Don't waste your money.. Strut bars do lil to nothing, they would be last on my things to purchase list.

First I would look @ a coilover setup, or an ST rear sway..

 

I know they only help once you've done a every other other modification to the suspension. My early jump to buy Spoon bars was because I know they do not make them any more, and I'd like to get a set before they become scarce. If the Tanabes will do the job just as well, however, I'll wait. The vibe I'm getting here says the latter is a better idea.

I have a set of ST sway bars already, and I've decided that my shock upgrade will be the Tein Flex coilovers (this is for an SH). That's a little expensive right now, though, so I thought I'd get something else out of the way first.

 

I see your point.. but you are just that much farther from getting the Flex kit.

strut bar A=strut bar B

Unless they are of absolutley horrible design.. the Tanabes are going to be fine.

btw do you know the thickness of the front ST?? I picked up a rear ST for my Lude, but I think Ill stick w/the stock front to promote rotation.

 

My ST bars are still in the mail, DsR, so I can't say. I know that the Base Prelude front bar is about 22-23mm(?) and that the SH front sway bar is just a little bit thicker. The ST front bar, if I remember correctly, is basically the same as the factory SH front bar. The ST rear bar is 25mm and is at least a 2-3mm jump over stock. I need to get my numbers straight here.

The main difference between the factory and ST bars is that the ST's are solid all the way through, whereas the Honda parts are slightly hollow. I still haven't decided if I want both ST's installed or just the rear. I can tell you that I do not go to track events, so these mods are purely for the street and highways.

Don't you drive an ITR, though?

Edit: Just saw your sig

 

I couldn't bare to sell it

I picked up my rear from a friend of mine for $50.. he told me it was 25mm as well.

 

Lucky guy

 

i agree with DsR in that strut bars are mostly cosmetic. but i think you've got a really good attitude and perspective on modding your car. If you're definitely set on getting strut bars, go ahead and do it.

i think what a lot of people don't realize when modding their car is that 90% of the stuff out there is crap. useless stuff to put in an online forum signature. i think suspension and brake mods are the most guilty of that, since in my opinion there are only really a few truly useful things out there:

coilovers/springs-shocks and tuning by damping or spring rates
sway bars
better tires
camber kits and getting as much negative camber as is possible
better brake pads
LSD's
lightweight smaller diameter wheels
weight lightening/redistribution
ss-lines
new brake fluid
bushings

and that's pretty much it. after that it's all driver which is encouraging, because in the world of driving (at least at the amateur enthusiast level) it SHOULD be that way.

anyway, good luck. and you might wanna consider auto-x'ing because it's a lot of fun.

 

Thanks, Monkey

I like the idea of auto-x'ing sometime down the road. Currently this is my only car, so I don't have a commuter-beater to fall back on in case it breaks or wrecks on the track. I'd also need to attend a racing school. Then there's my main expensive career/pro-hobby in film & video which takes up more than enough time and money already.

Regarding brakes, what is your opinion on Spoon's 4-pot calipers? They look like a good choice since you can fit them under 16" rims with the stock rotors and OEM-size pads. As I understand, they will *not* allow you to stop any faster or shorter but will eliminate brake fade and give a more linear feel in the pedal.

 

hehe you sure pick the expensive hobbies . between my car and my extreme desire for a D-slr, i am torn into pieces monetarily.

on auto-x: i haven't heard of an a/x wreck in a while, at least not in my region. they're generally pretty rare since the SCCA goes to great lengths to ensure some measure of safety. if anything you're hitting cones which is pretty impactless. roadracing is something totally different and can have cataclysmic circumstances. anyway if you're interested in auto-x (solo 2) look up your region's website and maybe head out there for a day and have a look at what goes on.

on the spoon calipers: brake fade isn't a major issue until you're using the brakes enough to boil the fluid. that is usually happening during open lapping or roadracing, where the high speeds and heavy braking zones coupled with 20 minute run sessions can toast your OE system. I've never heard of significant brake fade on the street, given that the system isn't malfunctioning (seized calipers). Spoon 4pot calipers might be lighter than OE, which is a plus, but may also take more fluid to actuate the calipers. If it's a big enough discrepancy, you might have to change the master cylinder and booster, but even if you don't, saving 2lbs of unsprung weight on the corners, while nice, isn't worth the $2000 price tag.

After numerous sessions at the local road courses and countless auto-x's i have yet to boil my fluid or toast my pads. maybe i'm not braking hard or deep enough but it hasn't been a problem for me yet. I'm eventually planning on using Motul RBF600 brake fluid which has a 600 degree dry boil point to prevent any chance of fade, but the stuff i have in there right now is working well enough. the biggest improvement i've felt with the brakes is when i went with a different pad. stopping distances are only as good as your tires can allow, but different pads can drastically change pedal feel which is a good thing for some people. I'm on cobalt friction GT-Sport fronts and Carbotech rear pads. OE lines, calipers, honda dot 3 brake fluid, and falken azenis.

 

Go for the digital SLR if you have the means, monkey I would, but I'm more interested in getting any video equipment I need, so my 35mm Canon and 120mm Pentax suffice.

I think I had auto-x and roadracing confused. auto-x is definitely an option. Much more tame than roadracing by comparison. Still, I wonder if it's good for the ATTS transmission to drive it so hard at low speeds. On a Base Prelude there is no issue, I'm sure. I'll look into it.

On the brakes, you've convinced me not to bother with Spoon's brake calipers. I'm disappointed, but if they really don't improve anything, you're right: They're not worth $1,500-$2,000. It's frustrating to come to the realization that there really aren't that many companies out there who sell anything useful to serious hot-rodders who want kit solutions.

I'm saving up for a Porsche :P

So it looks like the Goodridge SS lines are going to be my last upgrade to the brakes.

Thanks again, monkey!

-Craig

>>>>hehe you sure pick the expensive hobbies . between my car and my extreme desire for a D-slr, i am torn into pieces monetarily.

on auto-x: i haven't heard of an a/x wreck in a while, at least not in my region. they're generally pretty rare since the SCCA goes to great lengths to ensure some measure of safety. if anything you're hitting cones which is pretty impactless. roadracing is something totally different and can have cataclysmic circumstances. anyway if you're interested in auto-x (solo 2) look up your region's website and maybe head out there for a day and have a look at what goes on.

on the spoon calipers: brake fade isn't a major issue until you're using the brakes enough to boil the fluid. that is usually happening during open lapping or roadracing, where the high speeds and heavy braking zones coupled with 20 minute run sessions can toast your OE system. I've never heard of significant brake fade on the street, given that the system isn't malfunctioning (seized calipers). Spoon 4pot calipers might be lighter than OE, which is a plus, but may also take more fluid to actuate the calipers. If it's a big enough discrepancy, you might have to change the master cylinder and booster, but even if you don't, saving 2lbs of unsprung weight on the corners, while nice, isn't worth the $2000 price tag.

After numerous sessions at the local road courses and countless auto-x's i have yet to boil my fluid or toast my pads. maybe i'm not braking hard or deep enough but it hasn't been a problem for me yet. I'm eventually planning on using Motul RBF600 brake fluid which has a 600 degree dry boil point to prevent any chance of fade, but the stuff i have in there right now is working well enough. the biggest improvement i've felt with the brakes is when i went with a different pad. stopping distances are only as good as your tires can allow, but different pads can drastically change pedal feel which is a good thing for some people. I'm on cobalt friction GT-Sport fronts and Carbotech rear pads. OE lines, calipers, honda dot 3 brake fluid, and falken azenis.<<<<