I have read a few threads and am confused about differing opinions. Can the rear mount points on an '03 ES support the use of a larger rear sway bar (19 or 22.5mm)? Should I wait on getting a bigger bar until I replace the rear struts, or can I add it to the stock stuff? Just when I figure out what to do to my RX-7, I feel the need to upgrade my Protege!!

 

Yes and no. I got AWR's 19mm bar, and use it on the stiff setting. The OEM struts tabs lasted nearly a year of autocrossing, then while driving down the freeway one day I heard a clanking, the tab had torn clean off. They recommend going to Tokico's, or anything with a beefier tab for any larger than stock sway bar. While I got away with it for a while, in the end they are right. AWR's 21.5mm bar would probably have been worse. The 19mm AWR bar on the soft setting might be OK, but it isn't much stiffer than stock 15.9mm(DX-LX)or 16mm(ES-P5) rear bar due to the arm length involved. The stock strut sway bar mounting tabs are definitely a weak link.

 

Thanks for the response. I will just wait to get a rear bar until I get new shocks/struts.