Sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference

gtman

Senior Member
First Name
Mitch
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Threads
328
Messages
16,662
Reaction score
24,352
Location
USA
Website
www.civicx.com
Vehicle(s)
2017 Cosmic Blue EX-L Sedan
Vehicle Showcase
2
Back in '17 when I bought my non-Si turbo sedan, I thought it was a great overall car that just needed a few tweaks. My tune gave it plenty of power and my cosmetic mods gave it my style. The handling on this 10th gen was pretty good even on the non-Si's. But it needed a bit more.

One thing that really bugged me was the little bit of weeble wobble I felt in the front end on quick lane changes. I knew the fix for that. An Ultra Racing solid front strut bar. I've since changed to the solid DC Sports bar but the effect is the same. A nice solid front end feel on twitchy moves. The side benefit is the front end feels more solid over bumps and dips too.

The other issue was too much body roll. The obvious fix? A beefier rear sway bar. I finally installed the OEM Si rsb and it has noticeably improved the feel in corners. The car is much flatter in the twisties now.

The other upgrade I knew the car needed was decent tires. The stock Firestones are fair at best. I recently bought new 18" wheels with Conti DWS06 tires that should really put my car at a perfect place for my driving style. I'm waiting til we get through this winter to mount them because my Firestones have tons of tread left.

So here's the point. I bought an EX-L because I wanted leather and a power driver's seat. I've got plenty of other nice features too.

Adding a tune ($500), a solid front strut bar ($100), the OEM Si RSB ($80) and good tires ($600) is about a $1300 investment. For that $$, I have a car the has all the features I wanted, is noticeably faster than a stock Si and handles pretty darn well.
Sponsored

 

hobby-man

Senior Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Jun 20, 2018
Threads
50
Messages
2,867
Reaction score
2,739
Location
GTA
Vehicle(s)
2021 WRX STi, 2018 Sport Touring Hatchback (sold)
Build Thread
Link
Country flag
You finally found someone to install the RSB?! That's great!!

I just did my RSB upgrade last week, what a diffference.
 
OP
OP
gtman

gtman

Senior Member
First Name
Mitch
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Threads
328
Messages
16,662
Reaction score
24,352
Location
USA
Website
www.civicx.com
Vehicle(s)
2017 Cosmic Blue EX-L Sedan
Vehicle Showcase
2
Yeah a Honda dealer actually.
 

Fit2Hatch

Senior Member
First Name
Victor
Joined
Nov 12, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
255
Reaction score
151
Location
Waipahu
Vehicle(s)
'18 Hatchback Sport
Country flag
Glad you got the RSB done and enjoying it.
 

Feddy_Ace

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2019
Threads
18
Messages
453
Reaction score
473
Location
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Vehicle(s)
2019 Civic Hatchback Sport CVT
Country flag
Back in '17 when I bought my non-Si turbo sedan, I thought it was a great overall car that just needed a few tweaks. My tune gave it plenty of power and my cosmetic mods gave it my style. The handling on this 10th gen was pretty good even on the non-Si's. But it needed a bit more.

One thing that really bugged me was the little bit of weeble wobble I felt in the front end on quick lane changes. I knew the fix for that. An Ultra Racing solid front strut bar. I've since changed to the solid DC Sports bar but the effect is the same. A nice solid front end feel on twitchy moves. The side benefit is the front end feels more solid over bumps and dips too.

The other issue was too much body roll. The obvious fix? A beefier rear sway bar. I finally installed the OEM Si rsb and it has noticeably improved the feel in corners. The car is much flatter in the twisties now.

The other upgrade I knew the car needed was decent tires. The stock Firestones are fair at best. I recently bought new 18" wheels with Conti DWS06 tires that should really put my car at a perfect place for my driving style. I'm waiting til we get through this winter to mount them because my Firestones have tons of tread left.

So here's the point. I bought an EX-L because I wanted leather and a power driver's seat. I've got plenty of other nice features too.

Adding a tune ($500), a solid front strut bar ($100), the OEM Si RSB ($80) and good tires ($600) is about a $1300 investment. For that $$, I have a car the has all the features I wanted, is noticeably faster than a stock Si and handles pretty darn well.
I agree with all this here. I feel like the Civic really just needs marginal upgrades. The stock suspension/chassis are so, so good once you firm things up a little. It’s perfect for daily driving and more than capable for spirited driving. I’m honestly shocked at how hard you can push them on a mostly stock setup. I’ve put my car though the ringer on some extreme mountain and canyon drives. She’s yet to disappoint. I still feel like a lot of people outside the community really don’t grasp what the car can do.
 


Zodd

Senior Member
First Name
david
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
226
Reaction score
171
Location
Slovenia
Vehicle(s)
civic sport 1.5t 2018
Vehicle Showcase
1
Country flag
i still have all the stock swaybars i dont really intent to change them, but going for better tires and coilovers made a massive diffrence for me... i am lowered a little more than 2 inches and springs are almost 3 times stiffer, and car rides like a dream through corners... love it i am always surprised how well those economy cars drive :)
 

Rone811

Senior Member
First Name
Rone
Joined
Jul 2, 2017
Threads
4
Messages
519
Reaction score
678
Location
Bay Area, CA
Vehicle(s)
2021 Honda Civic Type R
Country flag
Back in '17 when I bought my non-Si turbo sedan, I thought it was a great overall car that just needed a few tweaks. My tune gave it plenty of power and my cosmetic mods gave it my style. The handling on this 10th gen was pretty good even on the non-Si's. But it needed a bit more.

One thing that really bugged me was the little bit of weeble wobble I felt in the front end on quick lane changes. I knew the fix for that. An Ultra Racing solid front strut bar. I've since changed to the solid DC Sports bar but the effect is the same. A nice solid front end feel on twitchy moves. The side benefit is the front end feels more solid over bumps and dips too.

The other issue was too much body roll. The obvious fix? A beefier rear sway bar. I finally installed the OEM Si rsb and it has noticeably improved the feel in corners. The car is much flatter in the twisties now.

The other upgrade I knew the car needed was decent tires. The stock Firestones are fair at best. I recently bought new 18" wheels with Conti DWS06 tires that should really put my car at a perfect place for my driving style. I'm waiting til we get through this winter to mount them because my Firestones have tons of tread left.

So here's the point. I bought an EX-L because I wanted leather and a power driver's seat. I've got plenty of other nice features too.

Adding a tune ($500), a solid front strut bar ($100), the OEM Si RSB ($80) and good tires ($600) is about a $1300 investment. For that $$, I have a car the has all the features I wanted, is noticeably faster than a stock Si and handles pretty darn well.
Where can I see a pic of your car? all i ever see is that dc strut bar and your engine bay lol

Honda Civic 10th gen Sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference 120276496_431858714457273_2270315875309441242_n


just bought a perrin strut bar, rear eibach sway bar and some michelin pilot sport a/s 3+
i know you don't approve of the strut bar but its red! LOL
 
OP
OP
gtman

gtman

Senior Member
First Name
Mitch
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Threads
328
Messages
16,662
Reaction score
24,352
Location
USA
Website
www.civicx.com
Vehicle(s)
2017 Cosmic Blue EX-L Sedan
Vehicle Showcase
2
Where can I see a pic of your car? all i ever see is that dc strut bar and your engine bay lol
All over the board, pretty much... ;)

Here's some pics of my car and a sneak peak at a couple upcoming cosmetic mods:

Honda Civic 10th gen Sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference tip4


Honda Civic 10th gen Sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference grille1


Honda Civic 10th gen Sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference int2s.JPG


Honda Civic 10th gen Sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference pillars2



Honda Civic 10th gen Sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference 20200612_121739-01-01


Honda Civic 10th gen Sometimes it's just the little things that make a big difference IMG_227d2.JPG
 
Last edited:

sventhecivic

Senior Member
First Name
Gaetano
Joined
May 14, 2019
Threads
16
Messages
106
Reaction score
45
Location
California
Vehicle(s)
2017 Honda Civic EXT
Country flag
20200612_121739-01-01.jpeg


I am so excited for your upcoming mods, and am GRATEFUL for the initial advice on the sway bar upgrades. Haven't done them yet myself, but they're definitely next. More importantly, what are those wheels? They're beautiful.
 

circuit.heart

Senior Member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Sep 11, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
123
Reaction score
260
Location
San Jose, CA
Vehicle(s)
'18 Sport (Si converted), '94 525i x2
Vehicle Showcase
1
Country flag
When you have the upgraded tires on, try to test again with and without the strut tower bar. I've learned to hate tower bars for the most part, this chassis is stiff enough. The slight extra bit of compliance makes the breakaway behavior more progressive from my experience.
 


OP
OP
gtman

gtman

Senior Member
First Name
Mitch
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Threads
328
Messages
16,662
Reaction score
24,352
Location
USA
Website
www.civicx.com
Vehicle(s)
2017 Cosmic Blue EX-L Sedan
Vehicle Showcase
2
When you have the upgraded tires on, try to test again with and without the strut tower bar. I've learned to hate tower bars for the most part, this chassis is stiff enough. The slight extra bit of compliance makes the breakaway behavior more progressive from my experience.
I've used front strut bars on all the cars I've owned for nearly 20 years. Always solid one piece. I like the more solid feel up front and the slightly better steering response. Mostly I like the higher stability I get in quick lane change moves.

I think a lot of people tend to expect bigger handing improvements but they are effective, espectially at 7/10ths+. And I'm using them on the street, not racing, so maybe my perspective is different.
 

circuit.heart

Senior Member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Sep 11, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
123
Reaction score
260
Location
San Jose, CA
Vehicle(s)
'18 Sport (Si converted), '94 525i x2
Vehicle Showcase
1
Country flag
I've used front strut bars on all the cars I've owned for nearly 20 years. Always solid one piece. I like the more solid feel up front and the slightly better steering response. Mostly I like the higher stability I get in quick lane change moves.
You can get the stable feel without losing front grip by bracing up the center tunnel/floor of the car, from front subframe to rear subframe. It's the same concept (limit chassis flex to reduce response time) except you're tying the whole chassis tighter together, so it helps make the rear more predictable as well as it follows the front end.

Many ways to skin the cat...
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
gtman

gtman

Senior Member
First Name
Mitch
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Threads
328
Messages
16,662
Reaction score
24,352
Location
USA
Website
www.civicx.com
Vehicle(s)
2017 Cosmic Blue EX-L Sedan
Vehicle Showcase
2
I'm happy with the balance adding the bigger rear sway bar gives me now (along with the fsb). Again, I'm just daily driving to and from work. Don't do track or autoX. Plus who doesn't love a little underhood bling. :cool:

Once I install the DWS06's I'm set as far as handling upgrades. My build isn't meant to be anything more than an everyday commuter.

That, combined with my tune (and my cosmetic mods), makes this a car that puts a smile on my face. Ultimately, that's all that matters.

Also just to add, while underbody braces tie things together there, a solid front strut bar does something else. By reducing strut tower flex, it helps keep optimal front suspension geometry under load which I find helps with steering feel.
 
Last edited:

KingOfBrussels

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
171
Reaction score
174
Location
DC burbs
Vehicle(s)
'20 Si sedan
Country flag
Come up to Toronto, and have a go in mine!

Full Whiteline and Ultra Racing catalog, it's a riot ?

DSC_0784.JPG
I see you've got the Whiteline ALK & RMM on there. Any impressions on NVH from both of them? I'm wanting to be very conservative with the RMM, thinking CTR + Whiteline insert. But the ALK in particular is a big point of curiosity for me.
 


 


Top