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Best Sway bars?

Old Sep 24, 2009 | 10:14 AM
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Best Sway bars?

Was wondering what the consensus is on sway bars, what manufacturer makes the best sways or what are the sways that everyone goes with, I see a lot of talk about shocks all the time but never sways, would like to get a good deal.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 10:50 AM
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I would have to say Progress Tech are the most common.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 10:51 AM
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I love that are titled Best _____ ?
"best" is so subjective.


my answer: Tanabe. Why? becaues it's what I have and they work extremely well.
Progress are very popular around here. Those are adjustable.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 10:52 AM
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I'll second the Progress.. I have them and like them a lot.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 10:58 AM
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You need keep spring rates, driving style and intended use in mind when choosing sway bars. Meaning best is subjective to you and your setup.

Last edited by pdxhak; Sep 24, 2009 at 11:15 AM.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 11:10 AM
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Originally Posted by JantzenRX-8
I'll second the Progress.. I have them and like them a lot.
i thought you were giving them to me?
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by pdxhak
You need keep spring rates, driving style and intended use in mind when choosing sway bars. Meaning best is subjective to you and your setup.
Agreed.

Currently we have the Progress Tech Sways on special in stock and ready to ship being they are adjustable they are a hot ticket.

I have taken a ride in a car with the Tanabe sways, great balance.

You can check tham out and more here: http://raceroots.com/index.php/

Hotckis is another to look at as well.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 11:53 AM
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I like my Progress Technology sways, but there are a **** ton of other companies out there too. Whiteline, Cusco, Hotchkis (sp?) The list goes on.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 12:01 PM
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Nobody mentioned Racing Beat. No personal experience, just sayin'...

http://www.racingbeat.com/FRmazda4.htm
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 12:04 PM
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what are you using the car for and what other suspension mods do you have? Best could mean a lot of things.......
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 12:04 PM
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Well I do a lot of driving on curvy roads and I find the body roll particularly bad, I've also tracked the car once and would like to do so in the future. So I'd like some heavy duty sways that will nix a lot of that if possible

I am actually shopping at fluid motor sports because they gave our local group a special discount.

I see the progress on there and think I will probably go with those.

I saw a couple of the other brands mentioned as well.

Any thoughts on Agency? They are way more $$$ than progress....

Does anyone know if there is a chart somewhere with a dollar per stiffness or performance comparison of some of these brands? ( I'm in IT so Price Per Performance is a good inductor of which product to buy) (like for a certain amount of money you can get this level of stiffness etc)
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 12:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Riley Craven
Well I do a lot of driving on curvy roads and I find the body roll particularly bad, I've also tracked the car once and would like to do so in the future. So I'd like some heavy duty sways that will nix a lot of that if possible

I am actually shopping at fluid motor sports because they gave our local group a special discount.

I see the progress on there and think I will probably go with those.

I saw a couple of the other brands mentioned as well.

Any thoughts on Agency? They are way more $$$ than progress....

Does anyone know if there is a chart somewhere with a dollar per stiffness or performance comparison of some of these brands? ( I'm in IT so Price Per Performance is a good inductor of which product to buy) (like for a certain amount of money you can get this level of stiffness etc)
Progress Technology makes the bar for Agency Power, AP just brands it as their own.

Based on your comments I would go with the Progress Technology.

The Hotckis is an excellent bar in itself but in the end I like a Solid bar over hollow.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 12:36 PM
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Originally Posted by dondo
i thought you were giving them to me?
You thought WRONG
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by JantzenRX-8
You thought WRONG


man.... i'll have to get my own now...
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 12:40 PM
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RB sways are good - i like them a lot. but from what i gather the others listed here are stiffer/stronger. so for street rb's have been great, but i don't track, etc., so sounds like op would not want to get rb's!
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 12:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Race Roots
Progress Technology makes the bar for Agency Power, AP just brands it as their own.

Based on your comments I would go with the Progress Technology.

The Hotckis is an excellent bar in itself but in the end I like a Solid bar over hollow.
Isn't the progress front bar a hollow bar as well?

http://www.progressauto.com/products.../productID/413

Features
-Size: 32mm (hollow bar; 6.35mm side-wall)
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 01:20 PM
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This is why, as my '8 is street only too, that I haven't bothered to go with Racing Beat (the Shinka already has suspension components on par with RB I would say). If I were tracking tho' I would go with more substantial sways, probably Progress as well.

Originally Posted by 2tone
RB sways are good - i like them a lot. but from what i gather the others listed here are stiffer/stronger. so for street rb's have been great, but i don't track, etc., so sounds like op would not want to get rb's!
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 02:43 PM
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Originally Posted by 2tone
RB sways are good - i like them a lot. but from what i gather the others listed here are stiffer/stronger. so for street rb's have been great, but i don't track, etc., so sounds like op would not want to get rb's!
I AutoX frequently and have had lots of track days this year. I am on RB sways with Stance GR+ Coilovers and the RB sways have been great for me.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by TheWulf
Isn't the progress front bar a hollow bar as well?

http://www.progressauto.com/products.../productID/413

Features
-Size: 32mm (hollow bar; 6.35mm side-wall)
You are correct the rears are solid and the front is hollow.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 08:46 PM
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the Progress front bar is way thicker and heavier than the stock bar. it is plenty strong.
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Old Sep 24, 2009 | 08:48 PM
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Old Sep 25, 2009 | 01:38 AM
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The progress technology bar is very good, but note that (I believe) it is the stiffest bar available for the rx8, although it is adjsutable. I have their front and rear bars on my daily driver, and they are fantastic.

Racing Beat sways are also populr and common, but they require extra work. You have to use their larger size endlinks, and that requires drivving out the hole on your car where it connects. And it's pretty clear from all the people running the OEM endlinks with aftermarket bars that you dont need any special endlinks, OEM are fine (except if you significantly drop the car you need different links for height purposes, not for strength)
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Old Sep 27, 2009 | 08:12 AM
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If its ok to steal the thread?

which End-links are good?
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Old Sep 27, 2009 | 09:39 AM
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Agency Power endlinks seem very good. I've seen a few threads where people have straining in the stock endlinks after installing aftermarket sway bars, and the standard endlink replacement is AP.
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Old Sep 27, 2009 | 10:45 AM
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I already have Agency Power's and they are going into the trash bin this winter... they are really crappy.
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