what is a better sway bar? the 22milla ITR sway bar with benen bar or the comptech swaybar tie bar combo...Im gonna start on my suspension...need some help with this thanks for the help..

 

ITR is cheaper I think. Mine was ~100 plus your preference on the re-enforcement kit...20-65. ITR is

 

Which one is better, though? I have the same quandry . Do you have to have the Benen bar or the Comptech tie bar? Or is it just something that is commonly done? Isn't a rear upper strut tower bar better (or am I an idiot and that is what we are talking about?)? And if the Comptech (I am talking about sway bars again) is better, is it worth the price jump?

What are the costs on both setups?

Ben

 

I think that the Comptech is adjustable were the ITR isn't. I'm in the same boat as you and looked into both of them. One thing about the Comptech is that I heard it has clearance problems w/ some exhausts so becareful.( It was mentioned on the Comptech forum). Still deciding but I think it should be very similiar in performance...

 

If you get the comptech bar, use their lower tie bar, they work together to reinforce the subframe to prevent tear out.

 

the ITR sway bar route is definitely more cost effective, but comptech's integrated tie bar + sway bar unit must have it's technical, mechanical, and performance merits. if i had the $, i'd definitely get the comptech unit.

 

Comptech bar is adjustable to soft, med, and hard. on tha anti sway part.
Also if your working corner weights, they have adjustable end links.

ITR bar is non-adjustable in anyway. But it sure is a cheap mod. Great valve... can't beat it with a 22mm bar. :D (Can't beat it with a stick)

 

If I'm OK with losing some trunk space, isn't a rear upper strut tower bar more effective than a rear lower tie bar? What is a good rear tower bar?

Ben

 

If you want to make your teg turn like it supposed to, get the Comptech 22mm with subframe reinforcement. Well worth the money, and will be stronger than type R bar alone, (which would require a beaks subframe stiffening kit). The comptech also comes with poly bushings included, and btw the poly is of stiffer durometer so you can feel the better response). Others above have claimed the Comptech is adjustable, when I don't agree it is. The adjustment is to neutralize the bar based upon cars of different ride heights, (via increasing/decreasing the link lenght. The only way to adjust a sway bar is to increase/decrease the pivot point, or increase the deflection by making the bar thicker. Trust me, its physics.

Get the Comptech swaybar kit and then if you are lucky enough to find a JDM ITR upper strut bar get that. I've run this setup and have found it to be the best. Really tightens up your ***, (you cars). Hell I only need three jackstands on my teg, and that's at the jackpoints.

Hope this helps.

Let me know if you want me to send you pictures of the parts I have discussed above, although I am not sure how to post them to this list as I am new here.

 

Well if you were to compare just the swaybars...they are both the same diameter (ie. 22mm). The Comptech swaybar does have 3 adjustment positions (ie. endlink attachment points) which allows the swaybar stiffness to be adjusted (soft, medium, hard). I have heard that the soft setting would be equivalent to a 20mm swaybar, medium = 22mm and hard = 24mm. Most people will set the swaybar on the medium setting and leave it there. Most autoxers will probably set theirs to the hard setting to get more rotation from the rear of the car on the autox course. So if you were to set the Comptech on the medium setting (equal to 22mm) and compare it (ie. test drive) to the Type-R rear swaybar you should not "feel" any difference.

If you were to compare just the tie bars (Comptech vs. Benen)...they both are made from aluminium, they both connect to the LCA bolt. So if you were to take a test drive with both tie bars, you should not "feel" any difference.

Now if you were to compare the cost of the Comptech rear swaybar/tie bar combo to the Type-R rear swaybar/Benen tie bar combo. The Comptech cost ~$400 + s&h (if purchased from Comptech's website...you may be able to purchase it cheaper else where); whereas, the Type-R rear swaybar will cost ~$105 and the Benen tie bar cost ~$130, so a total cost of ~$235. I personally don't think you that you will feel that great of a difference to warrant a cost difference of ~$165.

 

I heard that poly bushings mights squeek...is that just rumor?

 

Not a rumor. They are prone to squeaking .

 

i have the comptech combo. paid $360 from autocarparts.com (pretty much all comptech is 10% off list there, and hard to get much cheaper than that). i have it set on hard and i autocross. the rear end moves nicely and another integra driver who drove my car during fun runs was VERY impressed with the setup.

you can get a type-r bar, mounting kit and the other tie bar. or you can get an integrated system. performance should be the same, but i am very paranoid , so i went with the comptech. i had the bar installed at the same time i had my koni coilovers with eibach ers springs (essentially truechoice phase 2 but with the neuspeed konis) done. there are some noises/sqeaks. not sure which part is making which sound, but seems like the bushings are part of the problem.

good luck,
phil

the lower sway bar has much, much more effect on handling than the rear upper strut bar. that would be almost last on my priority list.

 

they are both good stiff sway bars and thats basically all that maters. Once they are on the car i can bet that your not gonna feel a difference bettween the two. Go which ever one is cheaper.

 

Pros/Cons:

Comptech combo will cost around 370~400 shipped. But you get a sexy red (or clear) billet tie bar and adjustability. No modification is required either; it's straight bolt on. Unlike other tie bars, the comptech tie bar also works as a reinforcement kit for the sway bar as well. You can tell by the pic at comptechusa.com that the tie bar actually goes between the subframe and sway bar bushing.

ITR sway bar is alot cheaper and you can pick from a number of tie bars to go with the sway bar. Depending on tie bar, it will cost around 120~130 shipped for the sway bar itself. Then a tie bar of your choice for $xxx. Modification and reinforced mounting is required. You need to chip off the welded nut inside the subframe and even out any irregularity it might have so the surface is smooth/flush. Then you need to enlarge the hole with a drill. Nothing hard to do, just a little annoying--especially the welded nut. (DAMN THAT F**KING WELDED POS NUT. sorry)

 

Don't worry about squeaking:

Simple solution- wrap the bar with teflon tape right where the bushing goes. I did it with mine- no squeaking ever since.

 

I have the CT rear Sway/Tie Combo and I LOVE IT, it mounts securely to the tie-bar mount so no problem of a tear out and it performs great. I did not have any clearance probs with my aftermarket exhaust either. It does cost a good bit more than the ITR/BSQ combo that performs nearly equally, but then when you add the price of a rear tie bar, the gap gets much smaller and then the CT combo has a bit of adjustability and you know it will all work well together and it is a greatly fabricated piece of hardware. So its up to you, its a bit more expensive but IMO its worth it, but if you are on a real tight budget then get the BSQ/ITR kit which is a great bang for buck mod.