So I have tried searching this for the past two days and I can't find any specific information about why this is happening. I have looked at the ‘master’ sway bar/LCA information list about compatibility on every forum and in theory, this should work no problem, but it's not.

Here's the deal, I bought a GSR front sway bar and front lower control arms. I swapped out the rear fork part of the LCAs on both sides as the dx one doesn't have holes for the end links. My issue is that the sway bar for some reason is sitting a little too low up by the subframe. It's about 2 inches from the top. The end links line up, the D-brackets line up, everything lines up and bolts down correct, but the very top part of the bar that goes above the shift linkage and exhaust is an inch too low.

I can't bolt my shift linkage back up because the sway bar is in the way. So here's my question, what else is the issue? I have swapped the LCAs, I have the right end links, but I think the GSR sway bar actually doesn't fit on the EK. Everywhere says it does, but it's not working… and driving me crazy.



So please help. I would like to get my hatch back on the road.

 

Post a pic of the sway bar links at the LCA.

 

Okay. The end links bolt up so I don't think that's the issue.

I'll post pics later. I have a feeling it's just the sway bar though. I've been reading and this same thing has been an issue with others before.

Here's a link to the end links I bought:
Hardrace Front Sway Bar End Links 94-01 Integra GSR Type R - 6480 - BuyHardRace.com

 

Your suspicion is true. The DC sway bar doesn't fit the EK correctly.

 

DAMN. Why does everyone say it will work?!

 

Anyone have an EX/LX/HX sway bar and front LCA they want to sell me? Obviously I now have a GSR sway bar / LCA / HardRace end links for sale too.

 

Mount the links from underneath. Problem solved.

DC sway bars fit on EK if you think it through. I have been running front and rear ITR sway bars on my 96 hatch for over a decade.

 

Will it work that way? Won't the clearance be super low if they bolt up underneath the LCA like that? I will check it out tomorrow for sure. I'd rather not have to swap parts and hassle with that. But is that the way it's meant to function? I thought that was the wrong way to do it, no?

 

phunhaus is right, it should fit, given his instruction:

x2

Are the shocks in place? If not, it could be the arms are hanging too low for the top of the bar to line up with the bottom of the chassis. Iirc on my EK the bar (like the shocks) prevents full droop of the arms.

 

Here the pics. I labeled some of them so you can see what parts I swapped.



Same pic with notes:

 

The car is on jack stands on the 3rd rung, so I can see that compressing the shock might help? But the bar will only 'bend' so much considering it's bolted the the chassis with the D-brackets.

I guess I'm trying to say... how would it flex that much if it's already attached the the chassis?

All of this help is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

 

Someone sent me this in the civic/del-sol section:

"Awesome. I will try that. I actually had it like that in the beginning but I thought it was wrong because all of the online tutorials show the sway bar above the LCAs."

Is it okay to run that back portion of the LCA from an Integra?

 

That link is exactly what I posted above. Also, the "master" sway bar thread you're talking about is probably a repost of what I wrote back in 2006.

 

Thanks a lot. So one last question, is it okay to swap that GSR rear fork of the LCA onto the DX one? Will it throw off my suspension geometry, toe and so on? Should I find an EX/LX/HX one? Or will I be okay?

 

Thanks for all the help guys. Everything is back together. Still need to take it out for a drive.