Its easy enuff to install, and yes, taking the rear tires and wheels off makes it alot easier and faster.

Is the Progress Tech bar an improvement over the Hotchkis bar? YES.

You can take my word on it, and save yourself some hard earned cash, or you can do what I did and buy both.

If the Progress bar would have been out at the same time, I wouldn't have bought the Hotchkis set.

I'm just trying to give some worthwile advice and save some peeps money and not wasting it like I do.

 

Just by looking at a picture, you can tell the Progress bar is bigger. Look at the mounting points betweeen the two...

 

I knew I should have taken a pic bending the Hotchkis bar.

 

well the pixx are gonne?

 

I still see them and they're hosted on photobucket. Might be an issue with your local PC.

 

gonna do a little nit pickin looks like your tires could stand a little air in 'em

 

Whatever. I sure as hell have a lot more grip strength than 40 pounds and I could not bend it. I remember those posts about being able to bent the Hotchkis, so I tried myself when it arrived. Perhaps Hotchkis has improved their product since their initial offering. All I know is that the handling is greatly improved and that installation is easier with Hotchkis.

 

This is a great write-up! I can't wait to try this install myself.

Incoming silly question!! Does taking the wheels off just make bolting the thing on less of a pain? It looks like the wheels can be left on for the install. Unless I'm missing something obvious here, which wouldn't surprise me.

 

I'm a moron that didn't realize there was a second page. Questions answered. Thanks anyways for the write up.

 

TheScionicMan

looking at your first post, i noticed that it looks to me like your rear springs are upside down... at least from what i know, the close coils are supposed to be at the bottom of progressive rate springs right?

this pic:

 

so, did LIP put his in upside down too?



I have faith in my installer, I think they're right.

 

I guess Progress made their springs to go in upside down, i didn't know. What i do know is that Tanabe's, MeganRacing, Eibach, HKS SF, etc. all sit in their the exact opposite way

Your pics had me wondering if i had MINE upside down > <

thanks for clarifying it tho

 

I just installed my Progress Tech rear sway bar. I took it for a quick run and my oh my! When I take the turns, the rear feels so planted to the ground!

The install took a little under an hour. I was alone, so I used boxes and another jack to help lift/align the bar. I did not even have to take my wheels off. If you have aftermarket rims, I suggest you take them off though...to prevent scratching. The "Pain in the AsH" Award goes to... the flag nuts! I had one hand "control" the flag bolt while I used my other hand to feel for the nut through the bolt...if you can understand that.

 

I just threw one of these on as well. Again, great write up. It helped. The alignment of the nut were a pain, but other than that the install was simple. I notice a difference in the roll now, heavily reduced.

 

ordered a bar also will tell you guys what i think

 

I just sold my Hotchkis set b4 i even put them on my car. the thickness HAS TO make a difference. I am ordering my Prog rear today.

 

Just completed the installation on my xB. I ran the car up on ramps, and left the wheels on. But getting the open-end wrench on the nuts inside the tubes was mucho tricky, and I scratched an aluminum rim on the driver's side doing it. If I had it to do all over again, I'd take the wheels off.

One note that seems to be missing in the instructions: you'll need a 17mm socket wrench and a 17mm open-end wrench to do this.

There were a few frustrations getting the fasteners to line up, but overall it went okay. The instructions in the Progress box were barely adequate, with one photo that doesn't show much. On the other hand, this Tech article helped a lot, because I knew what it would look like before I ever started.

Easy project -- under an hour, including cleanup and the test drive.

 

Strangest thing.......I put mine on today and the flag nuts that came with it had two nuts in each as apposed to one like in the pic at the beginning of this thread. I didn't realize it until i had already got the rear nuts and bolts in. So i zip tied the bar in place and removed them. Then i just used the flag nuts. That cost me about an hour. Am i insane or did Progress start making their flag nuts with two instead of one?

 

Assuming a standard suspension on an xB, how much harder is the ride after installing a rear sway bar. I'm not asking about the handling, just the ride.

 

I have standard suspension -- no lowering -- and I haven't noticed any difference in ride with the Progress bar.

I really haven't noticed a great improvement in handling from adding the bar, but I don't corner the xB real hard, and I already had 7"-wide tires.

There may be a reduction in body roll, but I can't define how much. It still leans a little in the corners, but it feels very stable, and that's exactly what I wanted. The xB'ers who are pushing the corners hard may feel the changes much more, and thus have even more positive results.

I've driven with the bar for several weeks, now. Overall, the seat of my pants likes it.