Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Aftermarket heavier and stiffer sway bar.
Fantastic product. Significantly heftier than the OEM front bar.
I'm using the stock end links and it was impossible to install the bar on the outer holes (less stiff set up). With adjustable end links, that should not be a problem. However, I am MORE than happy with the stiffer set up. Wow! What a fun improvement. I'll continue to run the stock rear bar. The car feels like it pivots on its nose in tight turns, uber-responsive. Well, well worth it.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
1" Adjustable Front Swaybar, Polyurathane bushings with adjustable mount, New longer bolts, lube for bushings, etc.
The installation was relatively easy. I used jackstands (don't have ramps) and the removal of the tires made snaking the old bar out easy. If you just lay the two bars side by side you can see the difference. I installed mine on the innermost hole (there are 2) because I had trouble lining up the endlinks the the outer holes, I also re-used the original bolts, the new ones must be aimed at adjustable endlinks.
The day after the install I went to a local PCA autocross to properly test the bar and left very happy. The car is MUCH flatter in the slaloms, transitions are awesome! Even my fiance noticed the difference riding along in the passenger seat. After I installed this swaybar the Azenis I'm running are being utilized more completely and in turn, heating up, so keep a waterbottle for those 3rd and 4th runs. This isn't a bad thing, it just means I'm finally getting everything out of those tires! I went on to place well in several SCCA autocrosses and finish first in the region's STS2 class. I'm catching up to and beating some cars with aftermarket springs, aftermarket shocks and stickier 15inch wheel tire Combo's with my stock springed, stock shocks, and year old 14inch Azenis because of this simple 1" Swaybar. It's the best $104 part out there, and being that it's a solid swaybar it's a little heavy, but worth it's weight in Gold for me!
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99-'05 1.8 liter
Ordered a set of Flyin' Miata Adjustable Sway bars for my 2001 Miata. Finish was different, not painted grey, but more of a rough look, which is still not a problem.
Installed them with the stock endlinks. Front was easy. Rear had to get around the exhaust. With the suggested setting, aft most hole in front and middle in the rear, did not get as much flat cornering as I hoped for. I may try stiffening both bars, forward most hole on both bars. But, getting into a turn is definately faster (seat of the pants). And they give more confidence (and forces) through a turn. Using a Passport G-meter, the original sway bars gave a peak G-force of 0.92 = as per the published specs for the base car. With the Flyin' Miata Sways, I can easily get to 0.96 G's. Also, the oversteer, even power oversteer is more predictable and controlable. No fear of losing control.
I would recommend them to anyone who wanted better handling for the price.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99-'05 1.8 liter
Replacement front and rear sway bars for my '00 base.
Took less than a week to receive the sway bars from Flyin Miata. Installation took about 1-1/2 hours. Very easy to install. This is the first suspension mod I've done. Car has ~35k miles with the stock shocks, springs. Car corners much flatter. Straight line stability is much better and it takes less effort to turn in.
Highly recommended.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Flyin Miata Sways for 99
The product was easy to install with the instructions downloaded off of FM's site. Took about 1.5 hrs to install, but could be done faster by someone who works at a normal pace. Roll stiffness increase was not as much as I expected. Panic turns still cause considerable roll. The car does feel more confident in high-speed tight turns though. Rear bar did not even make much of a diff. until a roll bar was installed, which I guess makes sense. Turn in feel is improved.
Easy install. Good instructions. Was expecting a little more in the performance department, but still better than stock. I would probably shop around next time, but FM is about the cheapest set out there.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
FM adjustable Sways
AWESOME!
Love these sways, perfect compliment to the KYB AGX. Now my Miata handles like my old 944 S with turbo sways did. One thing though, cornering and handling is trickier when wet, but it is so much fun!!!! Great Product without a doubt.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Flyin Miata Sway Bars for 1999+
Great Product! Installed as soon as i got them and are going to try them out before I install the rest of the suspension(kyb agx's and flyin miata sprints). Took about 1.5 hours to install both of front and rear bars. Hardest part of installation was removing original bolts from the end link screws. A little bit of chain lube and some elbow grease got them off though. First tried the outer most hole on the front bar and the middle hole on the rear. Seemed much nicer than stock but not quite the drastic change nor the right amount of oversteer i wanted. Drove on these settings for about 40 miles and then placed the front end links on the inner most holes. This is definetly a better setting as its just enough difference not to plow/too much oversteer. Might try playing with the rear settings (one up or one down) after the shocks and springs are on but right now this seems to be the best settings.
Like the bars,hopefull i will like the rest of the suspension when it is installed in the next couple of weeks. Both bars can easily be installed with 3 sockets, a couple screw drives and a ratchet. a 14mm box end might be usefull in removing the endlink bolts. And i've heard that trying to get the front bar out can be a problem. Not such on mine 99' with ps,pb,no abs. You don't even have to remove the wheels for either bar as long as you have a good set of ramps. I recommend rhino ramps.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
replacement sway bars for the 1990 Miata
This was the best $185 that I've spent on California Girl yet! The sways install fairly easily all the way around, with the most cantankerous aspect being the removal of the front debris shield and carefully feeding the bar over, under, and through a variety of obstructions. I managed the install in a little over and hour from start to finish with no prior experience whatsoever. I found the improvement in handling to be dramatic, eliminating roughly 75 to 80 percent of the body roll that the OEM parts allowed. Handling is now very flat and by playing with the front/rear settings can be set up in a variety of different ways depending upon your driving style and performance preferences. In my opinion this should be one of the first modifications made to the Miata's chassis/suspension because of the dramatic improvement, the small cost, and the ease of installation.
Once again, this is a part that works best when coupled with a few other aftermarket upgrades. While just replacing the sway bars is effective in flattening out the cornering of the Miata, I found the addition of springs, shocks, and chassis bracing made any improvements much more apparent. For example, when I installed my sway bars my springs and shocks looked to all intents and purposes to be the original equipment the car had been outfitted with 12 years ago. When cornering hard the worn springs and shocks would allow too much body roll, causing the outside tires to lose grip, and because of my sway bar settings, result in a fairly substantial fishtail or oversteer. With the addition of FM Springs, front and rear control arm braces, and a nice set of KYB AGX shocks, I am now able to slalom like a downhill skiier, reverse direction within the cars own legnth(takes some throttle/clutch control), and hang on to a long sweeping turn like a Stock Ca! r on steroids.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Flyin' Miata Sway Bar
I lika da bars! It's funny, I took the car for a short spin on a curvy neighborhood road and I kept telling myself there is a difference but it wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be. Then... :D Later I took it for a high(er) speed drive with some decent curves. What a difference! I have S-03's and I could actually feel them take a set going into the curve. I never felt that before. Very cool and Keith was a lot of help both before and (obviously :D ) after the sale!
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Part # 13-36500 Flyin Miata sway bars,set of fron and rear. Comes with brackets and bushings and grease.
Installation was very smooth, just follow the complete instructions. One point I noticed though is the front bolts for the brackets when tightened down tend to compress the hangers and make it hard to torque, my suggestion and remedy is to put in a slightly larger than the flange head on the nut, washer. It worked great and was easily torqued after use of the washers.
The bars are in use with GR2 KYB shocks and factory springs. There is a huge difference in body lean with these bars. Corners quite flat. I set the fron bars on the second set of holes, the reason simply that it was easier to install. the rears were also set on the middle holes. If I can say one thing, it is probably the cheapest most effective handling improvement you can make to the Miata.
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to:
1" Front 5/8" Rear Sway Bars for my 96M.
Experience so far is good. Had Dealer Alternative install it a few days ago and the first ride was a real rough one. Not sure if the urethane bushings needed a break in period. A few days later and the handling and road feel is much more precise. Response is greatly increase with only a marginally rougher ride. Handling is pretty neutral and forgiving.
I was on an empty highway at 4 in the morning a couple of nights ago, so I thought I'd test out my newest mod. After 10-15 abrupt lane changes and a couple of hard curves, I am now certain of how these new sways aid in the handling of my car. Highly recommended, also props to Dealers Alternative.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
adjustable 7/8" front and 5/8" rear sway bars from Flyin' Miata
leading up to the purchase of these bars, I had done quite a bit of research to come up with the right choice. my "short list" consisted of FM, BSP and RB as a distant third. my choice was based on size, then price and vendor. the OE front sway bar mounts don't look particularly strong so I didn't want to put anything too large there, necesitating the need for something like the RB sway bar mount reinforcement. I installed konisports (using stock springs on the lowest pearch) at the same time as these bars. cornering is indeed much flatter and the car feels very solid at highway speeds as well as when blazing my favorite back road. for a street car, these bars (speaking more to the size) are the perfect choice. at $185, they're a bargain as well. for comparison, addco bars (these bars are rumored to be made by addco) purchased through summit racing are significantly more money.
personally, I wish the bars and even the bushings were black like stock. apparently, earlier versions of the FM bars were indeed black since these bars are aimed at street cars, it might even a good idea to sell them with rubber bushings versus urethane. this will virtually eliminate bushing noise. being more compliant, they’d a better choice for use with the stock front sway bar mounts. from what I gather, these bars are made by addco. addco has several options, including rubber bushings. if one were so inclined, it would probably be easy to purchase rubber bushings directly from addco. addco also has bar coating options. there’s black or red powder coat and then there's silver or gold colored zinc coating. BSP claims that the zinc coating (they have it stated as "cad" coating on their web site) decreases squeaking. addco stated that there was no difference in squeak potential relative to the coating and that the bushings should be re-lubricated every now and then anyway.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 +
FM powdercoated swaybars
I found the quality was top notch, as usually from FM. They bolted up perfectly with no issues. The install would have taken me less than 30 minutes, however, the front splash pan was a bit of a PITA so that added nearly 2 hours to the install time. The front bar has 2 adjustment holes and the rear has 3. I used the least stiff setting for both. I recommend you use a breaker bar to loosen the factory nuts off the end links. They were put on that tight! The bolts holding the U brackets were strangely not that tight. When retightening all of these bolts I suggest not to go overboard. Especially on the U brackets up front that go into the fairly thin factory braces. And of course you don't want to overtighten the nuts on the endlinks, especially if you think you will be changing swaybar stiffness settings a bit.
If you are wondering about the best 1st step improvement for handling, wonder no more! My car was already pretty new, so it had good tires and shocks. It is the LS package which has the standard suspension and 15" wheels. With these sways it corners so flat! It feels faster responding and doesn't push in the slow tight corners anymore. However, my first time out resulted in the rearend hanging out a little bit more than expected. I quickly realized you don't have to steer the car as hard into the corners. So with these sways you need to make smaller inputs and be smoother. However, the reward in flat cornering and topnotch handling with no ride penalty is definitely worth it! The car feels like a little Porsche now!
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Sway bars to replace the stock ones - made for the 1999 Miata
It look me about 2.5 hours to put these in. Don't try to take the main bolts out with a normal wrench as it is really hard, use a torque wrench with its good leverage. I also recommend using the torque wrench to tighten to the corrent torque. I was lazy and ended up over-torqueing a bolt and breaking it. In general, the installation is really easy if you are on ramps. I think that I would be able to do this job again in about an hour. The new bars are very sturdy and much thicker than the stock ones.
My car handles much better with these new bars. There is very little body lean in curves and the oversteer is reduced. I have both bars set on the least stiff setting which is designed to provide neutral handling. I am not really fond of the abrupt oversteer the car displayed so the new bars are nice. When I get my next set of tires with better breakaway characteristics, I might try setting the rear bar stiffer for more oversteer. One concern I have is that the new bars may be too stiff for the mounts. I know that one of the other sway bar manufacturers recommends some additional welding to strengthen the mounts. I'll report it if I experience any problems. In general, I think I will really be pleased with these things.
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Replacement sway bars.
They have leveled out my cornering considerably.
The blue "goo" is a mess, but they are simple to install and have rounded out my suspension set up.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
I recently purchased front and rear sway bars, from Flyin Miata for my 97 M edition. The bars are grey in color and are 1 inch in front and 5/8 in the rear. All necessary hardware is included along with instructions.
After placing my order to Flyin Miata I received my sway bars in two days. They were well packaged and arrived with all the hardware and instructions to put them on. Install was less than an hour for both front and back bars, the back taking less time because nothing is in the way. If you thought the Miata handled well before you would not believe the difference these bars make. The car now corners extremely flat with little or no body roll, and goes were you point it.
My car is also equipped with a Front Shock tower brace, and a double diagonal Rollbar, along with running Falcon Ziex tires 15 series. This single modification of installing the sway bars will make your Miata not only handle better, but be more fun to drive. I would suggest to anyone considering sway bars or any other modification to give Bill Cardell a call at Flyin Miata because the service and support are excellent, and this is not the only company I have done business with but quite frankly the BEST
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Flyin' Miata Sways
This was my first upgrade to my car, and was a little hesitant to go with a 1" sway bar in the front but everything turned out fine the car is now tighter and flatter thru the turns, also seems like you need less input on wheel to go around turns. I went with installation suggested settings and they worked great. Installation instructions were very good, this is as all the advertisements have said the best upgrade for the money. Start to finish I was done in an hour and fourty minutes with no lift. The rear sway i did during my break at work in the parking lot without a jack ( pretty sweet ) The only negative thing i have to say is that i didn't care for the color very much ( a light gray ), but the quality of the product made me forget about it shortly after i was driving. If all flyin miata's stuff is dead on the money like this one was there's nowhere else to go buy. Tootles Gary
Recommend highly
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Performance sway bars that replace the original thinner bars
Installation in 3.5 hrs. Patience is VERY important here....tough to take out the front sway bar. Just wiggle and maneuver and it WILL eventually come out - although if I had to do it again, I don't have a clue HOW. Installation was fine...if you can, loosen the end links - it will make installation easier of the new bars. I did it on ramps which are required when the sways are tightened (weight needs to be on the wheels). The rears were easy in comparison - the end links being loosened here helps also. Make sure you have the following tools so you don't have to go to the store while greasy (like I did). A 14mm socket (both deep and regular) and a 14mm wrench (for the end links). The grease is NASTY (so wear disposable gloves) & notice that bushings are different sizes front and rear before you put on the grease (again, from experience). USE WD40 on old bolts.
They really brought out the inadequecy of my no-name tires (whereas I never noticed the tires were not too grippy before). Body roll is basically nill - takes corners with one finger on the steering wheel with NO drama. I set mine on the middle setting in the rear - I can feel the rear end coming around in deep corners, but it has not gotten out of hand at all. The front is at the loosest setting which has been fine so far. The ride is firmer and stiffer, but not objectionable although people not into performance cars wonder why it is so harsh in comparison to a normal car (i also have INTRAX 1.5 drop and Tokico). My friend who drives a stock 99 said mine feels much more like a race car should - his feels like an Camry in comparison. Whether you like these or not depends on your driving habits...I love corners but I hate body roll so I LOVE these sways. I recommend them entirely. Also, the "quivering" of the car over railroad tracks, uneven roads, etc. is gone...nice added plus.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Larger Sway bars and Urethane bushings
Can't comment on installation I had it done
Great addition, much less roll and better feel in cornering. The car also feels much more stable in straight line at higher highway speeds, especially on windy days.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Flyin' Miata Performance Sway Bar Set for 90-93 Miata, powder-coated black.
I installed these in my '93. The installation was very simple with no problems at all. It took around 2 and a half hours going slow. The concise instructions provided were more than adequate. No need to worry about it. Others have mentioned difficulty removing the end-link bolts. I sprayed WD-40 on the bolts for three days before installation and the bolts came off with no problem. I set the bars to least-stiff hole on the front and middle on the back. This is where the bars fit naturally. This provides neutral handling and avoids pre-stressing the bars.
The improvement in performance is tremendous. These bars change the whole character of the car. The steering is now a bit heavier and far more precise. This is great as I always felt the stock setup was too 'floaty'. Body lean is now greatly reduced. With SP8000 tires on 14" alloys my car is now a match for any production car in pure cornering ability. Dampening over bumps is better too for some reason! I can see absolutely no down-sides to this product. For 185 dollars this is the best value mod out there.
This is undoubtedly the best modification I've made so far and I recommend it whole-heartedly.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
I had the FM Springs/ Tokico Illuminas/ and FM sway bars installed by Passen Motorsports in Westerville, OH....I;m a fair mechanic but suspension is a bit much for my tools. All installed on my Yellow 92. I also have a silver 90 that I put yellow Koni adjustable shocks and Eibach springs on. Here's whatI learned through expensive experience! The Koni yellows are hard, hard shocks, not good for the street and the Eibach springs are not progressively wound. The silver rides way too rough, a good set up for autocross, but not the street. My Sony CD player skips every time you hit a decent Ohio expansion strip.
After serious inquiry and perusal, I bought the FM springs and sway bars and Tokico Illumina shocks. I'm a very happy camper! CD player doesn't skip on the Yellow, doesn't rattle your teeth, and corners as fast as the silver...the best of both worlds! It does ride rougher, of course there's a ride penalty when you lower a car, but it's liveable in my opnion:)
I just took the Mid-Ohio Advanced Driving School last week. Here's what happened when I dialed the Tokicos to full strength (felt like the silver), using 15" panasports and Yokohama A509 tires.
*another miata was there, supercharged (mines had exhaust, K&N, 14 degreees, etc. maybe 10 extra horsies). His suspension was stock other than BSP sway bars and 14" autocross slicks. I kept up with him in all the turns, a bit faster on some, made me very happy, and the car looks better lowered just about an inch. (silver sits on fender in front, too "boy racer") Stock always looks a little silly to me.
*comment from instructor of slalom drill "Wow! I wish you could see your car corner, it's so flat, it's really set up nice. What's on that?..."
*Out cornered a Porsche 968, the woman driving was none too happy, she wanted her miata back she had used on her previous track experience!
*stayed up with ground hugging 200+ hp Acura Integra, except for straights:)
*car was very neutral in handling and very easy to take to the limit, not hard at all for us amateurs, sways are set too most outward setting, lowest stiffness
*I just set the shocks back to 2 front, 3 rear, dropped the tire pressure and drove home (car used up an entire tank of gas, got 15 MPG on the track....3 gear redlined most of the time)
I'm one very happy miata owner now, the suspension is great if you ever want to really run corners. I can pull 55-60 on ramps, kept on the butt of a new boxster the other day on an on-ramp. I highly reccommend the Flying Miata springs and bars, not too rough, totally neutral cornering, and the Illuminas make it versalite for the street or track. Now if they could just make a cockpit adjustable shock controller like the off roaders have......
High Performance, thicker/stiffer sway bars
I just put in the Flying Miata sway bars in last night. I also completed the Redline MTL in tranny and 75w90 in Differential.
The sway bar installation was not difficult at all. I was worried about tight link bolts (solved it with a long pipe extention to the socket wrench). And I was worried about fishing the front bar in/out through the radiator/AC hoses which are positioned directly underneath the sway bar behind the radiator. The key to front sway bar is this - remove out the driver side, install through passenger side... The rear was a piece of cake - nothing in the way.
The original front sway bar link holes line up directly BETWEEN the two option holes on the new Flying Miata front sway bar. So I opt'ed for the FRONT ones (middle ones in back) for now (since the new bars would be stiffer than stock bar).
Handing Characteristics:
First drive, I've noticed is that the car does seem to POINT better than before.
Where I before would often need to steer MORE into a turn to compensate for
expected understeer, I now fine the steering to be relatively more linear and
precise - now my "compensation" turns into a slight oversteer. It's
also now MORE difficult to purposely squeal my rear tires (Before the rear end
would often "lift" on the inner side of the turn - as expected).
I guess now my problem is when (how do I afford) do I get new tires, springs and shocks. I'm also thinking about that front strut brace now.
Beefed up sway bar set for 97 Miata (96>). Set consists of swaybars, bushings and brackets required by larger bars, 'waterproof lubrication for the bushings, and new nuts and washers for the rear assembly needed because of tighter spaces from larger bar.
This was my first 'real' upgrade to Braveheart (protectors, pockets, and strips are only cosmetic), and as I had never worked with the suspension on anycar previously, I was a bit apprehensive. The kit came with a page of concise and informative instructions. So, I drove the font up onto the ramps and crawled underneath. Seeing the myriad of pipes, hoses and mechanical structures around the bar, I had a heart attack... no way something that large could be extracted without removing hoses and cables... WRONG. Undaunted, I removed the four bolts for the two brackets and loosened the bolts to the links. Proceeding to extract the bar in the direction specified (and with a little patience) I removed the old bar. Putting the new bar in was relatively easy (remembering the procedure I used to extract the old). SLipped on the bushings, put back the beackets and bolts, and... on to the back. The rear bar was substantially easier, with the only mental miscue on my part being to assume the new nuts were the same size as the original... wrong, the change was due to a clearamce problem, remember, duhhh, Anyway, procedure was relatively quick and painless.
The new bars are substantially more massive and impressive than the ones removed. Ride has not suffered. On the handling front, I don't push the car hard enough (yet) to be a good judge or reference for this aspect of the changes. A couple of things to keep in mind and have ready for the job. First, when removing the bolts to the linkage, you will want a good breaker bar... a simple socket handle or normal sized wrench just doesn't provide the proper leverage. While they might be used, one slipand you have major damage to your extremeties. With an 18" x 1/2" breaker (strong arm?) and a 14mm socket, the job is VERY easy. (This is a no-brainer investment as there seem to be a LOT of 14mm hardware on the car.) You will need a torque wrench (the brackets spec 20 lbs and the link bolts 30 lbs ). A large crescent wrench comes in handy to provide back leverage when working on the linkage bolt/nut. Another note, in regards to Dealer Altenative... between the UPS strike and a vacation, they took care to make sure things were shipped in a timely fashion and in such a manner as to NOT sit on my doorstep while I was away on vacation. Keep in mind, I got the bars through the auction and wasn't a profit generating customer. The service I received was SUPER!
| Back to Product Reviews | 3 July, 2011 |
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