rear strut tower bar functionality (does it really make a difference?)

[revd34]

on most cars it does help to put it in, but does it really do anything on my honda fit?

my friend was showing me and telling that all it is used for is a show piece. reason is that a rear strut tower bar is supposed to increase the chassis rigidity.

other cars have that three bolts on the strut and rear strut tower mounts onto the shock and chassis. our strut have one bolt and the rear strut bar mounts onto the shock only. so i doesn't do anything for the chassis (i think)

i hope you guys know what im saying. if you need to clarify it more i will.

what im asking is someone to prove me wrong. does it make a difference and prove your point.

[manxman]

Your friend is right.

[Fitting]

I believe the Cusco bar mount to the chasis so that would be the one to get.

[gofastredfit]

Originally Posted by manxman

Your friend is right.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>+1<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

[kenchan]

Originally Posted by Fitting

I believe the Cusco bar mount to the chasis so that would be the one to get.

yep, the other ones that just mount to the piston shaft is a joke.

but these only work if you have a pretty stiff suspension setup. i dont
use the rear one on my car.

[revd34]

i used the search function. sorry about that. i really like the cusco design.

so there is a way to put a rear strut tower bar and make it actually work. thanks guys.

btw yeah i know i'm going to get the rear sway bar everyone is talking about.

[JDMchris.com]

Originally Posted by revd34

i used the search function. sorry about that. i really like the cusco design.

so there is a way to put a rear strut tower bar and make it actually work. thanks guys.

btw yeah i know i'm going to get the rear sway bar everyone is talking about.

I know im gonna get flamed for this, but the PRSB also doesnt have any function.

A rear swaybar only functions if the center portion is mounted on the frame of the car to reduce the roll. If it is simply bolted to the cups for the springs it will do nothing but add weight. A rear sway bar installed properly will cause too much oversteer on the Fit. This is why Ben only made a front sway bar. Why? Cause the rear isnt needed.

[fit7ad]

The Honda FIT has a TORSION beam rear suspension, not a RIGID beam. This structure twists to allow semi-independent movement of the rear wheels. The PRSB is a torsion bar attached in parallel to the torsion beam to alter the spring rate. It definitely has a function.

Originally Posted by JDMchris.com

I know im gonna get flamed for this, but the PRSB also doesnt have any function.

A rear swaybar only functions if the center portion is mounted on the frame of the car to reduce the roll. If it is simply bolted to the cups for the springs it will do nothing but add weight. A rear sway bar installed properly will cause too much oversteer on the Fit. This is why Ben only made a front sway bar. Why? Cause the rear isnt needed.

[manxman]

Originally Posted by JDMchris.com

I know im gonna get flamed for this, but the PRSB also doesnt have any function.

A rear swaybar only functions if the center portion is mounted on the frame of the car to reduce the roll. If it is simply bolted to the cups for the springs it will do nothing but add weight. A rear sway bar installed properly will cause too much oversteer on the Fit. This is why Ben only made a front sway bar. Why? Cause the rear isnt needed.

Good thing that you're in sales, not a mechanic. There are around a hundred of us, just as posters in these forums, who are laughing at your post. Be very sure NOT to buy the Progress bar. You will lose sleep over your mis-perceptions and lack of knowledge. Nothing against Ben, his company, or their products. Saying that the Progress bar doesn't and/or can't work makes you look foolish. B.s. is b.s. no matter who writes it. Fit7ad (above poster) is absolutely right. ALL of us who bought these bars during their launch in '07 had doubts, based upon perceptions of sway bar engineering in the solid axle market. Every one of us is extremely happy with our decision, and none of us is stupid or delusional enough to believe that a useless product works when it does not, and can't.

[kenchan]

i removed my Progress bar and not looking back.

the car does not need a rear swaybar unless you use progressive rate
lowering springs with underdamped struts/shocks (stock). its bascially
compensating for the initial soft bump (compression).

the car runs much better without it imho. and that's with experience
with and without the bar. especially for those running the endura-techs,
the rear bar is not necessary.

[manxman]

For the "thousands" of Endura-Tech users, that may be good news. Those of us with stock or spring modified rear suspension do not care. Saying that the RSB does not/cannot work is b.s., h.s., and p.s. Also ignorant.

[kenchan]

you think it works on your setup, go with it. dont think that we
care wat you run.

it works in terms of making the car turn sharp, but it comes with
compromises. the unnatural feel of the car is far less attractive
than being able to make a sharp turn...

for those that auto-x, might be a cheap way around to getting
wat you want. not for everyone though.

[JDMchris.com]

Originally Posted by manxman

Good thing that you're in sales, not a mechanic. There are around a hundred of us, just as posters in these forums, who are laughing at your post. Be very sure NOT to buy the Progress bar. You will lose sleep over your mis-perceptions and lack of knowledge. Nothing against Ben, his company, or their products. Saying that the Progress bar doesn't and/or can't work makes you look foolish. B.s. is b.s. no matter who writes it. Fit7ad (above poster) is absolutely right. ALL of us who bought these bars during their launch in '07 had doubts, based upon perceptions of sway bar engineering in the solid axle market. Every one of us is extremely happy with our decision, and none of us is stupid or delusional enough to believe that a useless product works when it does not, and can't.

Yes I am in sales, and I dont need to be a mechanic. I have been discussing this product with a few people and from our discussions, just like kenchan said, When put on a stock car you get the "Feeling" of better cornering, but when you really Setup your suspension it actually makes it worse. You no longer are able to attain a "Nuetral steer". A car that oversteers too much is like a car that understeers too much. NOT GOOD. A Nuetral steering car is where you want to be, But that is just simply unattainable with a rear swaybar. I also Emailed Progress about how their product works, and I received some mediocre response with a one sentence explanation of "It stiffens the torsion beam". Please dont discredit me simply because I sell cars, I know what I am doing. Like I said I knew I would get flamed for this, so I knew I would get negative responses. Im sure we can sit here and argue all day and argue about yes they do work or no they dont, just like the strutbar threads.

[kelsodeez]

soooo true that the rear sway bar creates too much oversteer, but i find it easier to control oversteer than understeer. when i track my car, i am going to run a few laps with it on then a few laps with it off and see which one will get better lap times. as for the upper strut bar, it serves a purpose when pushing your car to the limit. not just for everyday driving.

[quangalang]

Originally Posted by JDMchris.com

I know im gonna get flamed for this, but the PRSB also doesnt have any function.

A rear swaybar only functions if the center portion is mounted on the frame of the car to reduce the roll. If it is simply bolted to the cups for the springs it will do nothing but add weight. A rear sway bar installed properly will cause too much oversteer on the Fit. This is why Ben only made a front sway bar. Why? Cause the rear isnt needed.

LOL you don't know how the Progress sway works and you are talking bad about it...
just because it isn't mounted like traditional swaybars doesn't mean that it doesn't work. it functions exactly the same way but it's just mounted differently.
*i don't know how the progress swaybar works therefore it doesn't work*

[JDMchris.com]

Originally Posted by quangalang

LOL you don't know how the Progress sway works and you are talking bad about it...
just because it isn't mounted like traditional swaybars doesn't mean that it doesn't work. it functions exactly the same way but it's just mounted differently.
*i don't know how the progress swaybar works therefore it doesn't work*

I DO know how it is setup, works, doesnt work.

[George02]

this went way off topic, but I just got a rear strut bar, and when installing it I was very disappointed. The thing is a joke and has no function. I am modifying mine to bolt up on the chasis instead of on my damn shock

[kenchan]

Originally Posted by George02

this went way off topic, but I just got a rear strut bar, and when installing it I was very disappointed. The thing is a joke and has no function. I am modifying mine to bolt up on the chasis instead of on my damn shock

yah, you should've read my posts before you bought it. jk

i mean think about it, (i already explained this before) the thing mounts
to the piston shaft. the piston shaft is suspended inside the rubber
mounts. RUBBER mounts change form to absorb disturbance into the cabin.

how can you solidly 'tie' a bar that sits inside suspended rubber other
than for cosmetics? there is a reason why most strut bars mount
to the chassis and not suspended rubber.

[kenchan]

Originally Posted by kelsodeez

soooo true that the rear sway bar creates too much oversteer, but i find it easier to control oversteer than understeer. when i track my car, i am going to run a few laps with it on then a few laps with it off and see which one will get better lap times. as for the upper strut bar, it serves a purpose when pushing your car to the limit. not just for everyday driving.

actually it wasn't the oversteer that i didn't like. it was the
distorted feedback through the steering wheel. it felt as if i had
super low offset on the front wheels and super high offset in the
rear. kinda like a wind-up feel when you change lanes and accelerate
or point the car to one direction and accelerate. the car does not
want to return back to center, but wants to wind the car more and
more into the turn. it is a very ikky very unnatural feedback.

my other modded cars are also setup for neutral to slightly oversteer
bias. they do not have this feel. i can generate the feel on those cars
when i use wide offset spacers in the front and keep the rear un-changed.