I'm looking to increase the steering response and handling from my SR-V and I was wondering if the rear upper and lower stut bars are necessary. I know the front upper strut is a popular mod and this is what I am considering, but I was wondering if its worth adding the rear upper and lower. I figure, the car already has a rear stabilizer bar so only the rear upper would help.
I am looking at Neuspeed, are there any others to consider?

 

You will feel much more outta of a thicker swaybar, front and back. Tower braces are more of a looks thing. The strut tower braces are supposed to keep your shock towers from flexing. DC sports braces are best I think but there are tons out there for ya... the rear Nuespeed I thought stopped making em for the lower ones.


[Modified by LudeBehavior, 5:16 PM 2/13/2002]

 

i personally like dcsports. i bought the front, rear upper, and lower. i noticed a difference with the front, not much with the rear though. (i just like the way my polished rear lower tie bar looks when your behind me) but then i got the sus. tech. sway bar set and that made all the difference HOWEVER if you are more into speed and drag racing strongly reconsider the sway bars because both factory bars weigh about half as much as one sus. tech. bar. honestly. so if your on a diet i wouldnt put those fatty bars on. just an opinion though.

 

dc sports is definalty lighter then the suspension tech. but i heard that the holes in dc sports cause more flexing in the bars then performance, but the rear lower tie bar does kick **** looks clean,. as for the top, i recommend neuspeed because there are no modifications needed to put it on the front. versus the dc sports you have to take the metal tower off from the passenger side and some ghetto fabulious mods. by the cruise control to make it fitt porperly.

 

i'll agree that sway bars can make a noticable difference. but for normal everyday driving, you can't even feel the effects of strut braces. it's only when you get really aggressive in your driving that those even do anything. so yeah, they're more cosmetic than anything.

 

I strongly disagree with you guys about the tower braces. I put one on my maxima, and it did wonders. I don't see why it wouldn't be the same on a lude unless you drive like a grandma around turns and stuff.

 

Styler7 is right... I have stock shocks with neuspeed racing spring... and my car was pretty rough when i hit small bumps and stuffs on the road... but i got one of those 16.99 strut bar from ebay... dam i could totally feel the diff.. my ride is a lot smoother or softer over bumps best 17 bucks i ever spend on prelude... saving money to get real strut everything(front rear lower upper...) .. ^__^

does cusco make for prelude?

 

thats what i was saying the STRUT bars are great but the SWAY bars arent worth the weight increase unless you road race or just love taking curves like a mad man. i think people were gettin confused about which one i was talking about. the front strut tower bar made the most difference.

 

I was just browsing the prelude forum because my brother just bought one and I think you guys need to visit the Integra forum and get some accurate info.

Not to flame, but ask anybody who knows about road racing and they will tell you a sway bar makes a much bigger difference. A car's fundamental characteristics are defined by your sway bar settings.

It may sound like a silly way to prove a point, but in Gran Turismo you don't see strut bars as a mod but you do see sway bar settings.

By the way, DC bars are horrible. If you see one in person, push and pull on it and you'll see the flex. If you don't believe me do a search on DC bars and you'll find a ton of people who despise them.

 

Definitely larger sway bars/stabilizer bars make a bigger difference than strut bars. Strut tower bars will limit chassis flex (if you get a good one, not DC), so it will be less noticeable but still useful. It shouldn't be your first, or only suspension modification though.
The lower tie bars are pretty much useless.
The first thing I would suggest is new, stiffer shocks. Bilstein HDs or Koni Yelllows. Or get springs and shocks at the same time.

 

I can't belive some of you recommend the DC bars for performance and other say that strut bars make more difference than a bigger sway bar