Cody08

Between a bar like the skunk 2 that has a sort of spacer or something like the beaks or benen bar thats just solid, which do you guys prefer? Or is there really a difference between the two?

Also I have seen a lot of guys saying that a front lower tie bar has issues with fitment around the exhaust and makes oil changes more difficult. Any input would be appreciated.

CandyRedRC46

What year/model/trim level is your car? Some cars were fitted with a factory front subframe brace (Plays a similar role as a front lower tie bar). My 2000 Integra GS came with a 24mm front sway bar and factory front subframe brace (basically usdm ITR parts), so I left the front alone and bought a factory type r front tower brace (kind of aesthetic/ kind of chassis strengthening). In the back, I only had a 14mm rear sway bar, from the factory (and flimsy rear subframe), so I got the ASR rear subframe brace and 24mm rear sway bar kit (basically a huge rear lower tie bar/subrame brace/ sway bar and sway bar mount all in one). I am probably going to get a rear itr strut tower brace eventually too (though strut tower braces are debate-ably, mildly effective and or aesthetics mods).

With that being said, what are your plans for your car? AutoX or commuter? Are you doing this for aesthetics? Do you plan on upgrading the rest of your suspension, sway bars, ball joints, bushings etc? Coil overs? What spring rates will you be going with? My personal opinion is that the factory +98 integra front sway bar/ front subframe brace is plenty for anything short of a dedicated race / track car, so that is all I would do up front. For the rear I would get either the ASR or Progress sub frame brace plus 22 or 24mm sway bar kit. Also my opinion, is that you do not need any additional subframe bracing, unless you are going big sway bar and that rear lower tie bars like the beaks kit etc are just swaggot aestetics mods, equivalent to matching your purse color to your wheel color, but hey, thats just my opinion...

Cody08

The car is just a daily that I would like to be able to have a little fun with. its a 99 ex coupe. I do like things to look good but definitely not a big concern so I don't want to add something like this just for looks. And yes eventually I plan do add more suspension parts to it.

CandyRedRC46

So the car is stock and original right now? If I were you I would do the following (in this order):


All new bushings and ball joints (Either OEM or Hard race)

Make sure axles, tie rods and motor mounts are healthy.

Integra or si knuckles and trailing arms plus https://propartsusa.com/collections/...ke-upgrade-kit (the front is more of a bang for the buck than the rear) I just did the front and it is a phenomenal upgrade.

Then coilovers, either the ground control/Koni Yellow combo, Progress coilovers or BC Racing Coilovers. BC Racing was cheaper, (though maybe not quite as good as Koni, but better than Progress), so thats what I went with.

You need to figure out what spring rates you want. This determines how your car behaves and how it rides. Spring rates and sway bars work together. Generally the heavier the rear rates, the more race oriented your car will behave. A heavy rear spring rate and thick sway bar will reduce understeer, induce oversteer and make the car behave less like a front wheel drive car, but it will compromise the ride quality. These are things you need to put a lot of though into, especially for a daily driver. How aggressive do you want your car to handle and how harsh of a ride can you tolerate? I went with 10k front/6k rear spring rates paired with 24mm front and back sway bars, my theory being that the mild rear spring rate plus heavy rear sway bar would be the best compromise between handling and comfort for a daily, which seemed to work. The handing is awesome and more then I will every need on the street and the ride quality is about on my limit of what I can tolerate on a daily driver. If you routinely have passengers that aren't in to cars and bitch about things, you should probably go lighter, like 8k/5k or even lighter, like eibach springs and koni orange sport shocks.

Buy an extra set of wheels. Maybe some factory 15" aluminum alloys like gsr blades/LS mesh/Civic em1's etc or some aftermarket 15x7 38/40mm and put some 205/50R15 summer performance tires on them. Keep your current wheels and all season tires as spares/ winter duty.

Set your Ride height and then get an alignment. A lifetime alignment from firestone is a good idea and pays for it self in no time.

Camber kits are unnecessary and can cause more issues than they fix, so don't bother with those. Generally the natural camber you get for a mild drop is perfect. Don't go overboard and excessively lower the car.

After this I would start looking into Sway Bars, sub frame braces and strut tower braces. Where your car is at, they are not needed.

Then I would look into performance/power modifications.

Cody08

I really appreciate all the info. I've been into modifying cars for a long time but always cared about go fast parts. I'm starting to care less about that and more about how the car handles. I've been looking at motor mounts but can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Does anyone make anything that's a small step above stock?

Cody08

And yes the car is pretty much stock. As far as the Integra or si knuckles, is that a direct swap? I have a slightly bent front right knuckle so I've been looking at replacing that anyway.

CandyRedRC46

Hardrace or Hasport 60a durometer motor mounts are probably what you're looking for. You could also fill the stock motor mounts with urethane if you are on a budget.
The knuckles should be a direct swap, but definitely research that first.

Cody08

Thanks for all the help. It's greatly appreciated.