After reading many reviews of the Si rear sway on the EX, I decided to do this mod to my car as well. But just in case that wasn't enough, I also ordered the Si front sway. Keep in mind that the sway bar upgrades come after I upgraded the EX wheels to Si wheels and mounted some Avon M550's in 215/45-17.
Before the haters start ranting about how a thicker front sway bar will cause more understeer at the limit, let me start by saying that I knew this in advance. But max neutral handling at the limit isn't what I'm looking for. I don't race, I don't auto-X. If I wanted that, I would have kept my RSX-S. I bought an EX 4-door sedan, not an Si coupe. I want a practical daily driver family car that also feels planted and precise in the turns. To that end, I believe I have succeeded.
First I installed the Si rear sway bar:
Pros: Feels more stable in the turns compared the stock EX rear sway.
Cons: Front end still wanders a bit in the long, decreasing radius turns in the local highway cloverleaf. Slightly rougher ride over bumps from the rear suspension. Doesn't inspire confidence in the turns (remember, I used to drive an RSX-S).
Then I installed the Si front sway bar (keeping the Si rear bar in place):
Pros: The whole car feels planted in the turns now, much more than with just the rear sway bar. The front feels more rigid, kind of like my RSX did with the front strut tower bars and bigger sway bars. It feels connected, as if the two bars were meant to work together. Oh, wait. They were.
Cons: The Si front sway bar is HEAVY compared to the EX bar. It feels like it's solid versus the EX feels hollow. That would explain the weight difference and an increase in rigidity. The heavy weight makes it a bit hard to manage when attaching the fastening bolts under the car while trying to hold the dang thing up with one hand.
Heavier weight in theory means slower acceleration and decreased gas mileage too. But I think it will be negligible.
The front end also is just a bit rougher over the bumps now. But it's barely noticable. The increased harshness coming from the rear suspension is more noticeable. I may have to play with the tire inflation pressure to smooth that out a bit.
Conclusion: Though not for everyone, especially those who want max neutral handling at the limit, the Si front and rear sway bars are just what the doctor ordered for me. I've been missing the precision handling of my RSX-S. Now, those days are coming to an end. The car feels connected to the road and handles the turns like it's on rails now. I'm looking forward to exploring the capabilities of the car over the coming weeks.
Highly recommended for any EX owner looking for an affordable OEM handling upgrade.
Now if I could just find a way to get the 200 hp engine performance of my old RSX into my new Civic without sacrificing fuel economy. (sigh)
*EDIT*
Parts needed:
Front sway bar upgrade:
51300-SVB-A02 SPRING, FR. STABILIZER 1 x $67.47
51306-SVB-A01 BUSH, FR. STABILIZER HOLDER 2 x $1.44
Rear sway bar upgrade:
52300-SVB-A01 SPRING, RR. STABILIZER 1 x $34.55
52306-SVB-A01 BUSH, STABILIZER HOLDER 2 x $1.39
52308-SVB-A01 HOLDER, STABILIZER BUSH 2 x $2.04
52317-SVB-A01 BRACKET, R. RR. STABILIZER 1 x $3.02
52318-SVB-A01 BRACKET, L. RR. STABILIZER 1 x $3.02
93401-10020-08 BOLT-WASHER (10X20) 4 x $0.93
Tools needed: Metric allen keys, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm sockets, a good ratchet socket wrench set with deep sockets and extensions, 14mm box wrench, jack, jackstands.
If your wanted to really do the job right, you should have a torque wrench and the proper torque settings for the various bolts. I had neither, so I just tightened the bolts to what I approximated was their original tightness when I took them off.
