lou_RENAMED

the bar gets two for look cause it is so big it makes everthing else look small in comparison.

Install pretty self explainatory just follow the directions and you shouldn't have a problem. when your start tightening all the bolts you start to realize how tight it is to the struts and the cowl (firewall).


Driving Impression:

I couldn't really test it in the twisties cause I didn't go down some nice streets for that but I will say you can feel it immediate. Especially when going over bumps or irregular pavement everything seems to transfer to the steering wheel so you feel the road better. Then when going over bumps....the car feels like a solid one piece of metal no give whatsoever. When going over high driveways the car has no bend at all..... its feels so tight...... I can't believe how accurate I was as per to what to expect and what the bar gave me.

Do I recommend it you betcha it complements the Comptech springs and sways so well it feel like you got stiffer springs. Thats how tighter the ride got when going over bumps, dips, turns the car feels planted. If you want tighter turns I don't know if this will help cause I haven't tested it yet but to be continued.

6speedctrlfreak

lou is this the titanium bar or the standard steel one???

lou_RENAMED

Its the Comptech Titanium strut bar.

6speedctrlfreak

oh ok...I was going to get it when I get the CT springs and sways done in the spring but it seemeed way too much $ for just a strut tower bar IMHO

2Sxy4YoMama

I agree...I was going to get it, but it is a lot of money.

lou_RENAMED

Wow the car feels so different its makes the car feel like it has stiffer springs with sport shocks???? How is that possible the front end feels so tight it diminishes any flex the car had before.

The twisties.....well the chassis is so tight now it makes the shocks feel to supple. The whole car feels so different even when driving regular.

Nitin

iTrader: (1)

How much better can the Comptech bar be than the Neuspeed one? I just can't see myself spending $300 or whatever for it unless it's A LOT better than the Neuspeed one I already have.

RaptorCLS

I'm glad to hear it Lou...mine should be shipped out this week. From my understanding, they were back ordered for awhile

Pappy

Hey lou, is the ride much harsher with the springs and bar combined as compared to the standard set-up? If you ride over a quarter, will you know if it's heads or tails?

lou_RENAMED

maybe not that much but it feels so tight....its almost scary feels like the chassis wants to break in half. Scooter helped me put it on and he can tell you how tight and big it is compared to the stock and Neuspeed. The design is soo much better because you tightening the bar after all the mounts are placed and once its tightened the chassis is rediculously tighter compared to the stock bar. Scooter has the Neuspeed so ask him how it compares to the Comptech Titanium.

Doc.Booty

Hell, my stock CL-S feels like this - i think the cold weather stiffens them up quite a bit. Combine that with the cratered mountain ranges that we have for roads in Michigan, and, well... my ride has been less than smooth the past few months.

lou_RENAMED

Remember to follow the directions cause if you don't and tighten the screw on the ends that will mess up the bar......so make sure you tighten all the mounts first and the ends of the titanium bar last.

Caddy©

Use some common sense on this one: It's Ti

Ti is more flexible than heavy-wall steel tubing that the Neuspeed
is made with.

Looks: Subjective, Both Look Good.
Wow Factor, Materials: Comptech. Ti is exotic and expensive

but the fact that it Bends should tell you that it is less rigid.

Go to a Bike shop, see what they say. Some Mtn Bikers have sold their expensive MTN Bikes because the frame "GIVES" when they hit Serious Bumps.

granted the give is minimal, but is it mimimal enough to justify 100 bucks vs. 300 bucks.

Think about it !

Happy Buying

blackmagiCL_S

I remember a post from some other forum member a while back...couple weeks ago maybe...that he talked to someone from Comptech (Mike maybe?) and even Comptech says that the STB is just for looks and doesn't do anything over the stock bar. Does anyone else remember that post?

If the stock bar is steel, and Titanium flexes more than steel (to quote someone who just posted) then it seems that maybe it IS just cosmetic to get a shiny STB as opposed to necessary?

Seems like a lot of $ for an underhood bangle...but if it really does something I might consider one....

lou_RENAMED

My friend the only way you can say this is by trying on the Comptech bar and comparing yourself. I dedicated a thread completely to the strut bar and everything that could of been possibly said about it has been. Im telling you the bar will give you the best complement to the Comptech springs and sways because I cannot imagine anything tighter than the way my front end feels. Im not saying its impossible because only a fool would say that....Im saying that with my springs and sways the bar has taken all noticeable flex on the chassis enough where its noticeable on a drive to the store not the twisties. The car literally feels like its harsher on the bumps like if you went with stiffer springs thats how the bumps tranfers to the steering. Can you say that about your Neuspeed....I didn't think most people say they couldn't feel jack sheet. happy wasting money on a piece of iron

lou_RENAMED

Again everybody with the Neuspeed says they feel the bar working in the twisties yea right. Most people say you won't feel the difference between stock and the Ti. Im telling you the feel with the Comptech bar and the springs and the sways will be felt by driving to the store and hitting the first bump or dip in the street. If anything the steering feels looser because the chassis got so tight. I have no problem putting this bar to the test but it is almost impossible to do. this bar is the best just like the Ice box is the best believe me or not I don't care cause the more people that get them will confirm what Ive been saying all along. I just be light years ahead of them LOL



oh and by the way that was me that sayed that because that was what I got from Comptech when he said to go with the springs and sways if I want to feel the difference. Im telling you cause I drive my car with the springs and sways, lightweight wheels and Michelin A/S so I should be getting a pretty sporty ride to begin with. Now I don't know if somebody without the springs and sways would benefit from this but anybody with the mentioned should definetly consider this bar as the ultimate.IMHO

lou_RENAMED

Just for your info I let Scooter drive my car and before he turned the block he noticed the difference. Scooter has the Neuspeed bar so he should know the difference which I don't think he would say....to save face because he told me the Comptech was a waste of money from the beginning. Lets see what he has to say now?? and for all you Neuspeed bar owners that don't feel jack sheet Scooter noticed the Comptech bar on my car as soon as he got in and drove.

RaptorCLS

Will do....good lookin out

Caddy©

True !

I bought the Neuspeed. I can tell a slight difference,but it is NOT major, and I'm by NO MEANS and expert. Measuring stuff like this--being an "AVERAGE DRIVER" --is a very subjective thing. I'm not about to buy a Comptech Ti Bar to compare. I think the Comptech Bar looks Nice. I think the Neuspeed bar looks nice. Both will probably be a nice addition or mod to your cars. It's just a matter of how much you want to spend.

CLS2001_97124

I think this comparsion you made between the stock bar to the Comptech bar is not a very good one, because yes Ti does flex a bit "more" when it's compared to the same size steel bar. But in your case, it's not. The stock bar is signficiantly smaller and thinner than the Comptech bar, therefore the overall effectiveness is will be no will near the Comptech bar. But say if the stock bar was exactly the same dimension and design as the comptech bar, where both the thinkness and size is the same, than I would agree with you that there would be no reason to make the switch.

btw lou, did you torque every bolt to spec?? I noticed that when I installed mine, I could for sure torque them further than the specified numbers on the instructions. But I torqued it back of course.

Scooter

well of course i noticed a difference in the bar, it's twice the size of mine :P

driving around local residential roads isn't a real good test tho...autox is a good test

i felt a more solid feel b/c u have bigger tires than i do...that and yer leather is softer than mine

Juker008

Lets verify this. Go ahead, if u can, and measure the thickness of the TI bar along with the diameter. Then meansure the Neuspeed the same way. From there we can get a better idea of how each one holds up.

I do agree that the Ti flexes more than the Steel. Sure its only minimal but on a 3600 lbs car is can be noticable. But again it is minimal.








Juker008

lou_RENAMED

Why even speculate when I am telling you that the bar can be felt driving normally not the twisties. I knew this even before I bought the bar what the stiffer bar will do and its the angles that Comptech used that makes it better and this bar bolts on the cowl.
I obviously picked the wrong person to test drive the car cause Scooter was too busy checking how SOFT my leather is and what radio station I listen to that he never even bothered to pay attention to the differences.

The car is rock solid you can sit there and play engineer all you want this bar is the best upper strut bar for the CL-S right now and you can say you heard right here first. All you guys with a Neuspeed have no clue what a stiffer strut bar should do if you think you will feel it in the twisties (wrong). The twisties deals with the collapsing and expanding of the struts so even the stock bar will do that. The stiffer strut bar will stiffen up the front were if you hit a bump its will transfer everything to the sterring wheel because it feels like a one piece of metal.
Anybody who says you need to go autocrossing to see the effect of a strut bar has no clue of what a stiffer chassis front end feels like nor what the benefits are. (Road feel my friend ROAD FEEL not the fawking twisties)

Shawn S

WOW Lou…..You sure got a HARD ON for that, bar don’t you.
I don’t know what you do for a living, but your understanding of suspension functionality is much different then mine.

Shawn S

PS…. I "Play Engineer" all day long and I recommend the Neuspeed design.

peiqinglong

I've had the Neuspeed...now I have the Cusco...honestly...they feel the same. I haven't tried the fancy new CT one yet...so I can't say...but I'm willing to put it up against the Neuspeed and Cusco and say it probably isn't too much different as far as performance. I've hit it hard in corners with both bars. The main gain I see from both is steering response is a bit tighter and better. I feel the sways more than I do the USB.

Red Rider

Is there a downside to having the front as tight as Lou says ? Is there a chance that the balance of the car could be changed, i wouldn't want the rear end to go out on me, is that possible ?

sidemarker

i am actually more concerned about safety. how will this bar react to a collision? maybe the bar is so strong that it will literally rip apart the metal frame and cause the strut to flip out and kill the driver that hits you

sidemarker

sidemarker

EXACTLY! i dont care if its comptech neuspeed or cusco its only a STB and you will not be able to tell the difference. i do believe that different sways will give different performance.

sidemarker

Scooter

i gotta tell ya...bolting that thing down was no easy task...i'm nervous one day Lou's gonna wake up and see something sticking out of the hood of his car :shakehd:

cuz bolting down the bar isn't the only thing u do...there r lugs on the bar itself that locks the bar to the chasis more, so it's like tightening the bar that's already tightened to the frame...kinda reminds me of the rigidity of the AEM and how many people have been breaking brackets, cept this could b more costly

CLS2001_97124

Hum.. I was trying to ask earlier..

Did he torque all the bolts and nuts according to the instructions?? If he did, I'm sure everything will be fine.. But if he torqued it to as tight as he could, then I think that it might cause some damage down the road.

Scooter

Lou and i worked on it together...the only issue is the power steering tube...it's pressed down a bit b/c the bar's interfering with where it sits

lou_RENAMED

what do you mean I torqued everything by hand and just enough but 9 pounds is nothing. What can possibly go wrong???? Ill buy the damn torque wrench if it will do some damage.


As far as the bar being too tight I haven't had any side effects whatsoever. And I have tested it every way possible the back has not given out on me yet.

Sidemarker you are dead wrong about not being to tell the difference and Ill leave it at that.

as far as the titanium bar being a problem during an accident I don't see why a stiffer-stronger chassis would have a problem involved in an accident with a car that its not. If anything it is making your car TITANIUM strong and it will create a force-field that is unpenetratable by anything.

oh and Scooter by the way its not the hose that was causing the steering pump to go it was the high revs. The power steering pump was replaced yesterday under warranty and also my headlights The mechanic said the bearing was bad and a new pump was necessary and I spoke to Comptech and they confirmed that. Im glad the steering pump didn't seize on me when we were racing could've been worse


oh and Shawn S. landscape engineer doesn't help in this matter

edgalang

I hope you don't take offense to this lou, but you seem to be more fascinated with obtaning nothing but Comptech parts, more so than claiming to want the best of the best. If this was the case, you wouldnt of bought the Comptech sways, and even more so, would of stayed away from the Comptech springs.

Nothing personal, but you seem to have the "Comptech is the best!" disorder. Believe me, I use to be like that too...till I started reading on my own. Time will change you eventually, I'm 100% of that.

lou_RENAMED

Well I have to disagree because I never said that the Comptech springs and sways are the best just like I never said the Comptech exhaust is the best because I had it and sold it.

I will say it about the bar because I believe it.......not because its Comptech or because it cost the most but because I bought it and confirmed it. I put up a post trying to see what people's response is to other bars and most of them is they don't feel much I also made some research on my own and realized there is only one way to find out and I took the plunge. I installed it and the bar performed better than expected just like the Ice-box speaking from personal experience. I tried to confirm this with somebody on the forum and first he said the bar felt great and its tighter than the Neuspeed and the next day he said its because my leather seats are more supple to the skin..uuuu

Scooter

edgalang

Personal experience through pioneering...that's good to hear (I was in the same boat with the Neuspeed competition sway bars over a year ago). I just hope you don't mistaken me for an "Anti-Comptech" kind of person rather than a "Pro-Best Bang for the Buck" type of guy.

I would agree that CURRENTLY, Comptech probably makes the best intake, headers, & strut bar...Buuut...evaluating the competion as a whole, I honestly think only the intake is worth it. Keep on the pioneering!

Six Shifter

you guys better lighten up. we've seen this before, and I'd rather not see Lou pull another thread because of doubters, disbelievers, or people who generally use these threads to get into some serious (and sometimes entertaining ) debates

lou_RENAMED

They only reason I pulled that thread is because I didn't have the bar yet but now I do so its no longer speculative. I know first hand the only thing is I never had the other bars so I can't compare it. Although I am open to testing it out but that would be too difficult to do.

Python2121

does the car need to be on a lift to install them?

peiqinglong

lou, you only have one bar...that can't quite possibly make you the expect on this. Until you've tried the neuspeed, cusco, eibach, and weapon r you can go about claiming one is better than the other. At the very least if you tried atleast one other bar that would atleast give you somewhat of an unbiased view.