSCHE" set-up!!!!! as low as a 25-35 mph superelevated curve taken at 45-50 mph.....!!!!

4. Buy what your budget can handle and you're happy with..PEACE!!!!!

thanx allman!

long time no see. Ur always got some good advice up ur sleeve =)

Yeah.....good talk to you as well again...missed you on the religious debate over in the "off topic"...anyway......I'm here to help bro!!!!..peace!

IMO, the DC will outperform the Nuespeed simply because of the mount points on the top of the strut tower. The DC strut bar has a ring that links all 3 of the mounting bolts together and puts them in one rigid plane. The Nuespeed only mounts to two of the bolts, and leaves the third outermost bolt(most important one), loose, for lack of a better term. During cornering, a high amount of stress will be placed in a tangent to the plane of where the 3 bolts mount to the top of the strut tower, and the DC bar can handle it, the Nuespeed will still allow this area to flex considerably. Both bars do a great job of linking the two strut towers together mechanically, however I felt that the DC bar would function better overall. The pivot points in the DC bar only exist to allow a marginal amount of flex between the planes of the opposing strut towers, which would occur during cornering. So, I went with the DC myself, and absolutely love it. I have not however, had first hand experience with the Nuespeed bar, so I can not comment on its effectiveness as compared to the DC bar. YMMV.

PS - IMO = In my opinion & YMMV = your mileage may vary.

i've got the neuspeed and the install was easy. it took about 2 seconds but you will need a torque wrentch. i think i might have had problems w/ other brands of tie bars getting in the way of my intake. i've also heard that you may have to relocate a reservior tank or two with some other brands - but thats just what i've heard.

0100010,

Yes .....If your tangental force your refering to isn't a rigid point..i.e... "lose third point of strut tower"......it would effect your corning stability....but that third point isn't NEAR as critical as section modulus and moment transfer through the centroid( Ad^2) of the minor axis located within the cross sectional area of the bar itself...there is where the DC Sports lacks over Neuspeed (IMHO)....plus the more extreme path the DC bars takes henders as well....Peace!

Good grief! This is getting ridiculous.

Those three bolts that you fasten the strut bar two are actually the bolts that hold the upper spring mounting plate to the car. The strut itself is mounted to the center of that plate, but with a flexible rubber bump stop in between the nut and the shock. So there is still room for some lateral movement of the strut. What the "strut bar" is actually doing is adding stifness to the unibody when stressed. So if you really look at what is going on, the name "strut bar" is a misnomer. It's really a unibody stiffener.

One more little item. You can get a little improvement in cornering with "strut bars", but until you have a good spring/shock suspension setup you won't see a really great improvement. "Strut bars" are fine, but only a small amount of what can be done to get the Civic to handle well.

I'm getting a headache reading about strut bars

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