Review: Sway Bars by Top Speed Auto

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
  #1  
Old 10-14-2008, 03:32 PM
timsam's Avatar
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Uptown, DFW
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Review: Sway Bars by Top Speed Auto

Original Post

Let me first start off with the statement that I am in no way an expert at performance and testing (or anything for that fact)...just volunteered, so enjoy.

________________________________
Installed: 09/30/2008

Lookie what I got in!!!

Order was put in on Monday and I got it delivered to my door on Tuesday via UPS!

Initial Reaction: They were wrapped and shipped very secure and protected. Package contained the front and rear bars and a piece of paper that I'm assuming are instructions (but it was written entirely in Japanese). The sway bars looked great and felt solid.

Installation: Pretty simple and straight forward (roughly 30min – 1hour). I used my service manual as reference.

-Rear…remove two beauty covers. Then remove the connection to the “Stabilizer Connecting Rod” (location-red arrow), the remove the nuts on the “Stabilizer Bushing and Stabilizer Clamp”(location-green circle). Do this on both the left and right side. Then you can just slide the Rear Sway Bar (Stabilizer Bar) out.





Remove the “Stabilizer Bushing and Stabilizer Clamp” from the OEM bar and install it on the New Bar. (NOTE: the bushing will not close completely since the new bar is roughly 1 mm thicker).



Then just reinstall the New Bar and be sure to correctly torque the “Stabilizer Clamp” and the connection to the “Stabilizer Connect Rod”. Also reinstall the beauty covers and you are done with the rear.





-Front…remove the front tray and the two side pieces of plastic that are near the “Stabilizer Clamp” Then remove the connection to the “Stabilizer Connecting Rod” (location-red arrow). However you will need to remove the Stabilizer Connection Rod completely (top and bottom) to slide it off of the Sway Bar. Then remove the nut and 3 bolts on the “Stabilizer Bushing and Stabilizer Clamp”(location-green circle). Do this on both the left and right side. (BEWARE THAT IT WILL DROP ON YOU IF YOU ARENT HOLDING IT UP) so carefully drop the Front Sway Bar (Stabilizer Bar) out.



Just like the rear, Remove the “Stabilizer Bushing and Stabilizer Clamp” from the OEM bar and install it on the New Bar.

Then just reinstall the New Bar. There are two different holes for stiffness settings. I assumed the ones closer into the bar are stiffer…so I chose that one. I found this picture on the "instruction" sheet included:

So my assumption is that the first hole is 20% stiffer and the second hole is 37% stiffer.

The ”Stabilizer Clamp’s” installation has its own pattern.:
“Tighten each bolt and nut as shown in the figure for tightening the stabilizer clamp. Tightening order is as follows.
2 (temporarily tighten) → 3 (temporarily tighten) → 2 (fully tighten) → 3 (fully tighten) → 4, 5 (temporarily tighten) → 4, 5 (fully tighten).” (ignore bolt 1, you don’t need to mess with it).


Be sure to correctly torque the “Stabilizer Clamp” and the connection to the “Stabilizer Connecting Rod” (top and bottom).

Also reinstall all three beauty covers and you are done with the front.



____________________________
So overall, pretty simple. This was done pretty late at night so I haven’t had the chance to test drive. That will be coming up!

General Comments: Wish there were instructions in English, and that it had more specs on the differences between OEM. Cause honestly the only difference I could tell was that the rear is approximately 1 mm thicker, and that they weighed just a little bit more than OEM. So I have no idea on the exact specs and the difference of stiffness with the two stiffness positions in the front. Oh and they are a nice color of Blue!!!

Also, I was hoping there would be new “Stabilizer Bushings”, especially since the rear is thicker.

Test Drive coming soon….I'll be testing this setup on the 2.9 mile road course at Texas World Speedway this weekend!

____________________
Test: 10/04/2008

So…

I think the car drives a lot better. When I took my first turn I definitely could tell a difference. With the sway bars, the turning is more tight and feels good. The ride quality is still the same, it hasn’t gotten any stiffer, from what I can tell.

Out on the track I could tell there is less body ‘sway’ (or body roll) than before. So that is always good.

Overall, these sways bars have been a very good purchase. Simple Install, and noticeable difference in turning and body roll.

Two Thumbs Up!!!
 
  #2  
Old 10-14-2008, 05:15 PM
codeflux's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (26)
Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 4,105
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
nice review. i don't see these here:

https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-...r-summary.html

you may want to post specs there.
 
  #3  
Old 10-15-2008, 04:40 PM
waijai's Avatar
i.love.gold
iTrader: (51)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 10,598
Received 18 Likes on 15 Posts
I have a group buy I setup with Top Speed if you guys are interested.
 
  #4  
Old 10-15-2008, 06:01 PM
redlude97's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (25)
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 5 Posts
No adjustabilitly on the rear, and limited on the front? Lame. I'd stick to stillen/hotchkis/eibach
 
  #5  
Old 10-15-2008, 07:02 PM
waijai's Avatar
i.love.gold
iTrader: (51)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 10,598
Received 18 Likes on 15 Posts
Nismos aren't adjustable either. This is a low cost, effective alternative.
 
  #6  
Old 10-17-2008, 04:10 PM
Triple8Sol's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (151)
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 7,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
How much are they? Topspeed parts a priced cheaply, but always seem to have pretty decent quality. This seems like a good value for what it is.
 
  #7  
Old 01-26-2009, 11:58 PM
r1riderdds's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Chinle, AZ & Atlanta, GA
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by codeflux
nice review. i don't see these here:

https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-...r-summary.html

you may want to post specs there.
They are the same as Cusco, I compared the specs on both from a few different websights. Identical, except the Cusco cost more.
 
  #8  
Old 02-04-2009, 11:59 AM
waijai's Avatar
i.love.gold
iTrader: (51)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 10,598
Received 18 Likes on 15 Posts
If I didn't already have Nismo sway bars, I would definitely have these.
 
  #9  
Old 02-04-2009, 08:47 PM
r1riderdds's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Chinle, AZ & Atlanta, GA
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I got mine in! I'll be taking a ride though the mountians next week. There is a very windy aria where I have never seen any cops, so I am really going to put them to the test. There have been a few parts on road where the body roll almost made me loose control so I am excited to see how the new sway bars feel. I am also installing a full set of GTSPEC braces and GTSPEC Strut bar. I'm gonna go crazy!!! I'll let ya'll know how they feel!
 
  #10  
Old 02-12-2009, 12:04 AM
r1riderdds's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Chinle, AZ & Atlanta, GA
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
OK, just to update. Because I wasn't so sure about the brand, I went and bought a set of used Cusco sways. Out of curiosity I opend up the Top Speed Sways to compare them and to me they looked exactly the same. I don't know, maybe they sent me the top speed passed off as cuscos in a cusco box. Anyone know any distinguishing marks on the Cuscos?
 
  #11  
Old 02-12-2009, 02:19 PM
YT35's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (20)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NORCAL
Posts: 1,377
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
+1 ^
 
  #12  
Old 02-07-2011, 07:28 PM
vietboi817's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Haltom City/Texas
Posts: 634
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Imma revive this thread real quick since I'm thinking about picking these up. Question is will the undertray shroud fits under the front sway, I'm getting the aluminum shroud.
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
rezendvous420
G35 Sedan V35 2003-06
10
05-31-2020 01:26 PM
derres
G35 Cars
3
08-28-2015 03:27 PM
linedr89
G35 Cars
2
08-17-2015 05:11 PM
vstypicals
Buying, Selling & Leasing Discussion
6
07-20-2015 10:55 PM



You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.

Quick Reply: Review: Sway Bars by Top Speed Auto



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:15 AM.