My Rear Sway Bar experience! Finally installed it

[CosmicGrooves]

I'm so stoked now! Everything was going fine, a little bit of a puzzle trying to get the factory RSB out, but I got it. Everything came apart very easilly. When putting together, I had to loosen another bracket to get it lined up on the bushing correctly. I used a whole tube of grease per bushing. I figured the excess would squeeze out, and it did.

Well, all was going well until I started to torque the 14lb bolts. The ghetto ratchet linkage/extension I was using didn't work well with the torque wrench and before I knew it, SNAP! The head of the bolt went flying.

So I took out the same bolt on the other side, lowered the car, slowly drove to Autozone which was only a mile away, and found a replacement bolt. Got home, jacked the car back up, took off the bracket that had the half broken bolt stuck in it, and drilled out that sucker. Put it all back together, tightened it all up and now done.

I just washed my hands, changed shirts and now going to go for a quick drive and see what this is all about. I chose the street setting on the far outside hole. Wasn't sure how stiff it was going to be, and didn't want to lose too much daily ride quality.


[edit] added pics for fun.

[yaddadaimsayin]

i thought you were trying to sell your rsb some time ago? unless i'm thinking of the wrong person. I have mine set on the middle setting but I think I'm gonna push it to the track setting soon just to try it out. congrats on installing this vital mod!

[CosmicGrooves]

Well, I bought it, then decided it was a hasty decision and tried to sell it. I never sold it, and just put it on today.


It drives very nicely too. Feels sure-footed, but not overly rough.

[kingkakyle]

i think the different setting comfort-wise there isn't too much difference, but ud have to test that out
on street setting i think it will mostly feel like stock, besides the fact the bar might be a bit thicker?

[CosmicGrooves]

It's tighter than stock, but just a bit. My passengers won't notice a difference, but I can definitely feel the road better in the rear now. I haven't had a chance to go test it on some fun roads yet to see what that's like, but I can tell it will be much nicer.

added pics to the first post.

[CosmicGrooves]

Hey, what's this? I just now noticed while looking at the pictures. Is this supposed to look like this? A hanging hook thing?

[edit] I just looked and it's supposed to be that way. It's a 3 hose, hose holder but only holding 2 hoses.

[DriDed]

I don't have that hook on my Solara, that is odd .

I have the TRD rear sway bar at the track setting (innermost hole), trust me, that should be the only setting to go for. I went with the middle hole the first time, and it still felt soft.

[crispone]

Firmest setting is the only setting to consider. The rest are just farting around...

(You won't be "disappointed" or find it "too much". )






-crisp

[CosmicGrooves]

I'll have to give the other settings a try.

I have tried out the RSB as it currently is, and it rocks me!

There are two specific curves that I drive every day that always felt a little unstable when I'm booking it through there. I am very familiar with the cars handling characteristics and those curves and it is so much nicer now. The car should have come with this RSB on this setting from the factory, in my opinion. It just makes the car better and I can't tell it's on there when driving normally. It is a very nice improvement, for sure!