Important info for all those with aftermarket sways!

[Civic Pride]

If you are correct than this might happen to me, since am lower on the prokit and it only lowers the car about 1.2 inches. in case mine does brake what will be the best thing to do? go back to the stock swaybar right? and try to weld that are back up?

This has not happen am just asking just in case it does happen to me, but i hope not.

[J-Ro]

I think you're right, Moose. Springs with higher rates are "sharing" the load more with the bar.

Civic Pride, if you decide to chance it and run with the Prokit and the Progress bar and it does break then you'll have to get it welded, and while you're there, you should strengthen it too. Or be proactive and strengthen it now. Or get new springs. Or, which is equally as likely, maybe get lucky and have nothing happen :)

[eugenekim.net]

i was on stock suspension...

[bollins]

I bought the Progress bar for my 2006 EX Sedan & had a body shop install it with no problems. It performed fine. I then traded the EX for an 07 Si sedan, and had the dealer install the bar from my EX onto the new Si. First the dealer did not install it right, and the handling was OFF. Now it is creaking like a bedspring over moderate bumps. The dealer says the part does not fit. (?) I will either go back to OE Si bar, or try the washers, as I, too, am now scared to death of this bar. Incidently, I did call Progress, and they don't seem to be aware of any issues on this model with it.

[Adlh29]

Thanks for the good info, I was just about to order one but now I am not so sure!

[tommyroo]

Originally Posted by Adlh29

Thanks for the good info, I was just about to order one but now I am not so sure!

I hear you bro, I've had this sway bar in my closet for over a year. The benefit doesn't seem to outway the risk.

[J-Ro]

Originally Posted by tommyroo

I hear you bro, I've had this sway bar in my closet for over a year. The benefit doesn't seem to outway the risk.

Yes, but there are ways to manage the risk. When I finally get the Si in my hands, I'll be transferring my Progress bar, no question. I'll just mitigate the risk by strengthening the brackets, as I have done with the EX.

[8thgenuser]

Originally Posted by bollins

I bought the Progress bar for my 2006 EX Sedan & had a body shop install it with no problems. It performed fine. I then traded the EX for an 07 Si sedan, and had the dealer install the bar from my EX onto the new Si. First the dealer did not install it right, and the handling was OFF. Now it is creaking like a bedspring over moderate bumps. The dealer says the part does not fit. (?) I will either go back to OE Si bar, or try the washers, as I, too, am now scared to death of this bar. Incidently, I did call Progress, and they don't seem to be aware of any issues on this model with it.

The creaking mostly happens if the the bar isn't installed correctly. It could be flipped (i.e. right side was installed on the left side) and it will still go in. Or the suspension wasn't loaded when the bar was installed (especially the case if you are using aftermarket end links). You may also have to retighten all the bolts.

[bollins]

Thanks. I saw the parts diagram on p 2 of this thread, but I am still not clear on whether it is installed backwards or not. Is there an easy way to tell? The tie links are definitely not symmetrically aligned with each other (the fore-aft angles are off by 10-15 deg.)

[coo92705]

so... don't do rally or rallyx if you have a progress sway bar. mine is totally f-ed up now and i have to fix it... but i don't want to!!! =[

[MitsukaiFA5]

Not sure if anyone said this already, but with my experience with hondas when adding a aftermarket sway bar and adding more stress it was never good to be rollin on stock springs still. I had a 19mm on an ek civic coupe and I was told before putting it on that I should have a least 300lb springs on my car. To my knowledge this cuts down on the body wear or in the ek's case on the lower control arms, which may be the case in this situation as well. I luckly was already rolling eibach ground controls with 500lb spring rates... bumpy yet rewarding! lol So for people going with bigger sway you may want to do a little research on the whole suspension set up. pm if have further questions. New to website, not to hondas...

[GlxyGry06Si]

so what was the fix to this. i just installed mine last week. i dont want it to break. i also dont wanna read all these pages so just a simle answer will work thanks.

[8thgenuser]

Originally Posted by GlxyGry06Si

so what was the fix to this. i just installed mine last week. i dont want it to break. i also dont wanna read all these pages so just a simle answer will work thanks.

Excelerate has the reinforcement brackets, which Highrev1 (Greg) designed, for purchase.
Rear Sway Bar Reinforcement Brackets for the 06+ Civic!!!

[J-Ro]

^ Yup, or weld washers on :)

[Civic Pride]

i just bolt on 2 washers on there and have been driving my car hard to see if anything will happen, and so far so good. make sure to buy some new endlinks if you are installing the swaybar, the new endlinks from corsports come with 2 big washers, so all you need to do is buy 2 more, so that you will have one on each side making that area a little stronger.

I can take pictures if someone wants me to.

[BTRobertson]

Originally Posted by cojaro

One of two things:

1. factory parts may not handle really think rear sways well, or

2. your bracket had a minor flaw (composition off a little, etc) that caused the break

Hopefully it's number 2

Quite sure this has been answered, but I just bought the Progress rear sway bar (being installed tomorrow, 3/3/08) and CorSport insisted that I also buy aftermarket end links to replace the factory ones. I did so and I've heard this is the only way to fly with an aftermarket rear sway bar. :)

Oh, and I'm going with an Eibach spring kit at the same time as the rear sway install, so that will also help the stress reduction. :)

[J-Ro]

^ Let me know how the Corsport endlinks work for you. No offense to Tai, but I hated them. They rattled incessantly, and that was both sets (had the first ones replaced because of the rattling). I'm now back to stock because I couldn't take the noise anymore.

[OhondaU]

I can tell you guys for certain that there were concerns with this exact same problem just before the vehicle was released. The problem was fixed and met reliability standards for the stock bar, but it was a bit of a headache. I'm not at all surprised that a stiffer bar would be causing problems. It sucks, but the only real thing you can to is to reinforce the surrounding structure yourselves, or sacrifice ride quality and up your springrate to get the desired effect.

[8thgenuser]

Originally Posted by BTRobertson

Quite sure this has been answered, but I just bought the Progress rear sway bar (being installed tomorrow, 3/3/08) and CorSport insisted that I also buy aftermarket end links to replace the factory ones. I did so and I've heard this is the only way to fly with an aftermarket rear sway bar. :)

Oh, and I'm going with an Eibach spring kit at the same time as the rear sway install, so that will also help the stress reduction. :)

CorSport recommended the aftermarket end links because there have been reports of the stock end links breaking with use of the Progress RSB, though there have actually been relatively few reports of the stock end links breaking on our 8th gen Civics. Some members have run the Progress RSB with stock end links and have not had any problems. End links on RSX's with aftermarket RSBs were also breaking.

Originally Posted by J-Ro

^ Let me know how the Corsport endlinks work for you. No offense to Tai, but I hated them. They rattled incessantly, and that was both sets (had the first ones replaced because of the rattling). I'm now back to stock because I couldn't take the noise anymore.

Corsport V2 endlinks rattle like crazy for me, too. But I do admit that I did not preload the suspension prior to tightening up the bolts, so that may have something to do with it. Haven't gotten around to getting the car jacked up to see if I can get it fixed yet.

Originally Posted by OhondaU

I can tell you guys for certain that there were concerns with this exact same problem just before the vehicle was released. The problem was fixed and met reliability standards for the stock bar, but it was a bit of a headache. I'm not at all surprised that a stiffer bar would be causing problems. It sucks, but the only real thing you can to is to reinforce the surrounding structure yourselves, or sacrifice ride quality and up your springrate to get the desired effect.

That doesn't exactly boost my confidence.

[huy1224]

Originally Posted by Civic Pride

i just bolt on 2 washers on there and have been driving my car hard to see if anything will happen, and so far so good. make sure to buy some new endlinks if you are installing the swaybar, the new endlinks from corsports come with 2 big washers, so all you need to do is buy 2 more, so that you will have one on each side making that area a little stronger.

I can take pictures if someone wants me to.

Can you please post pics, Civic Pride? I haven't had the chance to get my car up, but I am hearing a click/thud once in awhile, especially when making slow turns or going up ramps.

Are these the symptoms people had or was it just a visual inspection type deal?