Si Front & Rear Sways on an EX Sedan

[iVTEC]

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.

[CivicWithNav]

what did u need for the front bar?

i know rear bar i did, i needed a new bracket, new bushings...

[iVTEC]

The bar, the bushings and the brackets. That's it!

[Silver8th]

Nice write up.

[1493cc]

Very sweet.
Did the Si rear bar months back.
Im happy with it, but like you said the front still wanders a bit.

Im gonna go with the front setup also.
Good stuff man.

[Kurt]

Great write up, I'm going to look into getting the front sway now

+1

[iluvmycsx]

good write up

so this is all i would need to do this

51300-SVB-A02 SPRING, FR. STABILIZER

51306-SVB-A01 BUSH, FR. STABILIZER HOLDER

51308-SNA-A01 HOLDER, FR. STABILIZER

https://www.hondapartsdeals.com/hond...omponent=B++27

[iVTEC]

Originally Posted by iluvmyel

good write up

so this is all i would need to do this

51300-SVB-A02 SPRING, FR. STABILIZER

51306-SVB-A01 BUSH, FR. STABILIZER HOLDER

51308-SNA-A01 HOLDER, FR. STABILIZER

https://www.hondapartsdeals.com/hond...omponent=B++27

Yes, but you will need two holders and two bushings (and one sway bar obviously). You can reuse the EX bolts on the Si hardware for the front sway bar .

Total cost: $73.56. Worth every cent.

[iVTEC]

In an effort to smooth out the ride a bit after adding the sway bars, I switched to 35 psi front/32 psi rear. Works like a charm. I had it at 36/34 but the back end was a bit too bumpy for my taste.

[Kurt]

I talked to a co-worker that works in parts department today.. I can get all the stuff for 65 dollars :)

[gbae007]

iVTEC -

you are the man! Thanks for the write-up, I wanted to take this route on my EX Coupe because the Progress rear (which to my knowledge is the only one available?) seemed out of place with the EX front roll bars. (A glaring mismatch)

How long did the install take and what does all of the parts cost? $75 was just the front bars correct?

[kenken3686]

does the si front and rear sway bar fits the Sedan Ex too?

If so whats the parts number for the rear sway bar and parts needed

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by kenken3686

does the si front and rear sway bar fits the Sedan Ex too?

If so whats the parts number for the rear sway bar and parts needed

it fits the sedan. you'll need the stabilizer bar, bushings, and holders

[8thgenuser]

Awesome! +1,000,000 for trying and reporting!

[peliROJO]

yeah.... are we talking $75 for everything?!?!

[iVTEC]

Originally Posted by kenken3686

does the si front and rear sway bar fits the Sedan Ex too?

If so whats the parts number for the rear sway bar and parts needed

Read iluvmyel's post #7 in this thread. He listed the part numbers.

Yes, this works on the EX sedan. That's what I have.

[iVTEC]

Originally Posted by gbae007

iVTEC -

you are the man! Thanks for the write-up, I wanted to take this route on my EX Coupe because the Progress rear (which to my knowledge is the only one available?) seemed out of place with the EX front roll bars. (A glaring mismatch)

How long did the install take and what does all of the parts cost? $75 was just the front bars correct?

That was the cost for the front sway bar, bushings and holders. It took me about an hour to install, mainly because my engine was still hot and I had to let it cool off for a while before climbing under it. I figure if you know what you're doing, it should take around 30-45 minutes total.

[iVTEC]

Originally Posted by peliROJO

yeah.... are we talking $75 for everything?!?!

Around $75 for the front bar, bushings and holders.

This cost does not include the rear sway bar and hardware. Nor does it include the cost of the tools, jack, etc.

[iVTEC]

Originally Posted by gbae007

iVTEC -

you are the man! Thanks for the write-up, I wanted to take this route on my EX Coupe because the Progress rear (which to my knowledge is the only one available?) seemed out of place with the EX front roll bars. (A glaring mismatch)

How long did the install take and what does all of the parts cost? $75 was just the front bars correct?

How big is the Progress rear sway bar? I had a Progress rear sway bar in my RSX-s. I was quite happy with it.

[SWRT]

You do not need a new holder to do this swap. The 52308-SNA-A01 holder is the same for all Civics.

That said, be aware the Si front lower arm is reinforced for the much heavier Ø28mm SVB bar. As mentioned, it is solid -compared to the hollow Ø24.2mm bar on the 4DR and Ø25.4mm bar on the base 2DR (also hollow). The Si lower arms have a gusset on the compliance bush collar, and a much thicker bracket for the stabi link to mount to.

Honda wouldn't make an Si exclusive lower arm if it wasn't necessary for durability.

I don't mean to complicate a clever mod idea, just a friendly 'heads up' for those considering it.


-SWRT