SolaraGuy.com

Posted: **Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:25 pm**

down2thec wrote:If feels more sturdy and confident. I may try the track setting next time I have the wheels off. Middle if nice but I'm curious what the inside hole feels like. (I'm a guy... gotta explore each one, right?)

Using all the guyness I could muster, I set my Binford RSB to the inside hole from the start - wanting to prefer that position and seeing if I could accept the stiffness. Bottom line, I like it.

The only ~drawback is that you feel jarring hits (rails, potholes, etc) more firmly. But I don't mind the feel. If you've a byproduct of the minivan generation and you haven't had cars with stiff or sport-style suspension, it may seem overly stiff. But give it time and you'll appreciate the added feel you get of the road.

The only valid reason I could think of setting it looser is if I was dating and didn't want to annoy my date. Married, past that. (I annoy her all the time anyway.)

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:44 am**

down2thec wrote:There's a major difference in the cornering. Before the install, give your car a little waggle back and forth while doing 50+. You'll notice that theres a tendancy for the roll to get bad enough that she digs in on the outside tires and wants to continue the turn. After the RSB, that's not the case. In the turn, you keep more even pressure on all tires and I've even gotten sqeals and squeaks from the inside wheels while pushing her through an on ramp. You know how if you swerve left, you feel like the back end is rolling out to the right... no more.

If feels more sturdy and confident. I may try the track setting next time I have the wheels off. Middle if nice but I'm curious what the inside hole feels like. (I'm a guy... gotta explore each one, right?)

And it really doesn't effect the straight/level feel. It only comes into play when the wheels try to do diferent things. So really nasty pot holes or train tracks my be a bit more rough, but I haven't experienced that yet.

Great description makes me really anxious to get this thing on the car!

Thanks again!

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:21 pm**

Wow, I only used one of the tools that you have in the picture. Nice DIY, mad props.
P.S. buy Mobil 1 synthetic grease!!!!!

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:44 pm**

I agree that the TRD RSB is one of the best, if not the best mod, out there for our Gen 2 cars.

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:58 pm**

Great Job Mike! This is a great tutorial.

I agree, the RSB is worth every penny. I put mine on track setting and the handling is perfect. The ride? OK, I slow down to a crawl over railroad tracks.

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:11 pm**

Hey - thanks for posting this! I was hesitant doing this myself until I saw your DIY!

So what's with the 3 holes and why do most choose middle? Is the ride that much stiff in the stiffest mode? Can't imagine...

Again - thanks!

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:04 pm**

the reason why I chose the middle setting is because my mom drives it sometimes and I don't want to set it at the innermost hole, that would make the handling too stiff. The car might oversteer a lot easier that way.

my family used to have a civic where it would do a snap oversteer when I go around a corner a bit too fast.

The RSB is set in the middle hole for my car and the handling is already perfect to me. It doesn't understeer that much anymore and doesn't do snap oversteer either. It is perfectly balanced and I think that is what most people try to accomplish with their car when they modify its suspension.

Posted: **Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:47 am**

I'll let you know about the inside setting when I paint my calipers this spring. I'll switch it while I have the wheels off.

Posted: **Tue May 30, 2006 11:34 am**

I just finished installing my TRD RSB. Of course it ended up taking twice as long as I thought it would (frickin' bolts wouldn't line up). One concern I have is the bolts for the attachment to the ball joints do not extend past the nut as they did with the stock RSB. I guess it is because the TRD RSB is thicker but I want to make sure this is normal and not an installation error...

Posted: **Wed May 31, 2006 8:18 am**

Do you mean the rubber umm, thingies. The TRD bar is thicker, so it is going to be a pain in the ass. Use pliers to squeeze the two hinges together then tighten the bolt.
I took forever, but I got it done eventually with help from a friend.

Posted: **Wed May 31, 2006 9:04 am**

I had no problems putting the clamps back on over the new RSB bushings, but I did have to take off both rear braces on the convertible to get the old one off and the new one in there. It was still a real beotch working around the exhaust as it was.

I posted pix of my finished install here: http://www.solaraguy.org/viewtopic.php?p=274010#274010

Posted: **Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:09 am**

Did you only take one wheel off? Or was that just at picture time? I took off two wheels and only one brace and played a little tetris to get it out.

As for the ball joint nuts. Not too worried about it since I didn't think they had extra threads to begin with. (couldn't quite remember) And the ball is going to rotate so there won't be any twisting motion on that nut unless the ball seizes. (not something you have to worry about in CA.) So I think the design will keep them on if you snugged them up well.

Posted: **Thu Jun 01, 2006 8:35 am**

I never took my tires off to install the RSB. But the clamps that go around the bushings were a pain. One side was easy, and the other would always be difficult to put on.

Posted: **Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:02 pm**

It took me about an hour just to get the bolts for one clamp started. Ended up having to push the RSB to the side needed while trying to start the bolt. Finished the third bolt by using a clamp to push all of the parts in line. Must be because the TRD RSB is a bit narrower than the stock...

If I had to do it over again, I would just pay a mechanic to install it. Sure do love the handling though with the bar set on the autocross setting (innermost hole).

Posted: **Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:39 pm**

Seemed to fit like a glove for me. Might be because of being jacked up and no rear wheels.

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RSB Install for noobs.