chezgk

Hi guys. Thought I'd let you know that the Cusco rear sway bar for the ZSU60W JDM Toyota Harrier fits the NX200t and (presumably) the current Toyota RAV4. The Cusco part number is 978 311 B25.

It's a 25mm sway bar, and it includes polyurethane bushings and bushing mounts that are beefier than the stock hardware. Unlike the Toyota Harrier, which has a 19mm rear sway bar, my NX200t F-Sport w/ AVS has a 23mm bar installed, so it's not really that big of a step up to 25mm. Compared to the stock bar, however, the Cusco bar has thicker mounts and less of a taper going to the bolt holes (Picture 1). The included polyurethane bushings greatly change the vehicle's feel, with less unnecessary side-to-side swaying going on and more feedback, which may not be everyone's cup of tea. Will go through twisties this weekend and chime back on how it feels.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take pictures of the installation procedure, but Toyota/Lexus's configuration is definitely not mod-friendly. The rear sway bar goes front/in and up ABOVE the rear differential (Pictures 2 and 3), which is a huge contrast to Subaru's setup, where you basically unscrew bolts and replace parts. We were able to do the removal and install after lifting the vehicle and removing the rear diff protection bar (not present in both pictures), pulling the sway bar out from behind the rear left arm and rotating it every few inches or so, reverse of which was done with the new bar. No need for wheel removal.

corradoMR2

Thanks for sharing. Keep us posted with your feedback.

chezgk

Went out for a drive earlier today. Compared to the last time I drove this route, the vehicle definitely feels like it's easier to rotate. Sway-wise, there's not so much of a big difference, but balance-wise, it's definitely a lot closer to neutral. Note that the rear sway bar upgrade reduces grip on the rear end more than it adds grip to the front end, though this has probably been covered in countless forum articles throughout the internet. Whether it reduces grip on one end or adds to the other, the upgrade really made the NX a lot more fun to drive. Surprising, given *just* 2mm difference compared to the stock bar. The PU bushings must be contributing a lot as well.

Note that there are no posted speed limits on this road, that no overtaking maneuvers were made on blind corners, and that absolute respect was given to fellow road-users in this video:

TomoG

Any chance anyone else did this mod? Ordering parts from Japan are a bit of a hassle for me, plus no returns, so I just want to double check this is legit before moving forward.

olgzr

Is there a matching front bar available?

chezgk

You can check with jp-carparts and see that the OEM P/N for the NX, RAV4, and Harrier RSB are the same.

None that I knew of at time of purchase.

Lazerboy

Did you change both rear and front for the video shoot?
You think it would work well for the base version?
How much did it cost you?

chezgk

Just the rear bar and bushings. I wasn't aware of any front bar available at time of purchase, and if ever there was one, I don't think it would have been as easy a job as the rear bar was.

The only difference is the presence of adaptive suspension for the Philippine-version F-Sport. Bar OEM numbers remain the same so I don't see why it wouldn't.

Roughly $200 shipped to 91340, bought off an eBay seller. Cheers

Lazerboy

Found this one but it doesnt look like the same curvature as in your picture, youre sure you get the right model?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-New-CUSC...-/172317126115

chezgk

Bingo. That's the guy I got the bar from! He just has the same Cusco stock photo in all his listings.

EDIT: Checked the listing; apologies for the wrong price estimate off my memory. I failed to account for shipping.

Lazerboy

But again, they stock version sway bar look like this one:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Rear-Anti-roll-Stabilizer-Sway-Bar-4881242040-OEM-Lexus-NX200t-AGZ10-15-2015-16-/272262160412?hash=item3f6416e01c:g:59wAAOSwepJXUH50&vxp=mtr
If you are telling me you installed the JDM CUSCO I found on ebay, I dont know how you installed it as its a different shape when you compare they side by side!

chezgk

Pardon the confusion. When I said the seller uses the same stock photos for all Cusco listings, this is what I meant:


I received the correctly shaped bar, as seen in the side by side pic in my original post. Cheers

Lazerboy

My bad, Darnnn lazy ebay sellers for a 400$ (CAD) crow bar, I would expected the right picture!! ...Queek Queek.

My last question, how hard was it to remove the differential cover? Do you think its something anyone can do with a jack stand?

chezgk

Diff bar was just mounted on by 2 bolts and was extremely easy to remove. I think it's designed to take the hit in case the NX underbody has to slide over rocks... in case someone actually does take it rock crawling.

Lazerboy

Ok I'm ordering one, convinced me. thanks.