I like my fit even after 2 years ownership. I have really driven it very conservative but I know there is more fun to be had.

I am thinking of upgrading to swift springs ( I had these once on a subaru and like them) a rear sway bar and sport tires.

Those of you that have gone down that road what are your experiences? I have had a lot of cars but one of my favorites was my 1990 VW GTi. It had a similar power but it was a good 400 pounds lighter. So I may never get to that but perhaps close for fun.

 

A Progress rear anti-sway bar sure made my '15 LX seem more fun to drive....super easy install. Only other thing I've done was tint and a heavier shift knob - the factory 6 spd manual knob is a super light piece of plastic, the replacement is, iirc, "leather" wrapped aluminum billet, weighs at least 3x what the factory knob weighs, and feels fantastic. Better tires are in my future, but the previous owner of mine replaced tires right before he traded it in, so...that'ss be a few years down the road.

 

i've done the lowering and rear sway bar. best mod you can do for handling.

 

Thanks you guys! Xtina, did you also use a Progress bar?

 

It's a simple part made or repackaged by different suppliers. Buy the biggest diameter or the cheapest if offered by multiple suppliers. The bigger rear bar will help with rotation or help eliminate the inherent understeer of the front wheel drive car. I know Ultra Racing and Progress both sell one. Maybe Megan?

You might want to get the car realigned? Max out the front negative camber. Aim for two degrees. You might need crash bolts to achieve that. For the street also go for ZERO toe front and rear. If you don't mind some additional tire wear, maybe 1/16" total front toe out being conservative.

 

All 3 make one. Of the 3, I think Progress is the cleanest one to install. The UR you have to remove this deflector piece. The Megan is designed to be "adjustable" but it appears it just over complicates a RSB. A member complained that it creaks when going over transitions so to me it's really flexing.

I have the Progress and it's one of the cheapest, easy to install and effective suspension mods you can do IMO.

A sway bar discussion: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/3rd-...sway-bars.html

 

swifts were great on my GE, im sure they will match up with you GK's dampers well too.

when i had the GE, i thought the front swaybar was too soft more dan anything.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

If you're looking to have more fun with your car, you might want to look at autocross? Based on your location listed this looks like your local SCCA chapter? http://www.nwr-scca.org/solo/

If not look on SCCA.com

The best performance upgrade is usually the "driver mod" Looks like there's a novice school on May 20th? Usually a good introduction into the SCCA and learning to autocross?

At minimum you'll learn the limits of your car in a safe environment.

Don't worry if you don't have all your mods completed by the school. Just do it anyway. Not every car in attendance is high performance. The SCCA does an OK job indexing the cars where they're fairly equal and has an index for overall results based on class.

 

Rear swaybar, sticker tires and wider wheels. I have a Progress RSB, 205/50 Michelin AS3 tires and lighter 16x7 wheels. Tons of fun now!

 

I was considering sportyifying my 2015 LX until i looked into its rear suspension. Swing arm..... Like a 1980s ford astrovan. The honda fit is a straight up minivan, which cannot be sportified.


(mostly kidding I'd be interested in a matched pair of front and rear sway bars when a cheap one comes out)

edit: But i did do this:

 

What's next, Crown Royal shift boot?

 

I thought it was fitting since i have a Mystic Yellow Pearl that is "Hecho en Mexico". Not sure how to attach the clip-style boot to the ceramic. Long time honda guys that have replaced shifters feel free to chime in here. (My buddy says its the exact same one as his RSX-S. So im sure its a common issue when switching shifters in hondas)

 

I'm about two years, four months in on my car (50K miles), and you can read through my mod thread linked in my sig for details on what all I've done (rear sway bar, springs, camber bolts, rear axle stub shims, custom alignment, wheels and tires, CAI, plus other cosmetic mods).

I've autocrossed it twice (video links also in my mod thread), and found it to be a hoot. Sure, it's low-powered, but as the saying goes, "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow."

es

 

I assume you mean that figuratively?

Nothing against your skills, more to do with the car. Based on your mods, you turned a slow car into a very slow car in a fast class. I'm guessing at minimum you're in STF and most likely SMF? I'm guessing with the mods, it would be hard pressed to compete in HS against the Fiesta ST which obviously because of your mods, the car wouldn't be legal in that class.

Based on your location and your post saying something about autocross at your employer, I'm guessing you're in Central Illinois Region SCCA? That region is in sort of a rebuilding phase. You should try taking a trip to Chicago or Milwaukee region events. Both Chicago and Milwaukee have excellent schools with many National caliber racers

 

Yep, STF. I've no interest in "being competitive," only in having some fun with the car, for which this checks the box. At one point, I had four coworkers participating as well, three in Miatas and one with a Mazda 3. They're the ones who suggested I'd like autocrossing, and they were right!

es

 

I replaced the shifter knob on mine, but the knob screws down a lot further than yours (there's maybe a 1/8" gap between bottom of shifter and top of the plastic ring....I bought a cheap piece of black pipe insulation, cut it to fit inside the ring, and it does well keeping the ring pretty well centered on the shaft, and the black plus minimal gap hides the chrome/threads well...it's machined black anodized aluminum billet wrapped in leather, looks like this but I forget the size ... the factory knob is just so lightweight - this one weighs perhaps 3x as much as original, but, it's not heavy, just feels a lot better...

 

I enjoyed watching your video. Good job and it looks like fun. You commented that the car setup the way you do is a little tail happy braking into a corner and I wondered if having the rear sway bar is not a great idea on the street. I am thinking about springs and tires and leaving it at that.

Thoughts?

 

I would absolutely recommend the rear bar - you have to be quite aggressive to feel the back end wanting to come around, and with stability control on, you'll also immediately feel the car compensate. Safe as kittens, even on snow or ice.

es

 

Agreed ... my '15 w/the Progress feels like the most "neutral" handling fwd car I've ever owned....dunno, maybe 'cause I'm playing with a 6 spd as well I'd definitely recommend it, and it's a super easy DIY install, to boot. Love this car, my wife wishes I'd shut up about it....but, she's getting a "relearning" session soon (she hasn't driven a stick in 11 years), and she'll see why I'm over the moon on this, it's a hoot to drive.