Rear Sway Bar

I actually bought a jack (yay!!) but now I nothing to use it for, lol. Yeah, $40 isn't bad. I just hope that's all it is and nothing more...and that he can actually install it.

I knew you'd offer to lend a hand. You're too nice. But I think I'll keep my appointment and pray for the best. Thanks.

 

BTW, it's $40 minimum, but $75 I think if you hit an hour. So I'm going to be standing there watching him, making sure it's installed correctly and between 15-30 minutes. Lol.

 

wish I could help ya bro....but I'm in NY.....got tools and all....

$40 is a great deal...labor around my way is $125+/hr

 

If you have a bodyshop, or customizing shop to do it, I'd estimate them to normally charge about 2 labor hours, maybe even 2.5 labor hours. At $45 per labor hour that's $90 - $112.50 for the install. If you can get it installed for less than $100 I think your doing alright. The shop has to make money to pay for their expensive snap-on tools you know! A simple snap-on screwdriver is $80!

 

Maybe try some liquid wrench.

 

Re: I fail!!!!!!!!!

Bummer dude. You know, an air hammer rachet can be had pretty cheap if you have a Harbor Freight Tools and an air compressor already. I use mine once or twice a year.

I'd look into some liquid wrench and let it really soak in for like an hour. Instead of a rachet, get a closed ended wrench, and then use your breaker bar with it, if you can. If you were out this way, I'd offer up some help, but I don't think a 2200 mile drive is in the cards for this task lol

 

like wik1ert said use the liquid wrench and let it soak. Then use this trick to get the bolts out. I use this to trick to get leverage using two wrenches.

 

I used an air impact wrench with a six point 1/2" drive, 19mm socket. The passenger side bolt was really rusted on there and it didn't come out easy. The driver's side popped right off.

The service manual says the torque is 110 ft.lbs. So it would be difficult to get off without leverage.

When I reinstalled it, I only torqued mine to 50 ft.lbs (thought I read that somewhere), will have to go back an retorque it this weekend.

Macmaster, if you can get someone to do it for $40.00, that's a good deal.

 

Are any of you guys afraid that these upgraded bars might make the car too tail happy (oversteer)? I'm just being cautious but all of these upgrade bars are for the Corollas/Matrixs, and not for the Prius, even though it fits. I called TRD once and they told me that even though it fits, they do not recommend it because the bar is not made for the Prius.

Many years ago I put a very hefty rear end anti-sway bar on a FWD once and it fish tailed in moderate turns. Too scary for the street!

Comments?

 

The Prius comes factory with some pretty severe understeer so the hope is to try and reduce this without getting into a severe oversteer condition. Considering I've driven high horsepower rear wheel cars all of my life I'm not scared of a little bit of oversteer if it means I can push the car a little harder. If the new bars create an unsafe driving experience I will definitely start a new warning thread.

 

I have not had any problems. No problems in the rain. Can't say anything about snow/ice yet. I have no plans on going back to the old bar.

However: Anyone contemplating such a modification should read up and understand the risks and consult an expert in advance. All of that stress is being transferred to other components in your car that may not have been designed to take it. There is always a risk that you might break or destroy something if you push it too far, including your car or yourself. Install at your own risk.

 

I'll continue to add to this thread for those people (like me) who'll read this in 5 years while on the edge of their seats.

First impressions;

Today I could feel my car stick to corners. Before I never knew what people meant by this but it's literally what it sounds like. In fact it was my first thought out of the turn.

Sway is practically gone, and it feels like a car's car. On newly paved highways in moderate traffic, I like to jerk the steering wheel left and right to test how much sway there is. Before I installed the sway bar I tried this move and there was a lot of sway, even with lowering springs. Now it feels more steady and how I think a car is "supposed to feel." It's extremely fun, but I try not to do it so much because other driver's think I'm drunk and will report me.

Before I installed the Progress bar I also weighed it and it was 9.25lbs. My old Touring bar is 3lbs. Unfortunately, the difference in weight is very noticeable. The car feels a bit heavier, and dare I say slower off the line. A 6 lb. difference shouldn't be a lot but I think it's due to the fact that it's in the rear next to the wheels. It seems like I need to push it a little harder. Do you guys feel this too? In any case, the benefits of better cornering far outweigh this minor issue.

F8L did you install yours yet?

 

I have not noticed any slowness off the line due to the extra six pounds.

I am also wondering about whether F8L installed the bar yet, since I think he ordered his before you did. He also said he ordered a front bar also, so I'm wondering about his experiences with that (both installation and performance). I've been contemplating the front bar, but I'm afraid too much of a good thing might not be a good thing...

 

I think they screwed up my order because I never recieved a tracking number, the product never arrived and the email I sent them early in the week has not been answered. Grrr

6 lbs of weight in the rear will not be noticeable. You are probably just reacting to the fact the car is more solid.

 

Oh man, I hope they work it out. I called them about my order at the time and they said they had 6 in stock. So I don't know what the issue would be.

Noted on the weight issue. Yeah it's probably just in my head and one of those things that will fade with time.

 

Here are the Prius instructions for installing the Gen II rear sway bar.



The only thing I don't like about the first diagram is that I would've pointed the 2 arrows at the top of the bar, instead of the bottom. The bolt is oriented upside down, so the the bottom part is actually the bolt head, not the nut. If you try to loosen the bolt head, it'll do nothing. Any mechanic or experienced DIYer would be able to tell you that by just looking at it, but for me and other novices it might be less obvious.

Also, like NeoPrius mentioned the bar is tightened to 110 ft-lbs.

 

The weight difference you feel is placebo effect. A 6 pack of beer in bottles weighs 6 lbs. Unless you can feel the difference when you put that in your trunk, you can't feel the difference from 6 lbs of sway bar.

My car feels like it runs better when I wash it, but that's not true either.

Congratulations on successfully working the problem through instead of just taking it to a mechanic. That's how you learn.:rockon:

There might have been some subtle car body reaction that has been reduced that makes it feel like less acceleration.

 

I ordered the Progress 24mm Bar from THMotorsports. $112 shipped. Can't wait!

 

If you get yours before me I will go postal!

 

Make sure my headlight is done and shipped before you do that and end up needing bailed out of the slammer.....

I've been wanting this for my gen 3, along with the cusco center power brace to improve the car. I've put it off due to the Harley payment, but I just re-fi'd that and lowered my payment about $75/month. Hopefully, I can get this done next spring after I've gotten the new dishwasher paid for that I had to replace. Well, unless anyone wants to chip in and buy me one