handling better

[JSpec89]

i want to make my ek sedan handle better. i plan to taking it to track for abit of fun. but i don't want to take it out there with shiet handling.

i already got ultraracing front and rear strut.

im after sway bars now. i know ive got nothing in the rear i dont know about the front. havent checked.

but with running a swaybar in the rear. should i go after market or get ek9 etc.
also want a asr brace.
is it a str8 bolt up?
anyother things i should be looking at

[dougie_504]

With the ASR brace there will be mounting points for an EK9 or afermarket RSB. If you want to upgrade without the ASR then you might have some small issues mounting it up.

Blackworks Racing also does a subframe brace similar to ASR but I think it's cheaper. I believe Shift Performance or one of the other OzHonda traders distributes for BWR.

Also if you get a subframe brace don't get a Beaks tie bar. Does SFA once you get a subframe brace.

Have you got coilovers? Coils + subframe brace + 18mm-22mm RSB will be fantastic. And good tyres of course :)

[JSpec89]

thanks for the reply mate.
yes, i have buddyclub coils..

if i was to get a rsb ill deff be getting a asr. i also like they way they look.,
i had a quick look under the car and i cant seem to understand where do i mount the rsb points. i know there are the two middle point on the asr to the subframe. but im abit confused as to were i acttach the beginning and the end too.

think i need extra brackets

[JSpec89]

can i use the standard lower control arms along with a 22mm rsb and asr.
does it matter what brand rsb i get. aslong as it have the endlinks
is that all i need to fit it?? RSB Endlinks and ASR Brace?

[Oz_Striker]

i put the EK9 rsb and an ASR on my hatch. I got it from Yonas from JDM yard, you can find him in the traders section. I just bought the complete EK9 sway bar kit, and then the ASR brace (which comes with mounting brackets) and then i had everything i needed to fit it to my car. Your stock control arms will be fine as long as they have the holes to connect the endlinks to, just check first, if they don't you can get some aftermarket ones or find some stock ones that do have the holes in them.

I just remembered, i had to buy some lock nuts and washers for the end links. 4 lock nuts and 8 washers, i just took one end link into my local trade shop here in Bendigo and they gave me what i needed.

[JSpec89]

how do i know if i can use my standard lca. where are the holes located?

[Oz_Striker]

this is what the stock control arm with the hole (which is obviously circled in red) for the endlink looks like, if you control arms dont have these holes you will need to source differrent control arms that do.

http://i52.tinypic.com/5b4s51.jpg

Forgot to add: not my car btw, just a quick google search.

[JSpec89]

thanks mate
are all swaybars the same shape/ or do they vary from brand to brand/

im thinking ASR, RSB, Endlinks
can i get a whiteline rsb and function7 endlinks? will it all line up?

ima noob to sussy.

[dougie_504]

Just keep it simple and stick to the same stuff. ITR RSB + ITR endlinks etc

[JSpec89]

would of got ek9 rsb and endlinks but hard to find.
so i think i will have to get it from somewhere else.

[stndrd]

have you got front & rear camber kits? if you haven't, i would recommend getting some pretty soon. neg camber is always a good thing :D

i also have a ek asr brace at home that i can take pics of tonight if you want, so that you can see what comes with it.

im not 100% with the ek's but on the eg's between the top mounting points for the struts & the quarter panel's there are two holes on each side & summit racing have a front strut brace that incorporates those two extra holes as well as the strut. really good investment over the standard style of front strut braces is all i can say after making the switch

[hitoriko]

good set of tyres! that will make a major difference
i'd go with that dougie said
ITR rsb & links and a set of good sticky tyres.

[vtecing]

What hitoriko said, GOOD TYRES. No sense in putting all these fancy parts on your car if your running bob jane specials.


This is the order in which I would improve handling in a car.

1. Tyres
- Bridgestone RE001 are a favourite amoung Honda enthusiests.
- Even some second hand performance tyres are better than brand new low end tyres.
- Keep an eye on your tyre pressures and adjust as required

2. Brakes
- High temp pads front and rear. EBC Green Stuff and Bendix Ultimate are decent budget performance pads.
- Good quallity brake fluid. OEM Honda or Castrol Dot 4 are good choices. Remeber, the more your brake fluid heats up, the lower the dot rating will become. Always do a small brake fluid change before and after a track day.

3. Susspension
- If its a road going car you might want to consider a Spring & Shock combination, or if you intend on doing track work often, go for a set of coilovers. Some low budget coilovers can be around the same price as a good spring and shock combination and still do a great job.

4. Sway bars and bushes
- A rear sway bar can make a lot of difference to a fwd car. Usually the front sway bar is sufficiant. A good combination for the Honda civic is an ASR coupled with a 20+mm rear sway bar. It is a tried and tested set up with great results. Also any worn bushes will affect feed back to the driver and can cause the car to be unstable so make sure you replace any worn bushes.

5. Bracing
- Front and rear strut braces are the obvious ones. I have also noticed an improvement from fitting a lower front tie bar. I recomend one. Also dont be affraid of trying some DIY bracing, in the boot especially. There are some good articals to be found on the internet.

6. Aero
- For track enthusiests only. This may include adding a rear wing for extra down force if your rear end feels unstable during corner entry, which can be caused by stiff sussy and thick rsb. Also adding canards and splitters on the front will aid the car with over comming wind resistence and increase top speed.

Tips
- A cars susspension should always be matched to the tyres, not the other way around.
- A car is only as fast as you can drive it. A good driver will still do a good time in a stock car. Focus on improving your skills before you spend ridiculous amounts on trying to make your car go faster before you make yourself a faster driver.

[hitoriko]

^^
i was typing something similar up but with est pricing :P

PQ to you mate

[Oz_Striker]

would of got ek9 rsb and endlinks but hard to find.
so i think i will have to get it from somewhere else.

If you still are keen on the EK9 sway bar, then buy the Complete EK9 sway bar kit from Yonas. It somes with the sway bar, endlinks, bushings and D brackets. As i said earlier, the only other thing you'll need to get with it are some lock nuts and some washers, and the subframe brace of course.

[Mikecivic78]

The very 1st handling mod you do should be an ASR brace and an EK9 (22mm) sway bar.

It is Bang-4-Buck the best handling mod you can make. Hands down, it is the best. For 400-500 bucks, it makes you car handle so much better. Do this before you touch the springs and shocks. It enables you to hook it into any corner, it's freaking awesome.

http://i56.tinypic.com/2vd3ehh.jpg