Introduction

The RSX Type-S is a very competent performer right out of the box, as we've discovered here at the TOV. Typical with most all front wheel drive cars from the factory, there is a noticeable amount of understeer built into the chassis tuning. This is generally done as a safety net for the driver to avoid any potentially dangerous oversteer conditions should the driver make a bonehead move on the street. In a competition situation, such as in autocross or at a track event, understeer can increase lap times and front tire wear, reduce cornering speeds, and most importantly, lower the vehicle's fun factor.

In an effort to bring the RSX Type-S's handling to a slightly higher level, I have chosen to install the Type-R rear swaybar from the Japanese Integra (RSX). The front swaybar on the RSX Type-R is the same size as the other RSX models, at 23mm. All RSXs uses a 19mm rear swaybar from the factory. The Type-R bar is a 22mm unit, which equates to roughly 80% stiffer than the stock 19mm unit. The endlinks are positioned exactly the same as the stock bar.

The dealer where I purchased the bar from included the 22mm factory bushings with the swaybar. As I would find out during installation and later after driving, they were the wrong bushings. Since I already had polyurethane bushings from Energy Suspension on order, this didn't matter to me. I contacted the dealer and they are now providing the Energy Suspension bushings with the bar (not sure if they are the greaseable model or not). The installation instructions are the same whether using the correct Honda bushings or the Energy Suspension bushings I chose, although I would recommend the Energy bushings for their increased rigidity.

OEM vs. Wrong Bushing


Wrong bushing slipped out after 1 week

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