I will post info. as soon as I see the instructions,so that everybody will know what to expect (unless Castro beats me to it).

 

haha, we'll see about the install. I've had the same idea of doing additional bars (front strutbar, rear and c-pillar bar) together with the rear sway bar. I've been giving the tanabe bars a thought, and not even considered the a-spec as I have not heard of any reviews or comparisons in build quality or reputation of the company.

I chose instead to soon order the Cusco front and rear bars and as for the c-pillar, I might have to go a-spec.

I wont be able to do the install as I have work the entire day, but by the looks of it, 15-30min max install time. Whoever installs it first, take additional pictures of the bolt/spring dillema and give a full review.

Can't wait!

 

stay away from the cusco front strut tower bar! my buddy has it and it sits too low. The throttle body hits it every time the engine moves. Poor design. However the rear bar is good to go. Where did you get it from? been looking all over.

I have the mugen tower bar and it is top-notch.

Edit: also got the t1r front underbrace but haven't instaled it yet.

 

good looking out leonine. Ill be sure to get the mugen front strutbar instead. Still wanting to do Cusco in the rear and any suggestions for the c-pillar bar? A-spec perhaps?

As for the front underbrace, let me know how that works out. I'm also interested in a rear underbrace that i've seen on another thread somewhere, but dont know if it fits the USDM cars or if its just for overseas.

Cusco strutbars were from a groupbuy in the marketplace section. There seems to be a special on both front and rear, but after your suggestion ill just order the rear.

 

yeah the rear is good to go. As for a-spec personally i thing the quality is shabby from what i have seen online but can't say for certain cause never seen it up close.

hopefully this weekend i can install the T1R front underbrace and if so i will let ya know.

 

Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself, nor FITFREAK.NET endorse, recommend, encourage nor take any responsibility for the outcome of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!


Okay, Progress Anti-Sway Bar Fans------

Unfortunately for the guys who wanted a quick, no-fuss installation, I was right in my guess. You do have to remove the rear springs and lower pads to mount the bar.

The bolts provided have hex heads with permanent washers under the heads, and they go on the top surface of the spring pockets in the axle beam. The bar flanges go on the bottom of the beam ends, and "nylock" nuts and washers hold the bar on.

For those who do not have the Fit service manual, getting the springs off is no big deal, just a little time consuming.

1. Loosen the lugs on the rear wheels, put chocks in front of the front tires, and raise the rear of the car onto jack stands at the lifting points just ahead of the rear wheels. Remove the rear wheels.

2. Using a floor jack (best way) or a bottle jack, lift one side of the axle beam under the springs to take the weight off the damper (shock absorber) on that side. Remove the lower bolt from the damper and swing it away from the axle beam. Repeat for the other side damper.

3. Lower the jack and the axle beam enough to pull out the spring and lower pad on each side, and follow the Progress Bar instruction sheet for placement of the mounting bolts, and follow the rest of the mounting instructions. There are no torque specifications, but make sure that the nylock nuts are TIGHT.

4. Replace the springs & pads on each side. The lower pads have a protrusion on the pad bottom that fits into a locating hole (looks like one of the bolt holes) in the spring pockets of the axle beam. Make sure you locate the pads into the holes correctly.

5. Raise each side of the axle beam to slightly compress the springs, and reattach the lower bolts for each damper, replace the wheels, and tighten the lugs.

Lower the car and you're done! Good luck and be careful on your test drive!

Dave

P.s. My UPS driver just delivered my bar. I ripped the box open, removed the hardware and instructions, and went to my computer to report what I just found out. I have not mounted my bar yet-- will do that tomorrow. If I find out anything different, or in addition to what I have written here, I will add another post. Will probably take some photos of my own installation and will post those too.

 

please if you can post pics of the install.

I think i will try to get different bolts without washers and user the locking nuts. Maybe i will ad a washer on the other side too. Don't want to take the dams shocks off. Looks like the majority of the hole is open. Just a tad bit is covered by the spring pad. Hopefully i can wedge it in there and it will be good to go.

 

leonine-

The supplied bolts are 10mm diameter (SAE would be 3/8" or so) X 25mm or 1" long. You could try using flat head 3/8" fine thread machine screws with hex sockets so that an Allen wrench could be used to hold the bolt heads stationary while you tighten the nylock nuts underneath. The supplied hardware is metric, so if you buy SAE bolts, you will need SAE nuts also.

The photo in the instruction sheet shows that the bolt farthest back toward the bumper, on each side, appear to be directly underneath the spring pad. The other two bolts on each side appear to be outside the area covered by the spring pads.

Good luck!

Dave

P.s. If I were you, since these are suspension parts, if you buy your own nuts & bolts, I would buy Grade 8 fasteners from a parts store. There is likely to be a LOT of spring tension working against these bolts. If you use cheap hardware, it will probably break. It would be embarrassing to have your sway bar break loose on one side or the other and start a shower of sparks all over the other cars behind you on the freeway.

 

That sucks if one is covered. take some pics if you can please.

 

done and installed. about to go for a test drive

 

back from my test drive. All I can say is WOW. You can feel the difference in the car from the moment I back from the driveway on to the street. I have done suspension installs from coilovers to strutbars, swaybars, etc so I'd like to share some of my thoughts:

-The wheel feel very light compared to before. Now that the rear is stiffened with the swaybar, the softness in the front suspension can now be felt.

-Understeer is no longer due to body lean. The limits of the tires can now be reached faster, but you may have to be careful since I felt neutral to slight oversteer on freeway on/off ramps.

-The steering has lost some of that direct road feel where every bump can be felt, and now is reminding me of when I drive my brothers 240sx. The wheel is still every bit accurate, but now seems to be weightless as a rear-wheel drive car feels.

-No more leaning! emergency lane changes now allow the Fit to read your thoughts. Its now a quick zip change instead of the slight lean and react feeling form before.

Great bar and well worth the money. Some tips though is to left the car up HIGH in the air. I was afraid of the fuel lines during the installation as you had to snake the bar around them. I have a skunk2 exhaust and the bar clear with room to spare. I used the bolts/nuts that can with the kit, but added washers on the top and bottoms of the bolt and nut. The directions state to only use it with the nut, but I always like to take precaution. Use lock-tite on all the bolts/nuts and esp the shocks bolt. I did not have to remove the tires, and the rear springs are easy to remove.

 

Just take the shock bottom off and pry down the arm and remove the spring! IT's cake!

 

Castro--
Boy, you really COULDN'T wait! I'm too lazy to do night work on a car unless it's an emergency. VERY NICE results description- your test drive description is exactly what I had hoped for when I placed my order with Joey at Progress. Now I wish that I HAD put mine on last night.

 

I may have to get one of these too!

 

Yes, you have to!

 

Mine is finished too. I will let Castro's Test Drive Review stand as the definitive description- I had exactly the same experience, but did not bother with freeway driving, just mountain roads with 10 mph curves (that I took at 30).

At the risk of sounding like a TV infomercial, I will add this:
If you are going to do ANY handling upgrades, START HERE. This bar is REALLY effective, and worth twice the retail price. The installation is easy- anyone can do it. Will post a photo DIY later today.

Dave

 

leonine-
This install was easy. Took about an hour but I needed more time for the photos. My recommendation to YOU, specifically, is NOT to buy any other fasteners- use the supplied stuff, for this reason-----

If anything ever breaks and you wind up with any kind of liability issue with Progress, you will lose any legal protection if you alter their product by using fasteners that they did not supply. That is a far-fetched thought, but they carry liability insurance based upon the safety engineered into their designs. The supplied fasteners are high quality and much more than adequate for the job. Just my $.02.

Dave

 

lol. __________

 

yeah either i will do it or getinafit will help with the install along with my custom engine mounts from innovative. Gotta throw on the t1r front under brace as well.

 

Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself, nor FITFREAK.NET endorse, recommend, encourage nor take any responsibility for the outcome of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!

Chock one or both front wheels


Raise rear of car HIGH- the more room you have underneath, the better.


Raise the axle beam under the spring perch just to relieve the weight on the shock absorber.


Remove lower shock absorber bolt and swing it backward out of the mounting bracket. Move the jack to the other side and repeat. Then lower the jack and let the axle beam settle down with its own weight.


Pull down on the top of each spring so that it clears the cone that retains the center of the spring pad, then tilt the spring backward to unseat the lower pad and remove each spring. This photo shows a spring with the lower pad and the pad's locating tab that goes into the spring perch hole that is farthest forward when you reinstall the springs.


Follow the Progress Tech. installation sheet for proper routing and placement of the bar. The bent flanged bar ends point backward with the flanges going just underneath the spring perches. This photo shows the mounting bolts placed in the three inboard holes in the spring perch.


This shows how the bar goes over the exhaust pipe and over the fuel lines.


Here is the driver's side fitment of the bar flange with one bolt/washer/nylock nut holding and two more bolts waiting for washers/nuts. Even though these are locking nuts, I suggest that you also use Red LockTite on the bolt threads. Also, USE LOCKTITE on the shock absorber lower bolts when you reinstall them


Another view of the bar routing over the exhaust pipe.


Driver's side, all bar installation procedures done.


Installation is done. About 1 hour +/- (if you're not taking pictures).


Oh, I almost forgot to mention it- the metal bracketry that you see around the stock, black, triangular rear lifting pad is the trailer hitch from "Hidden Hitch", Trailer hitch, hitches and bike rack (800)298-8924.

This was an easy job that anyone with the proper tools can do.

Good luck---
Dave