Skunk2 Strut Bar

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Ebay

Year / Model Reviewed:
1993 Civic hatchback

Summary:
For the front, I ordered one of the $30 ebay specials, just to test it out. How difficult can it be to make a bar, right? I didn't think the high price of bars was justified. The bar was a "Mugen" falsely advertised. When it got here, it had a fake Mugen sticker, some nice welds and brackets, but the thing was easily flexible due to the cheap metal. After a month on my car I was able to deform it with some hard driving. This piece was purely show. For the rear I decided to go for a trusted name brand. I ordered the Skunk2. Right out of the box I knew this was the real deal. It is incredibly rigid. The mounting points are level for more strength, but unforunately you have to cut or remove your factory plastic trim. The brackets are very light but strong with excellent welds. The bar itself is relatively light. Very smooth and pretty, with the logo set in to the metal. Stiffness in the rear is noticeably improved while driving. If you pull on the bar with all your strength, the entire car moves! Not the case with my front ebay bar. You can now more predictably throw out the rear end with a feint motion or the e brake special. If you want the chassis even stiffer, add a roll bar. Don't start adding on all those crazy bars. There may be other rear bars equally as good as the Skunk2, but none will be better. For the front, go for a triangulating brace that mounts to the firewall for maximum stiffness.

Strengths:
Relatively light. Very rigid. No pivot points. Straight across design (raised bars introduce flex). Strong bolts. Good choice in mounting points. Easily removable if you need the cargo space. Very attractive bar.

Weaknesses:
Mounting is a little tedious. By now, your chassis is a little twisted from use, and you're probably sitting on uneven ground. The two bolts on the spring perch will be pointing away from each other, so you have to get the bracket on both and force it down enough to get the nuts on, then tighten them down enough to push the bracket on, but loose enough to move around. Do that on both sides and then put the bar on one side, but leave the bolt loose. Then force on the other side and tighten everything. The bar will be difficult to line up at first, but after a month or so, it will straighten out your chassis and removal/reinstallation will be a breeze. The brackets and bar will line up differently depending on which side they're installed, so try flipping them or the bar. If you choose to cut your plastic trim, make a big circle hole with some breathing room even on both sides about where you expect the end of the bracket to stick out. I tried cutting a T shape with the minimum plastic removal, and this proved difficult.

Similar Products Used:
Mugen "style" ebay bar, homemade bar

Price Paid:  $135.00 from nopionline.com

Summary:
After upgrading my suspension with new shocks/springs, I noticed that the chassis seemed to twist rather easily in the turns and made annoying creeking noises when I went over bumps. So, I ordered the skunk2 front upper strut bar. I was quite impressed by the quality of the bar. Very beefy, nice welds, very lightweight and extremely strong. Install was a breeze and the car is noticeably more stable under hard cornering. It also eliminated those annoying squeaks/creeks that I had when I went over bumps. I'd recommend this bar to anyone.

Strengths:
Solid construction, nice welds on brackets

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $320.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
 2001 Integra Type R

Summary:
I like the stiffness of the bars (got the front and rear). The bar and mounting brackets feel very light, but strong. Both bars came with new nuts for mounting the brackets to the tops of the shock assemblies, however, the front ones weren''t the correct thread. Fit was good, the rear was a little tough to install because that bar seems to have quite a bit of preload designed into it and the trunk is an awkward place to work in (but that''s more a function of the car and not the bar). The only other thing that I was thinking about was the actual bolts that connect the bar to the bracket. These bolts have an allen head for tightening and adjusting. I just couldn''t get them tight enough to prevent the bars from slipping when I hit bumps. So I eventually just got some longer bolts with a hex head and tightened them down that way.

Strengths:
Light and strong, does not appear to be of cheap construction.

Weaknesses:
Wrong nuts for the front shocks assemblies, should make those bolts hex head.

Similar Products Used:
OEM Type R front strut bar.