Anybody have a SKUNKWORKS rear sway bar on their integra? Its a 20mm so is much thicker than my stock GSR one. Thinking about getting one for 50 bucks w/ mounting brackets, bushings, and endlinks, but want to hear what people think/know about this sway bar first.

 

i dont have exp. with it, but for $50 i'd get it. that's pretty much change for a sway bar. sell it for more if you dont like it.

 

I am currently using this bar on my 94 GSR and the only thing you need to do is make sure you have upgraded rear springs or you will tear the subframe where the brackets mount.

AW

 

wait...you need better springs to put a different bar on?
So lets say...I wanna put the ITR sway bar on my gsr..I cant do that unless I have better springs?

 

 

I have to put the BSQ kit on mine..23 mm JDM ITR. my friend has tein coilovers with extremely high spring rate, and his didn't tear out. thear might be some truth to this, but i'm not taking chances.

 

i've had my skunk2 21mm bar for almost 2 years now with no probs. i also have h&r sports and koni yellows so that may be why it didnt rip out yet.

 

You can do either of two things. Use stiffer rear springs or reinforce the mounting area. The reason you can't just put the bar on a non ITR without reinforcement is because the thicker bar puts more strain on the thinner mounting points. If you only use the stock springs all the new stress is now transferred to weakest point which is the thinner mounts.

There has been a lot of write up on the net about this already, Geesers web page(Z speed bar, same as Skunk). BSQ mounting kit when you install the ITR bar on a non itr to reinforce the mounting area. Comnptech bar with lower bar reinforcement because their original bar was tearing subframes, etc...

If you put stiffer springs, the springs will absorb some of the load that the softer stock springs would not do, Skunk website recommends that stiffer springs be used.

 

Ohh well...I got my TypeR sway bar sittin here for nuttin then...Still on my stock shocks and springs

 

what you have to uderstand is that the rear sway bar is just a spring just like the rear springs on the shock... if you have soft rear springs the rear sway will take all the stress when you make hard turns.. the skunk2 sway mounts to factory mounting points using a bracket that pushes the bar away form the mounting point... this means when the sway bar is twisting hard it puts extra force on those mounting points... the itr sway mounts flush with the frame so this isnt an issue. if you have stiffer rear springs the stress on the sway bar is gonna be alot less..

ive har my skunk2 (21mm) for a year with no problems and i feel it was one of the best mods ive done on my suspension.. totally changed the way the car drives... i also have 350 lb rear springs..

 

Before purchasing the Skunk rear swaybar, I would recommend checking out these two websites: http://integra.vtec.net/geeser/swaybar_problems.html and http://www.geocities.com/garylee333/suspension.html . Both websites document the subframe damage caused by the Skunk/Z-speed rear swaybar.

The cause of subframe tearout is when the larger swaybar is mounted AWAY from the subframe. When the swaybar is mounted in this fashion, the swaybar is able to exert torque on the subframe and this stresses (ie. flexing back and forth) the mounting points and eventually causes the mounting points to pull away from the subframe.

As with anything, an increased amount of leverage makes it easier to do work. This is governed by the lever law: force x distance = torque. As distance--or the length of the lever--increases, the resulting amount of torque also increases. (This is why it was easier to move your big brother on the teeter-totter when he moved towards the middle and you stayed out on the end. You enjoyed increased leverage at the end, while he suffered from reduced leverage near the middle.)

The proper way to mount a large swaybar is to mount it DIRECTLY to the subframe (eg. Integra Type-R). This prevents the torque and stress on the subframe. Go to my webpage at http://www.geocities.com/bretq/swaybar_install.html for instructions for installing the Type-R rear swaybar DIRECTLY to the subframe.

 

i have a close set up to yours as well.
21mm rear, h&r sports, w/ bilsteins.

For the person who started the thread, i believe its a 21mm rear sway not 20.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys. If you were wondering, I have KYB AGX's and Prokit springs. I'm leaning away from the skunk bar now just because of how it is mounted, and leaning toward a usdm itr sway bar w/ a mounting kit designed by KINGSMOTORSPORT. This kit supposively costs $135 and will allow me to mount the bar directly onto my 97 gsr w/o drilling or modification to the subframe. Can anybody vouch for this mounting kit? Also, how hard is it to do the drilling and what are the chances that I will mess up and ruin my chances of getting the itr bar to fit properly w/ the bsq kit? Has anybody heard of an ITR bar ripping out or causing damage to the subframe? Thanks in advance

 

2/2 of my friends with skunk2 bars had them rip away from their subframe...

<-----doesnt trust anything from skunk2 that 'moves'

 

hmmm, you dont trust anything from skunk2 that moves? So that leaves..spartk plug cover...battery tie down, lug nuts and lugs (heard these are bad too) ok, all outa ideas.

 

Has anyone ever had problems with the 22mm ITR bar w/ BSQ kit on a GSR?

 

I have been selling my mounting kit for nearly 3 years now and there hasn't been a single problem reported. A lot of people that have bought my mounting kit autox, which really puts the swaybar and the mounting kit to the test. FWIW, I have been using the Type-R rear swaybar (with my mounting kit...of course ) and I haven't experienced any problems. I also have 21+ hours of track time (road courses) with the Type-R rear swaybar.