Si Front and Rear Sways on DX/LX/EX

[cojaro]

I figured I might was well do a DIY for this. The DIY section is a bigger medium to get the idea of Si sways on non-Si's out there.

Here's what ya need:

14mm socket wrench
jackstands

and a buddy is helpful always, but not necessary

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

NOTE:The DX does not come with a rear sway bar, so you will also need to order the bolts and endlinks in addition to the above:
(part #40) 93401-10020-08 BOLT-WASHER (10X20) ---- 4 x $0.93
(part #28) 90002-S10-000 NUT, FLANGE (10MM) ---- 2 x $1.68
(part #32) 90212-SA5-003 NUT, SELF-LOCK (10MM) ---- 2 x $0.31
(part #15) 52320-SNA-A01 LINK, R. RR. STABILIZER (right endlink) ---- 1 x $10.60
(part #16) 52321-SNA-A01 LINK, L. RR. STABILIZER (left endlink) ---- 1 x $10.60
The self-locking nuts hold the endlinks to the swaybar; the flange nuts hold the endlinks to the control arm; the four bolt-washers hold the Si L-bracket on. Here's a picture to help you DX owners:


So I started with the front sway bar. I jacked the car enough for me to get under it and the fun began. I first undid the brackets and bushings (make sure it doesn't swing down and hit your head). I then tried the side bolts. See the little silver-looking bolt that connects to the end of the sway bar?





I didn't even bother trying to even REACH that thing. It's connected to a ball joint with an arm (think bones) to another balljoint which is then connected to the car (see the rusty bolt in the pic below). It kinda looks like a bone with ball joints at each end and 4 purple dots on each ball joint. I then undid it there and took the sway bar out, and switched the bone-like balljointed things to the new sway bar. It really helps to have something or someone hold it up because it's much heavier than the stock front sway.

I then went to the back. Here's a pic comparing the EX rear sway with the Si rear sway. Big difference.



I got under and started from the middle first, like before. I took the brackets off and then tackled the weird bone-like joints and took them off the old sways and put them on the new Si sways. (btw, the ends of the screws on the bone-things will probably be a little rusty, WD-40 helps)

Before:



After WD-40: tada!



With the rear sways, you should have a L-bracket and some new bushings. No need to take the old bushings and L-brackets off the old sway bar because they won't be needed. (here's a pic oh the L-bracket on the old sway on the car)



Finally, I got under the car and put the rear sway in. It helped to steady it by putting the bone-thing's screws in the holes first (to hold it in place) then screwed the nuts on. Again, the screws are not exactly fun to deal with; my arm hurt so bad after loosening and tightening so much. and last, I screwed in the L-brackets to the body and BOOM easy suspension/handling mod.

Review: Oh my God. The ride feels amazing. It actually feels less bumpy and there is a noticeable lack of body roll as well as less shaking at higher speeds. I took her to 100mph that night and instead of the steering wheel and my arms battling, it felt more like I was going 60-65; much more planted to the pavement. I highly recommend this to anyone who's looks for a cheap mod. I paid $135 in all and it was completely worth every cent spent.

edit: bone-like things = endlinks; I didn't know what they were called at the time.

[dcfife]

Nice DIY.

The swaybars also make the car more stable when it's windy or driving near an 18-wheeler.

Why did you take off the end links and them transfer them to the new swaybar? I found it easier to leave the end links attached to the car so I didn't have to play around with undoing/redoing them more times than necessary.

[cojaro]

Originally Posted by dcfife

Nice DIY.

The swaybars also make the car more stable when it's windy or driving near an 18-wheeler.

Why did you take off the end links and them transfer them to the new swaybar? I found it easier to leave the end links attached to the car so I didn't have to play around with undoing/redoing them more times than necessary.

It was too hard for me to get the front endlinks off with the wrench. The rear ones I probably could have done without but did anyways. It may have slowed me down a bit by doing so but I wasn't bothered by it, just a little irritated that I couldn't get it off.

[taste]

Preciate the DIY man. Great job.
+1 rep

[Avenger]

Just ordered the parts to do this conversion on 2 '06 Civics.

[MutantCheese]

One step closer to Si-dom. Nice DIY.

[cojaro]

Originally Posted by Avenger

Just ordered the parts to do this conversion on 2 '06 Civics.

It's worth it totally.

[Avenger]

We'll see.........I'm crossing my fingers it gets delivered by Thursday, or I'll be waiting until April for it

[cojaro]

Originally Posted by Avenger

We'll see.........I'm crossing my fingers it gets delivered by Thursday, or I'll be waiting until April for it

Why april?

[Avenger]

I'm having it delivered to Tampa Florida (I'm there on vacation at the moment).......but if it doesn't come, I gotta wait until April when my Grandpa drives from Florida back to Ontario and brings em with him.

[NoiseGoth]

Can anyone speak to the likelyhood of these parts fitting a sedan? I'd love to have the extra stability.

[cojaro]

Originally Posted by NoiseGoth

Can anyone speak to the likelyhood of these parts fitting a sedan? I'd love to have the extra stability.

They do fit the sedan.

Si Front & Rear Sways on an EX Sedan

[NoiseGoth]

Excellent. Thanks!

[BlueIntegraBoy]

Love these DIYs with nice pictures to help visualize everything.

[sbigshot]

Originally Posted by cojaro

The rear ones I probably could have done without but did anyways. It may have slowed me down a bit by doing so but I wasn't bothered by it, just a little irritated that I couldn't get it off.

when I installed my Progress rear sway, I also found it easier to do the install by removing the endlinks along with the stock bar... good diy cojaro.

[Mikey6p]

Originally Posted by sbigshot

when I installed my Progress rear sway, I also found it easier to do the install by removing the endlinks along with the stock bar... good diy cojaro.

+1.

Removing the whole thing as one assembly makes things a bit easier.

[dentrecords]

Added to DIY sticky. Good stuff man!

[Andrei'sCivic]

It definetly feels stiffer with the rear Si sway bar installed. I thought maybe a bit too stiff. But then I gotthe Carbing front upper strut bar and no longer. Now the car feels like its leaning towards understeering. Now I understand what the guy was telling me. Some guy told me that he got the oem rear Si anti-sway bar, then he intstalled the front oem Si anti-sway bar and he said once he put the front sway bar on that he felt like he needed a larger rear sway bar. So he ended up putting the 22mm progress rear anti-sway bar on. He says its better than ever with his current set up: 22mm in rear 27.2mm up front.
- My personal experience getting the front upper strut bar was like getting a thicker front anti-sway bar. Now I feel like I want to stiffen the rear even more.

[Avenger]

OK, mine came in today..........Fed Ex seems to have misplaced one of the front bars though Why the hell isn't this stuff reliably shipped? How can you lose a 20lb bar?

Anyways.........I'm lookin on my car.......and it seems like my DX doesn't have a rear stabilizer bar. I really hope it does, because I didn't order enough bolts if I can't reuse some

[cojaro]

Originally Posted by Avenger

OK, mine came in today..........Fed Ex seems to have misplaced one of the front bars though Why the hell isn't this stuff reliably shipped? How can you lose a 20lb bar?

Anyways.........I'm lookin on my car.......and it seems like my DX doesn't have a rear stabilizer bar. I really hope it does, because I didn't order enough bolts if I can't reuse some

To my knowledge (unfortunately in this case), only the LX and EX come with a rear sway bar. If you don't have the bolts, it'd probably be easier to get them from your Honda dealership instead of ordering online.