I installed a Progress Rear Sway bar for the 2007-2008 Honda Fit into my GD3 a while ago. Installation was mostly straightforward with plenty of room to do the install, just jack it up from the center rear pyramid and then put jack stands on both sides. You will need to remove the lower shock bolt to give the arm enough travel to insert the bolts in under the shock mount. I actually took the rear springs out to make it easier. The whole thing is held in with 3 bolts/washers/ny-nuts on each side, 6 of each total. The original H torsion beam does a terrible job of splitting the forces from one rear wheel to the other, but the rear sway bar totally reinforces the entire structure. My car is completely and totally stock except for the Progress rear sway bar. No lowering springs, no aftermarket shocks, nothing. Installation took under 1 hour.

This review is really to set your expectations correctly and help you decide if you want to get one. I was unimpressed initially immediately after the install driving around the city taking the slow 90 degree turns at intersections. It felts almost the same with maybe a little less body roll but nothing magical. It was not until I went on the freeway and on longer curving sweeping roads that the magic happens. The GD3 has a really strong tendency to understeer as you may have discovered, this feels like a loose rear end, huge body roll, with an uncooperative skidding front. The Progress rear sway bar really helps to make the car much more neutral. The rear end (and basically whole car) just sticks properly now on long fast turns (like a freeway off-ramp roundabout) versus the front feeling like a sled. There is a new found stability in the turns and your car turns with much less resistance at higher speeds. Before the Progress RSB, you can almost feel the front wheels skidding and resisting your turn but the car has become a much more fun and neutral go-cart after the install. IMO this should have been installed at the factory, there is no risk of snap-oversteer as the car still has a lot more to go before any oversteer even begins to creep in. On a totally stock car like mine, this just dials out much of the understeer and make the car much more neutral in handling, making it more fun and confident when going into a turn. I think for those of you that want to keep the car "stock", this is a worth wild upgrade for a daily driver.

 

I agree with the review.

I'll add that we found our car to track much straighter and get blown around less with the addition of the Progress bar as well. Seems most of it's benefits are at higher speeds.

 

I agree.


The only reason it doesn't come this way from the factory is ride quality. And possibly lawyers.

 

The GD3 with the Progress RSB feel completely neutral now. The understeer was very pronounced going into higher speed turns like a slalom without it. It now feels great to go into curvy roads. But it does not oversteer at all, at no point did I feel the rear wanted to slide out on its own. I think a stock old MR2 has a scarier tendency to snap oversteer, but not our Fits.

 

I kinda felt underwhelmed when I installed the Progress RSB on my 08 Fit Sport (purchased used with 184k kms), but I'm not sure if that's because of the bar itself, or if it's because of the age of my suspension components. Low speed tight corners do introduce a slight hint of rotation (particularly over dusty/gravelly/loose surface areas).
It didn't help that I also added other mods around the same time (Enkei RPF1s and Continental ExtremeContact Sports in 205/50R15).

I did notice my car bottoms on heaves in asphalt (I live near an area of sustained construction), so maybe my old shocks/springs are holding back the car from its full potential.

 

I have had the Progress rear sway bar installed for about 100 miles, and I am very impressed. The GD3 has just turned 60k miles, and the stock shocks are in good shape. My wife noticed the difference right away, and described it as sharper. There is less squat on pulling away from a stop, less roll in all turns, and much more confidence and stability when earning the Sport moniker on an interesting back road. I wish we had done this years ago.