progress sway bar review

[blue3]

I am just gathering members reviews towards the progress rear sway bar , and how if feels compared to stock

[Skarbro]

Much better than stock. I only use the stiffer setting. Reduces body roll - which is bad on the hatchback because of the center of gravity. This is the first mod that everyone should do.

[bluntman]

I like 'em! The only complaint that I have after having owned one for over a year, is that the bushings now creak/groan when I go over a speedbump.

[majic]

I like 'em! The only complaint that I have after having owned one for over a year, is that the bushings now creak/groan when I go over a speedbump.

aaaaaaaaaaaah... i KNEW that's what it was... hmm.. time to re-grease them?

[iconicrocket]

I have one too. Having it for 6 months now, and I find its fun going around corners. Sometimes I forget to brake and just plow right thru the turn. I have it on the stiffest setting, and I find I could use a little more.

[MAZDA Kitten]

night and day
i loooooooooooove it

[alau]

I am thinking about getting one. Is it custom fitted...not drilling? Does it make the car too bumpy.
How much (parts & labour) and where to buy one? Appreciate any advice.

[KenYork]

I like 'em! The only complaint that I have after having owned one for over a year, is that the bushings now creak/groan when I go over a speedbump.


aaaaaaaaaaaah... i KNEW that's what it was... hmm.. time to re-grease them?

Thanks! I think i gotta do the same.

+1 owned for over a year as well.. don't notice it much since i'm so use to driving with it there.

[blue3]

with the progress saw bar on the hardest setting , does this exert any stress on the suspension components

[Skarbro]

with the progress saw bar on the hardest setting , does this exert any stress on the suspension components

Don't worry, it does absolutely no damage to the suspension.

[bluntman]

I am thinking about getting one. Is it custom fitted...not drilling? Does it make the car too bumpy.
How much (parts & labour) and where to buy one? Appreciate any advice.

No drilling is required, just remove the old one and install the new one. No, it doesn't make the ride harsh as would installing lowering springs and stiffer shocks, that part of the suspension remains the same. Sway bars will stiffen up the rear end (in this case) to allow you to take corners a little more "enthusiastically". I paid about $45 to have them installed at some shop in Scarborough, I forget their name, but they've recently moved to a location near Markham TC.

[Skarbro]

Just install it yourself! It's so easy.

[WildEmu]

Where would be the best place to get this installed? I have the bar, but don't have any of the tools to do this.....:complain

[Chuckie]

street performance. pop that thing in for like 20 bucks.. and maybe a cup of coffee?

[DrunknFoo]

Is there no front sway link option from Progress?

[sp3GT]

I'm considering getting this bar, around how much does it cost? I got the vibrant strut, I don't think it really does much.

[MAZDA Kitten]

with the progress saw bar on the hardest setting , does this exert any stress on the suspension components


yesssssssss there is a potential of your rims falling off :loco

[MAZDA Kitten]

Just install it yourself! It's so easy.

+1

[Flagrum_3]

yesssssssss there is a potential of your rims falling off :loco

Come on, Be nice now Kitty can't you see he's a noob?

...and to answer the question nicely; No it will not put stress on the rest of the suspension as a matter of fact it will most likely add a bit of support, helping the springs and shocks on tight turns.

I've found the vehicle handles more predictably and also seems more stable especially around turns...obviously.


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[MAZDA Kitten]

LOL sorry I was making a funny i guess it came out the wrong way

[Phil]

where does the bar go in the hatch? for example will i be able to fit a hockey bag in there anymore? if the bars right in the middle its a problem for having stuff in the trunk.

[majic]

the bar replaces the CURRENT bar.. it sits BELOW your trunk space so none of the cargo space will be compromised.. just get it replaced ;)

[KenYork]

where does the bar go in the hatch? for example will i be able to fit a hockey bag in there anymore? if the bars right in the middle its a problem for having stuff in the trunk.

under the car replacing the old bar.

[Skarbro]

where does the bar go in the hatch? for example will i be able to fit a hockey bag in there anymore? if the bars right in the middle its a problem for having stuff in the trunk.

I think you are thinking of a rear strut tower brace. This thread is about the rear sway bar, which others have pointed out above.

BTW, I don't think it's possible to put a rear strut tower brace in anyway because the rear suspension is not designed that way. You can put them in the J-bodies though.

[alau]

In one of the above thread, someone mentioned that you have to re-grease it. How...with what? Do I have to dismount the bar?

[Wild Weasel]

BTW, I don't think it's possible to put a rear strut tower brace in anyway because the rear suspension is not designed that way. You can put them in the J-bodies though.

Yep. Got one in the Sunfire. :) Are there even rear strut towers in the back? I know the suspension assembly is all sort of bolted up as a unit but didn't pay all that much attention.

Certainly someone could fab up a brace to go across the back of the hatch, even if it bolted to the unibody, but it would probably be far more a hindrance to practicality than it would be a benefit to handling.

I'm sure they thought of this when engineering the MS3. If I'm not mistaken, they brace the back of the MS6 and then take away the folding rear seats.



In one of the above thread, someone mentioned that you have to re-grease it. How...with what? Do I have to dismount the bar?

There are bushings on the sway bar. Probably don't have grease nipples on them so basically, you'd loosen the brackets they're in and put in a dab of grease.

Shouldn't need to unless they're making noises.

[Skarbro]

You put a rear strut tower brace in your Sunfire? Why? Those things do next to nothing anyway.

[BLKOUT]

where can I get a progress sway bar?

[Wild Weasel]

Same reason you put any other bracing in. Chassis rigidity. You're not suggesting that the j-body is rigid enough as it is, are you? It was cheap, so I put it in.

[Skarbro]

Cheap would be the only reason to buy one. They do next to nothing IMO. Unless the car does some serious Auto-Xing all the time, it's a waste of money.

[Wild Weasel]

Some of my street cornering can be just as taxing on the car as any autox course, and on the street it's even more important for the car to be in control and predictable at all times.

[ArManI]

comparing the progress rear sway bar (single) and other dual sway bar (i dont remember which company does both front & rear sway bar... is it mazdaspeed and Eibach?) what is better?

is dual sway bar performs better than the single rear bar? (which can also think as,which one makes bigger difference compare to the stock one)
comparing the price, buying dual is it double or cheaper price than just a rear?

[cwp_sedan]

You put a rear strut tower brace in your Sunfire? Why? Those things do next to nothing anyway.

You would be surprised...I have front and rear strut braces on my Grand Am and it made quite a bit of difference. Body roll still sucked but it felt more firm when cornering. I never got arround to modding the car to accept a larger rear swaybar but that's ok...when I get my 3 it will have to be done...:D

[Flagrum_3]

Cheap would be the only reason to buy one. They do next to nothing IMO. Unless the car does some serious Auto-Xing all the time, it's a waste of money.

On the contrary, one other reason would be 'regidity', which is the basic purpose of a strut bar...On newer sub-frame engineered vehicles such as our vehicles, the upper strut area is one of the few known weak points in the structure and by "tying" the strut towers together you are strengthening the overall structure.The benefits that come from a strut bar may not be noticed immediately but several years down the road and in some cases you may even notice better stability and handling immediately as torsion differences between struts will have been decreased,....obviously it all depends on how well the vehicle was engineered in the first place...some being designed better than others. But for the minimal initial cost, I think its an excellent investment knowing my vehicle will not be creaking and rattling in the future,


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