Post by jdmazfuk on Nov 17, 2008 23:33:44 GMT -5
After installing a 19mm rear sway bar, www.civic-eg.com/viewtopic.php?t=888
chnzgoofball mentioned that I might need a subframe reinforcement to prevent subframe tear out. When I was installing the rear bar, I noticed how thin the metal was where the subframe mounted to. Better safe than sorry!
There's a couple options out there... The ASR kit ($180) and the Beaks kit ($60). I've heard of tear out still happening with the Beaks kit installed, but it really all depends on your spring rate and how you drive. There's people with 22 mm rear bars with no subframe reinforcement at all with no problems. So I can't say one kit is the better bang for the buck, it's about your complete suspension setup and how you drive.
For my setup and driving, I went with the ASR kit. I ordered from weaksauceparts.com and was able to get a better price than vendors selling on ebay. The nice thing about this kit is that the rear brace also acts as a lower tie bar, in addition to spreading out the stress load through more points which are farther apart than the Beaks kit does.
The brace is shipped in a bare aluminum finish with machined edges and an embossed logo. I painted mine with Duplicolor Metalcast to help protect it from the elements (not that I'll ever drive in bad weather lol)
On with the pics...
Here's everything included in the kit. They include longer bolts for where the LCA mounts to the subframe, and new bolts for your sway bar bushing mounts. Notice the 2 small pieces to the brace. They mount inside the subframe and then bolt to the main brace. In the pic above, they are on the wrong sides, and also up side down. They each should be rotated 180? and switched sides. There is a notch on the inside top of each corner to clear the inside of your subframe.
I already had my sway bar installed, so I unbolted it 1/2 way so I could move it out to install the brace behind it. Or you could take it all the way off if you need more room. If you have a big muffler like I do, then it will make things a little easier to remove the axle back too.
Here's the old OEM Lower Control Arm bolt compared to the new one.
First get the brace in place and install the new LCA bolts through the LCA. If the bolt isnt threading in, the hole might not be lined up. Try twisting the control arm one way or the other.
To twist mine, I used a big flat head screwdriver and pryed it in the direction it needed to go. You can also tap the bolt with a hammer to help get it through.
Next I installed the bolt that goes in the recessed area of the brace. This bolt goes through the subframe and attaches to the other additional small part of the brace on the other side.
looking into the end of the subframe on the driver side, you can see the rear and the bolt I just put on in the last pic.
Here's a look into the passenger side.
Before you tighten the bolt down, you need to be sure that the part on the inside of the sub frame is lined up vertically. The upper hole of the inside piece needs to be in line with the upper hole on the subframe brace before you tighten it down. To make sure it is lined up and doesn't move when you tighten it, put in one of the longer silver bolts in the hole. Just thread it in a little by hand, you'll remove it after you tighten the bolt in the recessed area.
Now you should have the LCA bolts, as well as the 2 bolts going through the recessed area, tightened to 40 ft/lbs. The brackets inside the subframe should be vertical and the holes at the top should be in line with the top holes on the brace.
Next is to attach the sway bar bushing brackets. You will still need to use the backing plates that came with your sway bar kit.
The ASR kit came with 8 bolts. The 2 long black ones you used in the Lower Control Arm. Then there are 4 long silver ones and 2 short silver ones. 2 of the long silver bolts were for the recessed areas of the brace that will be covered up by the sway bar bushings. The other 2 long silver bolts go in the top holes of the sway bar bushings. The 2 small silver bolts go in the bottom holes of the sway bar bushings.
after you snug the sway bar bushing bolts to 20 ft/lbs, re-attach your endlinks and you're done! Now would be a good time to get an alignment.
chnzgoofball mentioned that I might need a subframe reinforcement to prevent subframe tear out. When I was installing the rear bar, I noticed how thin the metal was where the subframe mounted to. Better safe than sorry!
There's a couple options out there... The ASR kit ($180) and the Beaks kit ($60). I've heard of tear out still happening with the Beaks kit installed, but it really all depends on your spring rate and how you drive. There's people with 22 mm rear bars with no subframe reinforcement at all with no problems. So I can't say one kit is the better bang for the buck, it's about your complete suspension setup and how you drive.
For my setup and driving, I went with the ASR kit. I ordered from weaksauceparts.com and was able to get a better price than vendors selling on ebay. The nice thing about this kit is that the rear brace also acts as a lower tie bar, in addition to spreading out the stress load through more points which are farther apart than the Beaks kit does.
The brace is shipped in a bare aluminum finish with machined edges and an embossed logo. I painted mine with Duplicolor Metalcast to help protect it from the elements (not that I'll ever drive in bad weather lol)
On with the pics...
Here's everything included in the kit. They include longer bolts for where the LCA mounts to the subframe, and new bolts for your sway bar bushing mounts. Notice the 2 small pieces to the brace. They mount inside the subframe and then bolt to the main brace. In the pic above, they are on the wrong sides, and also up side down. They each should be rotated 180? and switched sides. There is a notch on the inside top of each corner to clear the inside of your subframe.
I already had my sway bar installed, so I unbolted it 1/2 way so I could move it out to install the brace behind it. Or you could take it all the way off if you need more room. If you have a big muffler like I do, then it will make things a little easier to remove the axle back too.
Here's the old OEM Lower Control Arm bolt compared to the new one.
First get the brace in place and install the new LCA bolts through the LCA. If the bolt isnt threading in, the hole might not be lined up. Try twisting the control arm one way or the other.
To twist mine, I used a big flat head screwdriver and pryed it in the direction it needed to go. You can also tap the bolt with a hammer to help get it through.
Next I installed the bolt that goes in the recessed area of the brace. This bolt goes through the subframe and attaches to the other additional small part of the brace on the other side.
looking into the end of the subframe on the driver side, you can see the rear and the bolt I just put on in the last pic.
Here's a look into the passenger side.
Before you tighten the bolt down, you need to be sure that the part on the inside of the sub frame is lined up vertically. The upper hole of the inside piece needs to be in line with the upper hole on the subframe brace before you tighten it down. To make sure it is lined up and doesn't move when you tighten it, put in one of the longer silver bolts in the hole. Just thread it in a little by hand, you'll remove it after you tighten the bolt in the recessed area.
Now you should have the LCA bolts, as well as the 2 bolts going through the recessed area, tightened to 40 ft/lbs. The brackets inside the subframe should be vertical and the holes at the top should be in line with the top holes on the brace.
Next is to attach the sway bar bushing brackets. You will still need to use the backing plates that came with your sway bar kit.
The ASR kit came with 8 bolts. The 2 long black ones you used in the Lower Control Arm. Then there are 4 long silver ones and 2 short silver ones. 2 of the long silver bolts were for the recessed areas of the brace that will be covered up by the sway bar bushings. The other 2 long silver bolts go in the top holes of the sway bar bushings. The 2 small silver bolts go in the bottom holes of the sway bar bushings.
after you snug the sway bar bushing bolts to 20 ft/lbs, re-attach your endlinks and you're done! Now would be a good time to get an alignment.