http://www.modacar.com/products/Acura/Integra/ASPa3

With this suspension package, will i be able to use a lower sway bar without it tearing out? Does anyone have any experience with this kit or these particular parts?

Would it be cheaper to shop for the parts individually on e-bay or is this package even worth it?

Any body have any suspension set ups with adjustable shocks they would recomend for a $500 dollar max spending limit? im looking for a set to combine with a skunk2 lower sway bar, as they recomend a stiffer spring rating. would it be more sensible to just get a set of springs, keep original shock/strut and buy the comptech lower sway bar?

 

Does any one have any experience with this either?

http://www.modacar.com/products/Acura/Integra/STSSB

it seems too good to be true, probably is.

 

A while back, I considered getting the Suspension Techniques combo sway/tie bar. Problem was, I couldn't find any info on it - or opinions from people that were using one. I ended up going with the Comptech combo sway/tie bar. It's a good setup, and alot of people have good things to say about it.

The ST bar looks pretty nice though.

The thing about adding a stiffer rear bar to 'tegs and civics is they were never really designed for bars greater than say 17mm in diameter. There's *zero* reinforcement at the bracket mounting points for a rear bar (assuming you've got a 'teg/civic with a stock bar). That's why some folks have their brackets tear out when they slap on a fatter bar and leave the rest of the suspension stock.

You can reduce the stress on the brackets by controling suspension travel a little better. Going to slightly stiffer springs is usually all you need, but if you're going to upgrade your springs you might as well do your struts/shocks too. You really *do* need to match the spring performance with the strut. For example, your car would feel like a stage coach if you used super-stiff lowering springs with your mushy stock struts. Also, some struts really are not designed for lower springs. For example, it used to be (and might still be) the case that mating Tokiko blues with a 2.5" drop spring would usually result in the struts blowing their seals. They just were never designed for that kind of geometry. Adjustable struts make things even easier, allowing you some ability to fine tune their damping with your spring rates.

The best route for a 'teg (if you have the $$$) is a sway/tie bar combo, like the Comptech or ST setups. With these bars, the tie bar eliminates the risk of bracket tearout. That's because the sway bar bolts onto the stronger mounting surface of the tie bar. Even if you go the Comptech/ST route, you still should upgrade your springs. Squishy stock springs mated with a stiff bar is a funky setup. Sure you can run that way but you can't really push the envelope with it and win.

OK, OK, and there's the seemingly cheaper "kit" approach to getting a stiffer bar on the car. This is where you get a cheap 22mm ITR bar, use your stock endlinks (if you've already got a stock bar), and reinforce the bracket mounting points with a Beaks or BSQ kit. You can save some $$ this way, but in my opinion it's not worth the hassle or the $$$. At one time I seriously considered getting an ITR bar, Beaks reinforcment kit and a Skunk2 lower tie bar. Problem was, the combined price was not that much less than a Comptech or ST. I chose the Comptech due to it's better design - they really did it right. I really wanted the Skunk2 lower tie, though.

My setup is kind of stealth: KYB AGX's matched with H&R OE Sport springs - which only drop the car about 3/4 inch. Where I live, I need some real ground clearance ALL THE TIME. Anyway, I set the AGX's to 1 for day-to-day. When I want to play, I run with the fronts at 2 and the rears at 3 - stiff enough knock your fillings out.

 

thanks man, very very informative post.