This is my own personal review regarding the above mentioned bar. I welcome any other reviews of this bar by owners of this bar in this thread. It would be nice to get a compilation of reviews for new people to check out this easily.

I just recently installed my rear bar on Saturday the 8th, so I have had less then a week of experience with it. But I will say that I am VERY happy and satisfied with my purchase. I came from a Honda S2000 which I tracked quite regularly and I am very accustomed to having a loose tail when driving. I wanted a bar that would really help the rear of the car rotate. But, because I also intend to do high speed stuff - road tracks...I didn't need/want something that would induce a lot of oversteer at high speeds. This car is also my daily driver so it needed to not make a single squeak and needed to be easy to drive with everyday.

I set my bar up installed at the stiffest setting right off the bat. As I am very familiar with oversteer, I wasn't worried. For day to day driving, I wouldn't even know that it was there, even at the stiffest setting. As I would expect with a swaybar as they only transfer lateral loading. And with the bushings greased up, not one squeak has been made. So for the daily driver...IMO its a great choice, especially with the Zerk fittings in the event a squeak ever makes its ways to your ears.

Now, while I have not been to a track or Autox in the past week, and may be a bit premature with my review...I have done some spirited driving in safe environments...shhh.

The typical hard right 90 degree turns, and the long sweeping 270 degree on ramps come to mind. At slower speeds, its hard to notice much difference from this bar, and within the first few days of installing it I was unsure if it was "enough" bar for me, especially with my previous experience. The car did feel more planted with less roll at the slower speeds, and I was able to use more throttle through certain slow speed turns. So the bar was doing its job, but if your main goal is to get a bar for Autox. Go BIGGER, understeer at low speeds is still VERY appearant with only a 19mm. With the higher speed stuff (the fastest I've got to push is in the 50-70 range while hard cornering) understeer is greatly reduced. At the stiffest setting I was able to get a very comfortable amount of lift-throttle oversteer, which to a novice may be uncomfortable, so start at a lower setting on the car and work up. But I was very happy when that tail started to kick around, it was an instant smile on my face. Then the smile grew even larger when I started modulating the throttle and steering inputs to control the tail. Understeer was GONE. Which is everything I wanted...a VERY neutral car at high speeds with a very easy to induce but still very controllable oversteer.

For my personal needs, sacrificing a little some remaining low speed understeer for a very neutral car at high speeds is perfect. It is exactly what I was looking for. I obviously have no experience with any of the other 19mm bars, and I have no intention of ever experimenting because I am happy with the H-Sport. I'm sure H&R is great as well, my choice of H-Sport over H&R was that I would get Zerk fittings in case it ever did squeak, and that I have 3 holes of adjustment instead of just 2 (even though I'm at the stiffest and plan to never move it). The only other bar I would consider is the fully adjustable Webb bar...though it is quite expensive, and I wasn't ready to spend that much on a bar. If for whatever reason I ever change, that will be what I would change to, but I simply don't see that happening.

The only other suspension mods I have planed are TSW springs and TSW front camber plates once they come out. Once I dial in more front camber, I may decide to dial the rear bar back a notch, or the added front grip may allow me to keep a little more throttle through the turns. Either way, the setup is great right now, and I'm expecting even better with the above mentioned mods. Thanks for all the pointers from those who helped me in deciding a bar. I did several searches, but it is such a subjective mod based on ones driving experience and what will feel right for you. Hopefully this thread will help a few others in that decision.

Eric
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]

 

Great review! Thanks

Any thoughts on changing to adjustable rear control arms when you go to the TSW springs?

 

I have the 19mm Hsport bar AND the TSW springs. I have a different opinion regarding understeer with the bar, though it could be due in part to the fact that I have the M7 USS and FSB. Even at very low speeds, I am able to easily rotate the tail. I haven't put my adjustable rear arms on the car yet, so I have a bit of extra negative camber in the rear.

I'm afraid that when I install camber plates and adjust the rear camber, I'll need to back way off on the setting for the bar, as it is already quite willing to rotate.

It was easy to rotate before the spring install as well.

BTW, glad you're happy with your decision to go with the 19mm. I'd hate to push you in that direction only to have you be disappointed :D Hey, how long have you been driving the FWD car?

 

I recently installed H-Sport springs on my 03s (w sport suspension) and am quite happy with the result,lowered the car just enough with out slamming it and increased the ride comfort noticably and handles much better but still have body roll and understeer under hard cornering.I plan on going with the H-Sport 19mm rear bar because i'm happy with their products so far.

 

While one or two people here have a different opinion, IMHO the USS has a lot to do with this... it improves front grip by reducing front chassis flex/vibration, allowing the front suspension to do what it was designed to do... and that increase in front grip reduces understeer and improves the feel of "neutral rotation". While this is ESPECIALLY apparent (and needed) in the cabrio, it has an impact in the coupe, as well. I suspect other front chassis braces (like the TSW Xbrace) would have a similar effect, I only have personal experience with the USS.

 

Adjustable rear control arms are on a if needed basis with me right now. Personally I'd be ok with -1 degree in the rear. Bring it to -1.5 and I'd like to take some of it out and pull it back to -.75 So it all depends on how much camber I actually get back there.



I also have an M7 front strut bar...but I don't think it does much apart from anti-mushroom, which is the only reason I got it. The extra $70 for a bar was part for looks and part for the thought that it could do something maybe After the TSW springs and camber plates, their X-brace is the next thing on my list...so perhaps I will have a similar experience as you.

Before my S2k all I had were FWD cars: 95 Eclipse GST, 97 Accord, 99 Eclipse GST. The only one that saw mods was the 99 GST, but obviously that pig of a car was just that, a pig. Though very fast with over 300whp and unusable 1st and 2nd gears I did take it to AutoX's however, and started learning how to "drive" in it. The car I really learned everything in was the S2k, but FWD is not foriegn to me, it just took some getting used to.


Once I get the TSW Xbrace...I'll add my opinion on that as well

 

I recently installed a H & R 19mm (hardest setting) along with my new JCW suspension. I have noticed a less understeer at low speeds, but at mid to high speed, this setup is much more neutral, and as you said, easily rotatable with some throttle management. For my type of driving, the 19mm makes this car just about right!