I love this channel. Before I found this channel I knew nothing about my Mazda, now I know so much about it. Thank you Chad also keep up all of the good work!

Hi Chad, very good review... As you may recall, I did want to upgrade my sway bars, our roads in Edmonton are far from prefect. I’m happy with my Bilstein shocks and I appreciate the comfort when I encounter pot holes. I just order the Afe set. I’m hoping that larger Dia will work well with my existing shocks/ springs. Cheers

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Tony! I’d love to hear what you think of the Afe bars as I’ve not come across anyone who has them on the ND Miata. 🤷‍♂️

Congrats on again supplying solid content. I have the Goodwin Racing Roadstersport bars set on their stiffest settings. I can recommend these bars but recommend using a better bushing lubricant that what is supplied to ovoid excessive creaking noises. I use these bars along with the factory bilstein shocks and GWR progress springs. I also upgraded my tires to a stickier compound in a slightly wider 215/45/17 size. These upgrades with a performance alignment represent a lot of performance for the buck. If money was not an issue I would go with the Ohlin or Fox coilovers. Overall I’m very satisfied with the handling of my 2016 club with BBS and Brembo package.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the watch and positive feedback! Do you find that your setup easily rotate - ie it tends to oversteer as opposed to understeer?

@bobreno4042

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheLemonFactor This set up provides more ultimate grip with a bias to oversteer. This oversteer is gradual and easy to control. One bonus to the replacement Potenzo S-04 tires is the wider tread width. They run almost 1’” wider even in the same size. Based on feedback from the autocross community, I upgraded to the 215/45 size and the difference from stock tread width at 6.5” to 7.7” really helps aesthetically and I have confirmed a less than 1 mph speedometer variance at 45mph per radar.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Good to know. Thank you 👍

Installed the FlyinMiata set this week. Decided on this set as its cross sectional area of the front bar was right in the middle of the Progress Bar and GWR bar - and I like middle of the road stiffness for my 2020 RF. Really nice finish on bars. FM install video is awesome. I was intimidated due to reviews, but ended up doing it in just under 6 hours while on jack-stands. Lube the old bushing and comes out just fine when following the instructions. Also replaced the endlinks with the FM adjustable ones.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Are you happy with the results? How does the new bar feel? Did you upgrade the rear bar as well?

@joesmothers2634

3 жыл бұрын

I’m extremely happy with this upgrade. And yes, I did both front and rear bars. Center holes on both. Compliment the lowering springs nicely. The springs only help a bit on higher speed long sweeping turns. Now with the bars, it’s a whole new experience. Also eliminates the corner dive when on the brakes in a turn. Coil overs would probably have given me better response on bumpy turns than my lowering springs, but the sway bars are the most impressive performance upgrade. And finally got an alignment. Went for something in between GW and FM suggestions. Even more planted now!

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the feedback 👍. It’s good timing as I’ll be installing my sway bars this weekend 😁

@joesmothers2634

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome! I also recommend having a wratcheting style box wrench with a swivel head to help reach the one difficult to reach bolt. Just don’t use this style wrench to remove the bushing bracket upper bolt as you’ll get the wrench stuck.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

👍

I have the GWR Sway bars. For the price and with 3 adjustment positions, being a daily-driver that still sees track days and autocross every summer, seemed like the best all-around option for my needs. Not on coilovers, but am lowered a bit with swift springs on the bilstein shocks, so didn't need something super stiff. Hoping it works out as I've intended them to, still in the middle of putting them on. Going to have to remember to comment again once I've spent some time on the road with them and after a few track events.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Looking forward to hearing your feedback. 👍

@lucianolucidi8624

Жыл бұрын

So how did it go? What about lower springs? Did they work well with stock bilstein?

@schizobipolarjoe

Жыл бұрын

So how do you like them? I have meisterR crd and thinking of going with the roadsters sport sway bars.

I have the Progress bars with my Zeta CRDs on my ND2. I wouldn't worry about reusing the stock brackets, as the OEM parts are often a better fitment compared to the aftermarket stuff. The reinforcement bracket for the rear is nice, but the rear bushing brackets they are nothing to write home about. The best part of the progress bars compared to others on your list is the chunky billet ends that are welded onto the bar in place of the pinched and folded bar ends you find on most bars. The folded ends can allow the mounting holes to become "oval" over time. I originally wanted to pick up the roadster sport bars for my stock springs on aftermarket Bilstein B6 dampers, but I was advised they would not be stiff enough to offset the soft stock springs. I really like the quality of the bars, and they are super well made, but I can't reach the front hole on the front bar and even with the rear set in the softest hole, the car is pretty snappy on cold tires with the coil overs set to my ride and handling preference. I'll need to replace my Flyin' Miata sway bar links with the Goodwin racing ones that are low profile to reach the stiffest hole in the front to correct this, but they are kind of expensive, so consider the sway bar links as part of your purchase as well. I originally didn't want to lower the car so I bought uprated dampers, which simply slowed the pace of the roll but still allowed it, and the ride was pretty busy on the freeway because the springs were overdamped. The progress bars improved the turn in and chassis balance, but the car still had a lot of wallow and dive even with the sway bars. The coil overs transformed the car and made the biggest difference. What the sway bars do allow to shift the understeer oversteer balance and tune the steering feel, but you get to the point where the rear of chassis can't move enough to work properly. The car grips better when it has a bit of taught roll to it so I run mu coil overs kind of soft to achieve this. All 20 of the rear suspension take a beating with stiffer than stock suspension and loosen and re torque them when I change my oil and lube the sway bar bushings. Just my 2 cents.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Do you autox with yours?

@Elbenito84

3 жыл бұрын

No autocross so far (Covid). Just a dedicated Socal Canyon car, so it gets run hard through the Angeles Forest and Malibu.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Nice! 😁👍

I have the JBR front/rear and love it on my ND2. I have not had issue moving between all adjustment points on the front or rear bar.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

That’s great to know. Thank you very much for providing the feedback - makes me feel better knowing there are no issues 👍 what brackets are you using and do you have any noise from the bushings?

@SethRohde

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheLemonFactor I'm using the included stainless steel brackets (not the billet aluminum). I believe their instructions indicate needing to lower part of the sub frame to install the billet brackets and I didn't want to hassle with that. So far no noise after about 6 months of use. I'm looking forward to testing it out on track in April though my car is mostly a street car.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! 👍

@Cyrht

3 жыл бұрын

@@SethRohde did it reduce body roll a lot? Nice to know yours fitted for every adjustment in the front. I just ordered a set of those for both front and rear with the billet brackets for bushings. Will mount them together with Karcepts reinforcement for the front subframe.

Nice overview. I disagree with some of your biases however. 1. what matters is not always measured diameter but actual deflection strength, and I have noticed sligfht changes in shape, length, radius can all affect that as to make determinations purely on thickness suspect. I would love to see someone dyno these.

Karcepts! 1. Don’t try to save money here especially after spending time and $ on your coilovers. 2. Lightweight and fully adjustable. Comfortable for the street but a few quick adjustments and u have a track bar. 3. Karcepts is engineered from the ground up. No off the shelf knockoffs here. 4. Tubular Karcepts front bar and a 16mm tubular rear bar of your choice from the list.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the feedback! It is a great buy, but potentially more of a bar and price than what some need or want.

@gregblack3860

3 жыл бұрын

Do they definitely make noise or can you grease that out ? Don’t want the noise but ease of install seems like a win also .

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Karcepts reference on their website that their sway bars indeed do make noise 🤷‍♂️

@todd5082

3 жыл бұрын

I’ve run both greasable and non greasable sway bars. Both can squeak if u don’t lube em once every 2 yrs. The “greasable” just has a zerk fitting which makes lubing a little faster. For polyurethane bushings only use Super Lube (PTFE) and not regular grease. I buy the grease gun cartridge size for about $10 at Home Depot. It will last a life time. For the Karcept bars it requires a thicker lithium grease on the metal splines. Not a big deal.

Important to know, when installing the sway bar, do not hesitate in purchase good grease for the bushings. I used the one included with the sway bars and it was the biggest mistake since it squish A LOT! So I got Mobile Synthetic Grease, a lot of it! Afterwards it’s just perfect. I bought Goodwin racing and so far is the best upgrade my Miata has.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Great feedback! Thank you. 👍

@adamcollins3382

3 жыл бұрын

I read some reviews on their site as well that mentioned that and picked up a big tube of Syl-glide per one reviewer's recommendation. No squeaking yet, fingers crossed it stays that way.

@nobodynoone2500

2 жыл бұрын

SuperLube has always done me right.

Whiteline is great, had on 3 Subarus too

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

I found them to be very helpful when I spoke with them on the phone 👍. Do you have any noise coming from the bushings?

The install of anything but the Karcepts front bar is tricky. I paid to have mine installed. I have the progress bar and it made a big difference. That being said I have very very occasional sounds from it? Maybe a little grease would help?

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

I’m still going back and forth regarding doing the front bar install myself 🤷‍♂️. I have heard that you need to lube up the bushings really good and again from time to time to keep them quiet.

@1337pudding

3 жыл бұрын

How much was the install lol?

@adamcollins3382

3 жыл бұрын

It is a little tricky, but still very much doable as a one-person garage job. I just finished swapping my front sway in my garage and it came out and went in fine, the Flyin Miata video on the install is very thorough and a great guide for how to do it yourself. That said, if the labor to have someone else do it was cheap, I wouldn't knock someone for not wanting to do it themselves

I went with eibach front and back to go with my sakebomb ohlins. I believe eibachs are solid vs hollow. Don’t know whether that makes a difference or not. It was just darn heavy and a pain to install (due to weight)

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

Are you happy with the Eibach bars? Did you install them at the same time as the coilovers?

@Mel-md6cb

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheLemonFactor I actually installed the sway bars first (the coilovers were on back order). What a huge difference (for the streets) when it came to body roll. I haven’t had a chance to track the car with just the sway bars. My car will be getting a performance alignment and corner balanced soon. Can’t wait to see how different the car performs at the track.

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

👍

Yes ok, my Afe order are on back order and should be shipped by end of March...😞

@TheLemonFactor

3 жыл бұрын

That stinks. Sorry to hear that. It seems to be common as lots of parts have been on back order over the past year 😕

Karcepts no matter what. Simply for easy of install! 🤣😅