How To: Progress 22mm Rear Swaybar Installation
- Thread starter Maxx Mazda
- Start date
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- '04 RX8
I hate AWR endlinks with a passion - I have been looking for another brand
Maxx Mazda
Contributor
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- Stock P5
Ya they are tEh sUcK. Why upgrade the stockers? They're beefy as is...
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- '04 RX8
I need to find various nuts and bolts to put my stockers back on lol I can't wait to spend an hour at the hardware store hunting lol
Maxx Mazda
Contributor
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- Stock P5
For the stockers you'll just need 2 nuts per endlink.
hey guys,
I installed my progress sway bar 1 hr ago. I just pulled in the driveway 5 minutes ago. I have a stock height p5 and this bar made a HUGE difference. I live in east TN and we have a ton of curves,dips and bends to drive on. I made sure to hit my regular routes at my normal speed, then came back through to test the new sway bar. I easily gained 5-10mph on most corners. I didn't push it enough to skweel (sp) the tires (we will save that for the autocross course). Anyway, i got the bar just after xmas at autosportsyle.com for $150( $115 sale $35 S/H). I have NO clunk as of right now. The fit was perfect, so I doubt I will. I just wanted anyone who was on the fence about what bar to choose to know you can't go wrong with progress' bar.
*I have espelirs on order from Rishie and HP's will be ordered soon. I can't imagine how fun the p5 will be after the install!
I installed my progress sway bar 1 hr ago. I just pulled in the driveway 5 minutes ago. I have a stock height p5 and this bar made a HUGE difference. I live in east TN and we have a ton of curves,dips and bends to drive on. I made sure to hit my regular routes at my normal speed, then came back through to test the new sway bar. I easily gained 5-10mph on most corners. I didn't push it enough to skweel (sp) the tires (we will save that for the autocross course). Anyway, i got the bar just after xmas at autosportsyle.com for $150( $115 sale $35 S/H). I have NO clunk as of right now. The fit was perfect, so I doubt I will. I just wanted anyone who was on the fence about what bar to choose to know you can't go wrong with progress' bar.
*I have espelirs on order from Rishie and HP's will be ordered soon. I can't imagine how fun the p5 will be after the install!
After doing tons of research on a rear sway for my '02 P5 I went with the Progress bar too. For the following reasons-
-$152 (including shipping) direct from Progress, even shipped the next day.
-22mm -nice and beefy
-designed to work with OEM endlinks -I've read a lot of people swapping to MSP OEM endlinks and the AWR, but also read a lot of people saying the AWR bend easily and are a PITA. Plus I'm going for the "set it and forget it!" route with my P5, no adjustablity. I had adjustable everything with my suspension on my last car and it was another PITA adjusting everything for different wheels and seasons.
I'm installing my suspension this weekend (Tein S-Tech's, Tokico HP's and Progress rear sway bar) and can't wait to feel how she handles!
-$152 (including shipping) direct from Progress, even shipped the next day.
-22mm -nice and beefy
-designed to work with OEM endlinks -I've read a lot of people swapping to MSP OEM endlinks and the AWR, but also read a lot of people saying the AWR bend easily and are a PITA. Plus I'm going for the "set it and forget it!" route with my P5, no adjustablity. I had adjustable everything with my suspension on my last car and it was another PITA adjusting everything for different wheels and seasons.
I'm installing my suspension this weekend (Tein S-Tech's, Tokico HP's and Progress rear sway bar) and can't wait to feel how she handles!
Maxx Mazda
Contributor
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- Stock P5
The car is going to oversteer WAY more. That's more or less of a good thing. When you feel the ass end swinging out, just add more gas to pull you through it! 
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- 03' Mazda Protege 5
I got my Progress installed with new AWR endlinks:
Comparison to stock:
Ready to install:
Installed:
Comparison to stock:
Ready to install:
Installed:
- :
- 03' Mazda Protege 5
So I was talking to some guys in the what have you done to your P5 thread and they were saying that the sway bar should be parrallel with the ground?! So I go and unbolt everything and try it and this is what happened:
So as you can see one of the control arms now blocks the sway bar from even connecting to the endlinks! Gar! I guess thats what I get for listening to random advice.
So as you can see one of the control arms now blocks the sway bar from even connecting to the endlinks! Gar! I guess thats what I get for listening to random advice.
Maxx Mazda
Contributor
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- Stock P5
The "paralell to the ground" thing is an old urban myth...
Maxx Mazda
Contributor
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- Stock P5
Ya, I think the AWR links are a waste. Too many problems with them. Do a search on here, and you'll see that there are alot of issues. For example, if they're both not IDENTICAL (within 1 or 2 mm) it can upset the balance of the car, etc.
The thickness has nothing to do with it. The way endlinks work, is pushing directly down on them, there's no side load. The stock links are more than adequate.
no its not - to be most effective, you want it parallel to the ground. however, the mazda design on this car does not allow for that. my mazdaspeed rear bar is parallel to the ground, but the arms are shorter than the progress too.
Yeah, I'm aware of the issues and was concerned of this before I purchased them. I was persuaded by a member that recomended them so the swaybar could be installed parallel with the ground. Well it was recently found out that isn't possible with the Progress bar. I'll give the AWRs a shot at stock length, but if they don't work out I'll have a set of stockers to use. If the only issue is noise I'll check out Brian MP5Ts old grommet fix.
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- 03' Mazda Protege 5
If the AWR endlinks could reach the sway bar by having the ends screwed all the way into the center of the endlink wouldn't that be the strongest stiffest setting to have them at? Or would setting them to stock length be the best bet? If that is the case does anyone know the stock length of the rear endlinks??
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very easy install. Not sure about twenty minutes more like forty.
Didn't even need to jack up the car and my sh1t is low. Why are u guys cutting end links baffels me after doing this. Sure that was the hardest part. I just put the box end on, stuck the allen in, proped the allen wrench against the trailing arm, adjusted the box end facing down, got on my a$$ put a foot on the box end, grabbed the rim, and pushed with my foot. TOO EASY. Everything else wad cake.
Didn't even need to jack up the car and my sh1t is low. Why are u guys cutting end links baffels me after doing this. Sure that was the hardest part. I just put the box end on, stuck the allen in, proped the allen wrench against the trailing arm, adjusted the box end facing down, got on my a$$ put a foot on the box end, grabbed the rim, and pushed with my foot. TOO EASY. Everything else wad cake.
you're also in Hawaii, which is WORLD's away different from New York. mine were rusted so bad after the first winter, there was no way i was doing what you did.
its funny that everyone thinks Hawaii is always sunny. "FACT" the island of Kaui is the wettest spot on earth. I live on the windward side where it rains every morning. And let's not forget we are surrounded by salt water.
Rust? Gotta give u that cuz I have electrnic rust proofing. I have no rust.
