I installed my Progress rear sway bar today and thought I'd share some insight to those who might want to install one in the future. (If the image quality sucks a bit, it's because I was using my cellphone.)

I have a 5AT, so I went from a 17mm bar to a 24mm bar. Here's the difference between stock and the Progress bar.


Reading through the different installation notes on here, I choose to try it leaving both tires on and I'm glad I did. It would have been that much more to do.

For those of us, myself included, who haven't look under our TLs and know what everything looks like, here's a picture of the passenger side connections that will need to be removed, along with the driver side.


After jacking up your TL, remove the endlink nut on one side before removing the burshings bolts. Doing it the other way around will allow the endlink to move and make the job a lot more frustrating.

To remove the endlink nut, I used a 5mm allen wrench and and 9/16" crescent wrench.


The nut wasn't easy to get loose, but using my foot with the round end of the crescent wrench, I loosened without much trouble or effort.
Note: Make sure not to push so hard with your foot that you shake your whole car and risk it falling off the jack.


Once I got the endlinks off one side I moved to the brushings, which I used a 1/2" socket wrench to remove both nuts. These were much easier to remove than the endlink nuts.


After doing the same steps on the other side, I got to the tricky part. In the directions that came with the bar, it simply stated "remove the old bar" and then "install the new bar". If only it was that easy.
Laying on your back, with 6 inches of space above you, trying to maneuver the old bar out from under the muffler is frustrating, but the easier of the two. I found that it was easiest to pull the bar out on the driver side because the muffler system is more on the passenger side of the car.

There's a big difference in space with 7mm extra thickness of the Progress bar. Getting it into place took up most of the time to complete the job. I weaved it back in the way I took the old bar out and got one side in place, while the other(driver side) was stuck under the strut bar(I think that's what it is). I was just missing it by an inch.


I finally got it to go around the whole strut bar joint and into place.


I found that one of my brushings wouldn't get close enough for me to bolt it down, so I lowered my car to the ground and it untorqued my car and I got it bolted down no problem.

All in all it took a little over an hour to complete. If I had to do it again, I could probably do it closer to 20-30 minutes.
I hope my pictures and tips help anyone who tries the install in the future. PM me if you need additional help and I'll tell you what I can.

 

Wow this is awesome...I'm probably going to be gettin one soon. Awesome writeup and pics!

Thanks

Big difference from stock in handling?

 

I used the stock nuts/bolts rather than the one's progress included with the rsb.... It was over 1k miles ago and still on there the same as when I put them in...

anyone else do this?

 

[QUOTE=ballinfizzle89]Wow this is awesome...I'm probably going to be gettin one soon. Awesome writeup and pics!

[\QUOTE]
nice writeup. I plan on getting one. air tools, baby

 

Did you notice that the grade was different? I used the new ones but never did note if they were better or worse than stock.

OP, nice writeup. Wasn't getting the old out and the new in a real puzzle? I did most of the work just slightly jacked up, but putting it up higher to get it in and out was definitely a help, not to mention having my son as another pair of hands.

There was a big difference with the handling. I'm at the stiffer setting.

 

Mine was ordered yesterday. Air tools and a lift at work is the call of the day when I install it. lol

Thanks for posting up pics. It looks pretty easy. I previously installed rear bars on my M3 and recently a VW R32 and they totally sucked compared to this car.

 

They looked crummy to me and the stock ones looked hella durable... so I used them in stead.... but my setup is biased since I let the gun do it (took me longer to jack the car up than to install)

 

Thanks for the positive replies.

Ballinfizzle89: Yeah, I really like the stiffness of this bar. I'm using the stiffer of the two settings. The car feels like it sticks to the road more when I'm going through turns.

Stillhere153: I went ahead and used the Progress bolts because they were longer and they reached a little further when my brushings didn't want to line up correctly with the holes.

KN_TL: I really had a lot of trouble getting those bars in and out. I scratched the hell out of my new bar getting it around everything. But I guess it doesn't really matter because it's out of sight and random rocks and debris are going to scratch it eventually anyway.

And I got my bar for $135 shipped from anzbo187. Shoot him a PM and I'm sure he'll hook you up, too.

 

Wow, if gun means an impact, I would have made sure to use the best ones too. Those are really little bolts.

I used a torque wrench to tighten mine just to make sure I wasn't going to over stress anything.

 

if this was going to be my first DIY project would you suggest i do it or not

 

Oh just revisited this thread.. I dunno what an impact gun is, but the gun I used is an Air Gun lol

used the stock bolts because they looked more durable...

jt22: go for it, the rear follows so nicely on the highway when you want to overtake some one

 

I might have to hit this up after the drop! Hopefully, these will make the handling closer to my 530i

 

this is the single best suspension upgrade IMO

 

Yep I agree. It's an easy install and the difference is well worth the small amount of work and cost.

 

work? nah man it is pretty straight forward... cost not there $125-150

 

Is it worth upgrading the 6spd RSB for the Progress bar?
Instead of 17 mm mine would be 20 mm right? I guess 24 mm is always better.

Anyone else put it on their manual and like the difference? Maybe I'll get one.

 

I'll let you know, mine goes on next week.

 

type s is 20 mm, i upgraded to 24 mm and it erased the understeer

 

dunno about erase lol but it made it slightly better... but u are dropped so maybe you like it

 

Yeah haha the drop definitly erased it... ...no body roll!!!

 

3G Garage for this one!!

good write up. my goal is to do just about everything myself on the new whip. you've just helped me do my RSB

 

I just got back from a short drive after installing the Progress bar on my 6MT. The difference is quite noticable especially in the really slow and off camber turns. All four tires are definately working better as the car stay virtually flat through all parts of the corner. For only $135 this mod has to rank near the top of must do list. Best part about it is it take less than a half hour to install.

 

this is something that I'll definitely do in the future! Thanks for the write up.

-JoEL*

 

Nice write up!

 

what does this do?

 

aznbo187, how can I order the progress rear sway from you? Do you have them in stock I want to install one when I put my greddy exhaust on, I figure while I have my exhaust off it will be more easy to install.

 

Sure just shoot me an e-mail, hello@acuratlparts.com.

 

aznbo what does this do? are you selling them.

 

It's a stiffer rear sway bar that's meant to reduce understeer.

Yeah, just give me a call...again.

 

It is designed to reduce understeer and body roll. If you need one let me know. we have plenty in stock. BTW it is a 24mm adjustable rear sway bar. A/T stock size RSB is 17mm, M/T is 20mm.

 

like does it add power? or just tighten suspension?

 

Just tightens the rear up, and improves handling. It's not a hp mod.

 

figured lol

 

The FSB for 6MT is larger than automatics too isn't it?

I haven't seen too many people mod the front sway bar (other than like ACCURATEin and a couple other hardcores) why is that? tough to change that one out? The stock one on mine already looks massive but it's hollow right?

I'm for sure going to get a Progress bar for the rear very soon Excelerate!

 

There really isn't much of a point to change out your front sway. First you need to drop your sub-frame to change it out which isn't as easy as said.

2nd, a stiffer front sway will make understeer worse than it is already.

 

I was under the impression the FSB was the same size. It isn't a very popular mod b/c it will cause you to have more understeer (cause the front end to plow), which on a FWD car you will generally want less of since it is already prone to understeer.

 

Just ordered my Progress bar!

 

Wow that was fast. The FedEx guy dropped it off when I got home today.
I put the decal that came with it on the front bar so far.

 

I couldn't get the endlinks off so I bolted it back up and Ill try it again another day. Wow that was frustrating. I need to find someone with a lift.

 

The SCCA agrees. If your car is totally stock, EXCEPT for an RSB upgrade, that alone will move you out of the "Stock" Autocross classes an into the "Prepared" Classes.




I thought the AT FSB is hollow and the M/T & Type-S are Solid? I can't confirmm that - I might be way off base.