sway bar q...

[lilzed747]

ok so my last question was a bust.lol. so new question. like mentioned before i want to install a front and rear sway bar on a budget. my current car is a 92 civic cx and i think it handles sloppy compared to my previous 93 civic si...i dont really care about name brand but i do want 100% reliability. i know that i would have to install LCA's with the mounting points. is there any place where i can grab a relatively cheap but reliable set of sway bars with the works and LCA's?

how's the stuff off of ebay measure up? any good or bad experiences? an ebay store name would be great to hit up or avoid...any suggestions would be great. thanks.

[Gamble]

These are parts you don't really want to cheap out on, especially the lower control arms, but you can find good deals on the majority of the parts you need. If you get a cheap set of LCAs like blox, they have rubber bushings, which will be destroyed within a year. Either do you measurements and cut holes, or go get a set of OEM ITR/EG SI LCAs. OEM won't give you a problem. If you want bling, F7 or Skunk 2 will do just fine since they have polyurethane bushings.

For the sway bar, I believe the 92-95 Si had a 22mm front sway bar. Try to find one of those either online or locally or at a junkyard. I'm not sure if you'll need to upgrade your front LCAs to mount it or not.

For the rear, you can get a gsr (14mm) sway bar that will have endlinks that will fit perfectly. Or you could go with an SiR sway bar (13mm) with the appropriate endlinks (96-00 is different). Since the bar is quite small, you won't need to worry about sub-frame tear out.

If you were to go with a bigger bar, ITR (22mm) for example, the added energy and stress would rip apart the sub frame of your car so you'd need to reinforce it with a sub-frame brace kit like ASR or F7.

My honest opinion is that you should save your pennies and get an ASR kit or something similar. Comes with a VERY reputable brace, 22mm and up (your choice) sway bar, appropriate endlinks and instructions. When I upgraded my rear, it was the most noticeable mod I think I've ever done. The handling becomes day and night. These run ~$400 but you can find used ones for good prices. You might get lucky and find an ITR sway bar and an ASR brace separate. I know tofu_lo has a BWR (Blackworks) brace for an integra which will fit your car. I have one of these personally and haven't had a problem.

Hope this helps and good luck with the build.
-Grant

[Gamble]

If you decide to go with the smaller bar route (which won't make all that much of a difference from personal experience) here's one for sale.

http://www.vancouvercivics.com/forum...php?tid=102441

[spoon.ek9]

^ he pretty much covered everything. i too added my ASR subframe brace + 24mm rear sway bar and it is VERY noticeable. save up and do it right, don't buy the cheap crap because you will end up replacing it and eventually spend the same amount you would have with a reliable (albeit more expensive) brand.

[Token]

You'll also need to grab OEM or OEM replacement front LCA's from a SI.

[lilzed747]

thanks for the replies... would i be ok just getting integra LCA's from the junkyard or would you recommend getting new ones or something like blox? as for everything else i guess the way to go is to save up for a bigger sway bar with the subframe brace. I hear lots about the ASR brace but can anyone chime in for the beaks kit? heard mixed reviews...as well if i swap out my LCA's would i need another alignment?thanks.

[godwin]

One thing you didn't mention is what is the state of your current setup? All the bushings, ball joints etc have no play etc?

Make sure your current setup is in tip top shape before you throw in new parts. At least you get a baseline which you can compare to.

You can refurbish LCA relatively easily. If you don't have a press you can use a bit of heat to expand the arm and even a bit of liquid N2, to shrink it a little and it will drop right in without a press. For car that age, the arms will be cast iron, it won't make a difference very much.

For my e36 (which I have for 18 odd years), I rotate between 2 sets.

[MindBomber]

I'm not sure if they're made for your gen civic, but my 27mm Hotchkis sway bar is nuts.

If you decide to go with a lower end LCA replacement that has rubber bushings, then you can very inexpensively make your own poly bushings using a 2 part mix available at acklands grainger or on ebay.

[Gamble]

Originally Posted by lilzed747

thanks for the replies... would i be ok just getting integra LCA's from the junkyard or would you recommend getting new ones or something like blox? as for everything else i guess the way to go is to save up for a bigger sway bar with the subframe brace. I hear lots about the ASR brace but can anyone chime in for the beaks kit? heard mixed reviews...as well if i swap out my LCA's would i need another alignment?thanks.

Do not get BLOX as I said in the post. The rubber bushings will fall apart and wear out way too quickly. As the guy above me said, there are ways around it. I know you can press out the bushings and get better ones as well, but it's alot of work. Just stick with OEM for the least worry and best reliability.

For the Beaks kit, from what I understand it is only a tie bar, not a brace and will not provide sufficient rigidity for your sub-frame.

And yes, allignment should be done.

Make sure that when you go through with this, you torque everything to spec UNDER LOAD. Just means hand tighten crucial parts first when it's off the ground, then torque to spec when it's back on the ground. This will prevent premature tearing of the bushings.

All info you need can be found online.

[spoon.ek9]

this is what ppl are referring to when they say you need a subframe brace:

[lilzed747]

ok convinced that i need a subframe.lol. ill start shopping around for a kit. are the eibach sets any good? there is a kit that has 26mm front and 17mm rear? they run about 350 or does that seem pricey?