It's my daily driver, I expect to do no more than one track day a year, probably less . So I don't need or want to go crazy here. Just looking to improve my ride. I do plan to lower it slightly (H-Sports?), but that's as much for looks as anything else.

That said, would I be better served with a strut tower brace (plan to get the SRPs anyway) or with a rear sway bar? If the latter, what size (19mm, 22mm, ??). Looking for best bang/buck here.

Thanks!

 

bang/buck, sway bar will have a far bigger affect

 

Big sway bar. If you are going to drive it every day and do limited track time, think twice about lowering. I left mine stock and replaced the run flats due to the crappy roads around here.

 

Where is "around here"?

 

United States


And +1 on the rear sway bar.

 

+1 again on the swaybar. The Strut tower brace is a 'nice to have eventually' type of mod... not a 'need right now' type of thing on our cars.

You will feel the impact of a beefier rear swaybar and will love the handling change.

 

19mm adjustable (3 hole) rear sway bar (used is good- check around) and do the install yourself. Each of the three holes would be usable for street driving and occassional track use. Try softest setting for daily driving and middle for track use. It's all stiffer than stock.

22mm bar or H sport competition 25mm thin walled bars are also good but since they are even stiffer then you really are just using the softest setting all the time with little adjustment if you are using it for street use. You do save a little weight with the 25mm H sport bar. Install is the same.

Rear bar only helps you when cornering, not during straight line acceleration or braking and not during normal street driving unless you drive like you're at the track.

 

Copy all. Since my track driving will be minimal at best, I may wait...I have several aesthetic mods I would like to do.

if I do go with a sway bar, is the brand important? Areas like quality of the bushings, lubrication requirements (I'm a minimum maintenance kind of guy), etc...

 

I love my rear sway bar. It is H-Sport's 19mm and I have it to its stiffest setting. I drive a bit aggressive on the streets its just more fun, + our cars already get good mileage so why not use some of it up for fun. Alright, so back to the bars. I also have a 27mm H-Sport front bar and it is set it its stiffest as well and last a rear strut tower bar. This RST does very little for handling, but this was on my car first and I could notice some change, but nothing like what the front and rear sway bars accomplished. I think that in the future I will switch to a 22mm or even the 25mm, as I really like the tail of my car stiff. For you, I would start with the 19mm and go from there.

 

19mm H-Sport rear bar set at it's stiffest setting. I'm happy with mine.

 

 

+11 for a Sway bar

 

Webb Motor Sports Extreme Rear Sway Bar= Godly!

 

+75 Sway, No Question

 

The FSB will certainly make the front of the car feel more stable, and it will help you put more power down when the wheel is turned. I put my FSB on first, and took a test drive. Noticed a big difference, but the car still pushed into horrid understeer when pressed.

The RSB will allow you to tune the handling dynamics of the car and acheive a more neutral balance. I have the Hsport 19mm on stiffest setting, and love it.

I wouldn't soften it up for street driving at all, and in fact would even consider the 22mm bar as well. Keep in mind I have 18" wheels/tires and put down more rubber than those with smaller wheels/tires. I do not find that the 19mm on stiff adds oversteer to the point of danger or scariness, not in the least bit. I find the car to be perfectly balanced but would probably want stiffer still for autox days.

Possibly, however, an upgraded set of springs and shocks may change all of that. I'm on stock suspension other than the FSB, RSB, and USS.

 

stb on our mcs's on the front are useless, imho. especially on street.

 

But they give you one more thing you can Hydro!

 

but i dont drive around with my bonnet open...

man, that sounds weird....

 

It's called "inner satisfaction" which is why I do most things!

 

Only you Kenchan, only you...!

 

you guys are crazier than i am....

 

I would say, you need them both. They complement each other.

The adj 22mm rear sway bar will stiffen the rear and the strut brace the front.

I went step by step and after installing the strut brace - last - the whole cars' attitude, while turning hard, changed = NEUTRAL.

Both ++

 

As far as "too stiff". my concern is that this car is also driven on occasion by my wife. She's why they put understeer in cars to begin with. I want better but I want safe.

I've been told by a modder that the 19mm is not that different from stock on an "S" and recommends a 22mm or the H-Sport hollow 25mm (lighter).

Thoughts?

 

go with 22mm on stiff setting. that's what i use with my h-sport springs.
almost a perfect balance of turnability and safety margin. might want to do the
softer setting on stock springs.

 

How hard/easy is it to change settings?