How does ARB 2.0 work?

In short, it allows broad range of adjustment to the overall roll stiffness on both ends of the car. At the vertical position, the blade is the most stiff. Turn the blade 90 degrees and the blade is at the softest position. 

User friendly: It takes 2-3 minutes to adjust per corner manually without removing the wheel once the car is safely set on jack stands vs changing springs which takes a lot longer to do. 

The adjustment of the blade is such that the angle (geometry) of the end-links does not change compared to most of the common one-piece ARBs 1.0 on the market use thru-holes for adjustment. Almost all the aftermarket ARB 1.0 which use thru-holes that change the angle of the end-links resulting in undesirable load-path that could result in rod-ends in bending(REIB). This cannot be dial-out and is a design flaw. You can use a bigger rod end but that is "blacksmith" not engineering. This is the reason why an OEM bar has no adjustment holes and the link is very small in diameter. Its designed to only take vertical load. Most aftermarket bars are larger and use oversized rod ends to compensate for this flaw but that is an after-thought and not effective.  The rod ends eventually fail due to REIB. Depending on your spring rate, wheel rate, and motion ratio, the adjustment of the bladed ARB is more noticeable than a normal ARB with thru holes.

What does it do?

This part is a fine tuning tool for the suspension. Enthusiasts, track minded racers who have basic knowledge of how the suspension works and want to extract the maximum potential from his/her car should use this part. This works with coil-over or non-coil-over dampers and with any spring rates.  Depending on your overall set up, you can change from oversteer/understeer quickly.  This ARB helps to retain a more constant ride height by minimize the roll angle when the car rolls on turn-in and on corner exits is definitely an advantage. There are a lot of changes during this transition and this ARB will make the car more stable through those chassis dynamics and have a more constant ride height through those maneuvers. 

Generally speaking, the more stiff the chassis(not springs), the more you will feel the difference. If you don't have non compliance bushings, here is the answer.

Pole2Flag Bladed Front-ARB 2.0(1" dia.) has been designed to have just enough bends so you can retain the front spare tire and yet, it's just as stiff as if it was a straight bar. Our analysis has shown the stiffness between the bent vs straight bars are barely noticeable.  Designed to fit all years of the NSX with the NSX-R lower chassis bar in place.

Pole2Flag Bladed Rear-ARB 2.0 (3/4" dia.) has been designed to fit most exhaust configurations in one shape with minimal bends to allow the retention of the OEM catalytic converters.  It will clear most HFC(high flow cat). ie. Random or Prospeed cats.  

Pole2Flag Racing Bladed ARBs are superior for the following reasons:

• Chrome-moly tubing = higher ultimate tensile strength(UTS), STIFF yet LIGHTER vs DOM
• Chrome-moly is STRONGER(higher yield point) given the same wall thickness as DOM
• Blades are made from aerospace alloy that offers more resistant to fatigue or loss of rate over time & plated for corrosion resistance
• Aluminum parts are machined from billet and are hard anodized for longevity
• High quality aerospace quality Aurora rod-ends
• Heat treated to proper Rockwell and powder coated Commie red
• FULLY adjustable front and rear of individual corner
• *Calculated Front bar 1.0” dia. ~< 450% vs OEM @ full stiff
• *Calculated Rear bar .75" dia. ~30-50% vs OEM @ full stiff
• WE RECOMMEMD SHOCKS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY VALVED TO YOUR SPECIFIC CAR, THE ARB 2.0 WILL WORK EVEN BETTER!!
  

*Installed overall stiffness will vary from car to car

On Blade Design
We have settled on a "conservative" profile design to fit most applications as the FEA analysis has shown, removing material from the blade will cause the blade to act too aggressively at different positions. This can be a good or a bad thing depending on the end user experience of suspension tuning which we have no control of. 

What else is available on the market?
Most of the common ARBs on the market today are 1.0 that have served the suspension curve well for the last century with the same simple design. The material is usually DOM mild steel and the process is bend and drill. Its very inexpensive to make with only one functionality. We think its wrong to use ARB 1.0 if you are not limited by the regulations. You need to move on to the next curve. The stiff/excellent NSX chassis deserve to have a better ARB in conjunction with the rest of your high dollar/racing suspension and our ARB is 2.0 with chromoly and aerospace quality components that has more "features/intelligence" than the 1.0. It can simulate ABR in 3-modes: "Street", "Sport", and "Track" mechanically by adjusting the blade in different positions in minutes. You will find many top-class racing cars use this type of ARB but not the 1.0 version. Its like having "3" ARB settings in one. ARB 3.0 is on the market as well but mostly for supercars like the MP4-12C with the Tenneco Kinetic "proactive" ARB hydraulic system which adjust the 3 modes electronically & instantaneously. 

What results should I expect after installing this part?

That depends on your set up skills, how well you understand your suspension(wheels, tires, dampers, springs, ride height, wheel rate, motion ratio, etc) to be able to draw the most out of the Bladed ARB. Depending on your existing set up, you can feel the difference even during spirited drive. If done correctly, you should see lower lap time.

Installation Tips

Follow the OEM manual for removing and installing procedure. Torque all nuts and bolts to proper specs. The 3 SS bolts at the end of the main bar where it connects to the blade, must be tighten in sequence and repeat  2X to assure even torque and contact of all surfaces.  The rod ends must be tightened in their neutral/non-preload position with tires on the ground to allow the most travel without binding. You can install this part with jack stands properly placed at the recommended jacking points. While the suspension is in full droop, snug the rod ends. Tighten/torque the rod ends after the car is lowered with wheel/tires on the ground and double check the rod ends using a 12mm open end to ensure its in the neutral position with no binding and have room to rotate. Depending on how low your car is, you may need a ramp or place wood blocks underneath the wheel/tires to gain ground clearance to access the rod ends.

Fits 1991-2005. Depending on the exhaust system you have,  the later year cars might need more clearance to fit the rear bar (we have spacers for that); we installed and used them on the early models. If you don't want to "fiddle" - leave your car stock.

If you are not sure about the above instructions, you should take the car to a reputable shop familiar with the NSX.

How do I make the adjustment?

The adjustment range is broad and adjusting it is as simple as loosening 4 bolts per side without the need to remove the wheel. 

Would it make any noise due to all the rod ends and extra linkages vs OEM?

No. Its nice, silent and tight.

Is this part track tested?

Yes. And engineered.

Is it a bolt-on part?

Yes

Do I need an alignment after the  install?
No, this installation does not affect the alignment settings.

How does it affect corner balancing?
You can fine tune EACH corner by turning the turn-buckle to get the exact balance you want. A typical one-piece ARB can not do that.

Does affect my ride quality?
No, the advantage of ARB is it suppresses body roll in bump (during cornering) but does not effect ride quality in a straight line.

What other color does it come in besides red?

Right  now red powder-coated is the only color. Depending on quantity demand, we may have other colors available. 

What’s included? 

• Chromoly main bars (2 Front & Rear)
• Symmetrical Blades (4)
• Aerospace quality Aurora rod ends (4)
• High strength nuts and bolts included
• A set of polyurethane bushings with grease

*Aluminum race bushings available upon request
*Bolt-on lateral locating collars available upon request

Brief Tech Talk

The FEM and data analysis posted is meant to demonstrate the design process Pole2Flag went through to make this part. The analysis is performed with the blade and the bar in one assembly. Its not meant for detailed engineering discussion but a reference check. This part is engineered for the NSX from 1991-2005. Custom application is available but at a higher cost.

We essentially have two springs in series here (in the roll bar at least).  Based on our input data, the blade is much stiffer than the bar at the full stiff position as the addition of the bar shows a 10x increase in compliance.  In full soft position they are about the same stiffness resulting in a 2x compliance.  This shows that the effect of changing the blade angle has a fairly dramatic effect on the stiffness of the roll bar.  This means the roll stiffness of the suspension springs is high relative to the roll stiffness of the entire ARB system. 

Since every car has different set up (springs, dampers, wheels, tires, ARB, etc.),  should you find setting from full stiff to full soft of the ARB  has little effect its because the roll stiffness of your existing suspension is too stiff (high spring rate) relative to that of the ARB.  Ideally, a much larger diameter front bar should be used on the NSX but that will require major modifications to the front of the car or lots of fiddling to the car which defeats the bolt-on design purpose of this part.

However, we will entertain the bigger anti-roll bar idea IF the interest is there. By going to a larger bar, the effect of the adjustments to the overall roll stiffness will be more apparent even with the same blade.

Final Thoughts

Pole2Flag Racing is not responsible or liable for reckless/aggressive driving that may pose a danger to the public. When purchasing this part, you agree to take full responsibility for your driving. You need to know what you are doing.

No other modifications required except maybe your driving style. Do not run out to immediately test this part on your favorite high speed corner without becoming familiar with the new balance & feel and how that reflects itself in the steering response etc.. Changes in ride height, roll stiffness, spring rates, etc. can affect high speed stability, so don't be testing the top speed limit without first testing the setup. 

This part was designed and fitted to a stock 1993 NSX with no history of accident. It should fit your car as long as it has no accident history. We are confident this is a bolt-on mod that requires no "fiddling". 

General Tuning Guide 0.082 = 6.15 times stiffer than Man 2 beat" on the track with these!

A softer front bar:
1. Increases front chassis roll.
2. Increases front grip or traction, while decreasing rear grip or traction.
3. Slower steering response.
4. Increases off-power steering at corner entry.

A stiffer front bar:
1. Decreases front chassis roll.
2. Decreases front grip or traction, while increasing rear grip or traction.
3. Faster steering response.
4. Decreases off-power steering at corner entry.

A softer rear bar:
1. Increases rear chassis roll
2. Increases rear grip or traction, while decreasing front grip or traction.
3. Less on-power steering.

A stiffer rear bar:
1. Decreases rear chassis roll.
2. Decreases rear traction, while increasing front grip or traction.
3. Faster steering response in high speed corners and chicanes.
4. Increases on-power steering.