Review of Cusco Front Strut Tower Bar

[WFalicoff]

I finally got a chance to have the Cusco Front Strut Bar (type Os) installed by a Honda dealer in Southern Oregon. I bought the bar from juicedhybrid.com (see Honda Insight Front Strut Bar, Insight Strut Brace, Insight Strut Tower Brace, Strut Bar, Honda Insight Chassis Bar; Juicedhybrid.com). I believe this was the first install in the US so i think it is worth giving you our feedback on how it affects the handling of the I2.

To recap our mods to the suspension. We first added a Progress Technology rear sway bar (19mm) designed for the 2009/2010 FIT and plug compatible with the I2. This was first described by Cobb, who was I believe the first in the US to install this part on the I2. This component added more oversteer to the I2 which many reviews claimed already exhibited oversteer in their slalom tests.

We then added a Cusco front lower arm bar (Type 2) the review of which can be seen in the following thread.

Review of Cusco lower arm bar Type 2

The lower arm bar tightened up steering and added a bit of understeer to the car.

I was planning to install the Cusco Front strut bar myself but realized when I arrived in Oregon (where the car was) I did not have the correct torque wrench to handle the location of 2 of the 3 different type of bolts. So I decided to get the local Honda dealer (Lithia Honda) to install the part. Much to my surprise they agreed without any arm twisting. In fact the Honda mechanic who did the work was very interesting in how the handling of the car would compare to a stock I2. He first test drove the car without the tower bar and then after it was installed. He was before the installation dubious that the tower bar would have any effect on handling as it does not directly connect to the strut towers but instead installs on flanges on opposite sides of the car nearby to them. I provided the torque specs for the bolts based on my own research (I can supply this to anyone who wants them). It took him about an hour to do the installation ($50).

When I picked up the car the mechanic came out and told me how surprised he was at the improvement to handling of the car compared to a stock I2. Further, he said that the tower bar did stiffen up the ride and tightened up the steering. Others will remember in my review of the front lower arm bar that the component tightened up steering. As in my other review I asked my wife (who is not particularly sensitive to the car's handling) to see if she felt anything different. She immediately said the steering was "stiffer". This turned out to mean the car had a bit more understeer. But we were very pleased when we took the car out on the freeway to see the car tracked as straight as an arrow. The suspension felt even more solid over bumpy roads and train tracks than before. (And remember the lower arm bar already improved this). Many reviewers of the I2 stated it had a "choppy" ride. Nearly all vestiges of this were eliminated with the addition of the strut bar. The feel of the suspension was even more solid than my 2009 Subaru Impreza. Yes the car has a bit more understeer than before we installed it but it still was near neutral on high speed turns. The solidity of the suspension/carriage is enhanced to such a degree with all 3 upgrade components as to feel like the car is a completely new model. There is no "rattle" going over tracks, as only the struts, shocks and springs are activated. On turns there is virtually no body lean at the speeds I tested it at. I would not recommend installing the tower bar without installing the rear sway bar as these two are need to balance each other out. We have the 19mm PT bar but another option is the 16mm Cusco sway bar. If you want to eliminate understeer perhaps the 19mm bar would be better. But I cannot say how the 16mm will work in this instance.

Most manufacturers favor a car with understeer for the average driver, as they often ease off the gas pedal in the middle of a turn. I felt safe with the modified I2 with the 3 upgrade suspension components. The residual effect is a slight bit of understeer at lower speed turns. As you get more aggressive I felt the car had less understeer and was close to neutral. But I certainly did not push it close to the limit.

All in all the less than $600 worth of parts for the suspension added immensely to the driving pleasure of the car. It is now a smooth riding vehicle with sports car handling. The difference on the freeway is like night and day. There is no wavering and no rattling over bumpy roads. You can literally take your hands off the wheel and it tracks straight at high speeds. The original choppy ride is no longer an issue.

We highly recommend the Cusco Tower bar if used in connection with a rear sway bar and optionally the front lower arm bar (type 2).

[Zwolfe]

Great information! Thanks for the write up!

[cheesie]

i want that sway bar

gotta save up for it

sorry if its a dumb ?
but if i install the both back one (like cobbs) and the front one

would i get a result of both combined or still the result of one??

[WFalicoff]

Cheesie,

The rear sway bar by itself improves handling on its own. Both Cobb and myself have confirmed this. I don't know what a front strut bar will do on its own. We have the statement from Paul Goodman of juicedhybrid.com (I posted it on the first thread where CUSCO parts is mentioned) who installed the Cusco strut bar and rear sway bar on his CR-Z. He reported similar improvements to the ones I experienced with the 3 components together. As the CR-Z has a nearly identical suspension to the I2 I think this is good approach. If you can afford only one part I would go first with the rear sway bar from either Cusco or Progress Technology. If you want to maintain maximum oversteer than the rear sway bar alone is best. I liked very much the light feel of the car with just the rear sway bar. But in the end prefer the "solidity" of the car with the added 2 front bars, even though the steering is a little "heavier". I hope this info helps. Feel free to contact me directly if you need more information.

[WFalicoff]

Originally Posted by WFalicoff

Cheesie,

The rear sway bar by itself improves handling on its own. Both Cobb and myself have confirmed this. I don't know what a front strut bar will do on its own. We have the statement from Paul Goodman of juicedhybrid.com (I posted it on the first thread where CUSCO parts is mentioned) who installed the Cusco strut bar and rear sway bar on his CR-Z. He reported similar improvements to the ones I experienced with the 3 components together. As the CR-Z has a nearly identical suspension to the I2 I think this is good approach. If you can afford only one part I would go first with the rear sway bar from either Cusco or Progress Technology. If you want to maintain maximum oversteer than the rear sway bar alone is best. I liked very much the light feel of the car with just the rear sway bar. But in the end prefer the "solidity" of the car with the added 2 front bars, even though the steering is a little "heavier". I hope this info helps. Feel free to contact me directly if you need more information.

A correction to Paul's name--it is Goldman not Goodman. And here is the link to the page on the forum where he speaks about the strut bar and rear sway bar upgrades for his CR-Z

Cusco rear sway bar and bars for front of I2

[cheesie]

well ill go for the front sway bar in a few months when i get the money
at least the I2 will handle a little better

[Cobb]

Thanks for the update. When I installed the shocker tower brace, which many say is just eye candy for under the hood it made steering more predictable. So, if you are doing figure 8s in the parking lot it doesnt require you to keep tightening the turns, but infact it starts to turn sharper and you need to loosen your grip.

For the most part I drive 55mph or less and without power steering, I bet this combo would be a big improvement for me.

[WFalicoff]

Originally Posted by cheesie

well ill go for the front sway bar in a few months when i get the money
at least the I2 will handle a little better

Cusco does sell an upgrade front sway bar for the I2. My review is for their strut tower bar (not the front sway bar), which is a less expensive part and considerably easier to install than a sway bar. Personally, I would recommend you install the rear sway bar in combination with the strut tower bar. If that is not possible I would go with the rear sway bar first as both Cobb and can attest to it working. I don't know how the front strut tower bar will behave on its own. It may work.

[Touche']

This looks like a good set of mods for me since my commute now has me pass through a new Federally Funded Round-about... I think our road commissioner wanted to utilize some of the funds for other projects, so it's 15 mph and very doubtful that buses and snow plows will be able to use it. You get what you pay for...

So if you could please post the torque specs, or send them to me directly.

Thanks, Y'all I'm finding membership here very enjoyable

[WFalicoff]

Originally Posted by Touche'

So if you could please post the torque specs, or send them to me directly.

Thanks, Y'all I'm finding membership here very enjoyable

Here are the torque specs I used:

M6 bolt 8 lb. ft.
M8 bolt 20 ib. ft.
For the two bolts (approx. 3/8" shaft) that hold the main strut tower brace onto the two adapter plates (which is attached to the car flange using the M6 and M8 bolts) 45 lb. ft.

The numbers above where based on engineering tables based on my assumptions as to the material and thread type used in the bolts. I had to guess on the material used in the M6 bolt but the other two I think are pretty accurate, as I was able to see a grade spec on them. Cusco provided no information nor was willing to tell me anything. So it is my best guess.

Good luck with the installation.