Tanabe Strut Tower Bar for 13-15 Honda Civic Si

Tanabe Sustec Front Strut Tower Bar - 2013-2015 Honda Civic (Coupe & Sedan)

This is one of the best value-per-dollar handling upgrades you can bolt to a 9th gen Civic, and you feel it the first time you turn into a corner. It ties your two front strut towers together so they stop moving independently, which keeps your suspension geometry where it's supposed to be instead of letting the chassis flex change it mid-corner. Cheap, straightforward, and immediately noticeable.

What A Strut Tower Bar Actually Does

Worth understanding, because it explains why you feel it right away. Your front struts mount to towers in the fenders, and those towers are welded to a unibody that flexes under load. Turn hard and the outside strut tower gets pushed while the inside one gets pulled, and the two ends of your suspension move slightly relative to each other.

When that happens, your alignment isn't your alignment anymore. Camber changes on both sides, the tire contact patches shift, and the car feels vague right at the moment you want it to feel precise. A tower bar ties the two together so they move as one. Your geometry holds, the steering feels sharper and more direct, and the front end responds when you ask rather than a beat later.

The gain is biggest on turn-in and on quick direction changes, which is exactly where a front-drive Civic wants help.

Adjustable Preload Sets It Up Right

This is what separates the Sustec from a bar that's just a tube with two plates. The preload is adjustable, so you're not stuck with whatever length the bar happens to be when it comes out of the box.

That matters more than it sounds. A bar installed with no preload does nothing until the chassis has already flexed enough to load it. A bar installed with too much preload is fighting the chassis at rest and can actually pull your towers out of position. Being able to dial it in means you set it neutral and tight, and the bar starts working the moment the chassis wants to move rather than after the fact. Take the time to set it properly on install and you get the full benefit.

Built To Last

Tanabe uses an extruded center shaft for rigidity, which is what keeps the bar itself from becoming the flexible link in the chain, and there's a reinforced lip adding strength where it matters. The endplates are steel, so they hold up to years of load cycling and engine bay conditions without deforming or corroding out. It's a simple part and the whole job is not flexing, so the construction is the product.

Fits The Whole 9th Gen Lineup

Good news if you're not in an Si. Tanabe lists this bar for the 2013-2015 Civic across both Si and non-Si trims, in coupe and sedan. So whether you've got an Si, an EX, an LX, or anything else in the lineup, this fits, and the benefit is the same. Base cars arguably feel it more, since they're starting from a softer setup.

One important exclusion: this does not fit the 2012 Civic. Honda revised the car for 2013, and the earlier chassis isn't covered. Check your year before ordering.

An Easy First Modification

A tower bar is one of the most common first mods for good reason. It's inexpensive, it installs in under an hour with hand tools, it's completely reversible, and it doesn't require a tune, an alignment, or any other supporting parts. There's no downside to ride quality and nothing to maintain afterward. You bolt it in, set the preload, and drive a slightly better car.

Fitment

• 2013-2015 Honda Civic Coupe (Si and non-Si)
• 2013-2015 Honda Civic Sedan (Si and non-Si)

Does not fit the 2012 Civic.

Who Should Run This Tower Bar

This is for the 9th gen owner who wants the front end to feel tighter without spending real money or committing to anything permanent. First modification on an otherwise stock car, a supporting piece alongside coilovers and sway bars, or just a cheap fix for a car that feels vague turning in. Bolt it on, set the preload properly, and go feel the difference on the first corner.

Fits: 2013-2015 Honda Civic, coupe and sedan, Si and non-Si. Does not fit: 2012 Civic. Type: front strut tower bar. Features: adjustable preload, extruded center shaft, reinforced lip, steel endplates. Install: bolt-on, no modification required.