Best Sway Bars for 2013-2020 Subaru BRZ & Toyota 86

The best sway bars for the 2013–2020 Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 (and the shared Scion FR-S) are larger-diameter, adjustable anti-roll bars that cure the chassis's biggest factory weakness: understeer. The ZN6 twins are praised for their low center of gravity and 53/47 weight balance, yet they leave the showroom with soft, small anti-roll bars that let the body lean and push the nose wide mid-corner. Swapping in a stiffer adjustable bar — especially at the rear — is the cheapest, fastest way to wake up the handling, and at NLP Performance in Tampa, FL it is the first suspension part our 86/BRZ customers add before coilovers or wheels.

Below we compare five in-stock options from Whiteline, Eibach, Hotchkis and Progress Technology — by bar diameter, adjustability, position and price — so you can pick the right setup for a daily driver, a canyon car or a dedicated track toy. Every bar here bolts to the factory mounting points and ships with the hardware you need.

Why Are Sway Bars the Best First Handling Mod for the BRZ & 86?

A sway bar (anti-roll bar) is a spring-steel torsion bar that links the left and right wheels so the suspension resists body roll in a corner. On the 2013–2020 BRZ and 86, a thicker rear bar shifts the handling balance toward neutral or mild oversteer, so the car rotates instead of plowing. Because the ZN6 comes with a modest factory setup, the difference is dramatic: flatter cornering, quicker turn-in and more usable grip from the same tires — for a fraction of the cost of coilovers.

Adjustable bars add a second advantage. Each bar has multiple end-link mounting holes; moving the link closer to the bar's end softens the rate, while the inner hole stiffens it. That means one part covers a daily-driver setting and a track setting. For most owners the ideal starting point is a stiffer adjustable rear bar paired with the factory or a mild front bar — it fixes understeer without making the car nervous in the wet.

Top Pick: Whiteline 18mm Adjustable Rear Sway Bar

The Whiteline 18mm X-adjustable rear sway bar (part BSR54XZ) is our top pick for the 2013–2020 BRZ and 86 because it delivers the biggest handling change per dollar. This cold-formed spring-steel bar replaces the small factory rear bar, comes with three on-car stiffness positions and includes heavy-duty adjustable end links and synthetic-greased polyurethane bushings. Priced around $300, it is the classic understeer fix the 86/BRZ community recommends first.

Best Complete Kit: Eibach 25mm Front & 19mm Rear Anti-Roll-Kit

If you want a matched front-and-rear upgrade in a single box, the Eibach Anti-Roll-Kit (part 82105.320) is the easiest decision. It pairs a tubular 25mm front bar and a tubular 19mm rear bar, both 2-way adjustable, so Eibach has already dialed in the front-to-rear balance for you. Tubular construction keeps weight down versus solid bars, and the kit sells for around $538 — less than buying a premium front and rear bar separately.

Best for the Track: Hotchkis Adjustable Sport Sway Bars

For track-day and autocross builds, the Hotchkis Sport Sway Bar set (part 22445) is the most aggressive option here. It combines a lightweight 25.4mm 2-way adjustable front bar with a 19mm 4-way adjustable blade-style rear bar — four rear settings give the widest tuning window of any kit on this list. Both bars wear a durable powder-coated finish and ride on greasable bushings. At around $799 it is the priciest pick, but it is a complete, race-proven front-and-rear solution.

Best Front Bar: Whiteline 22mm Adjustable Front Sway Bar

Running a stiffer rear bar and want to sharpen turn-in without pushing the balance too far? Add the Whiteline 22mm 2-position adjustable front bar (part BSF45XZ). It flattens front-end roll and quickens steering response, and because it is adjustable you can match its rate to your rear bar setting. At around $278 with adjustable end links included, it is the natural companion to our top-pick rear bar — and it also fits the 2022+ GR86 and BRZ.

Best Budget Pick: Progress Technology 17.5mm Rear Sway Bar

The budget pick is the Progress Technology 17.5mm adjustable rear bar (part 62.2135) at around $217 — the lowest-priced way to fix the ZN6's understeer. It swaps the small OEM rear bar for a larger alloy-steel bar on harder polyurethane bushings, adding roll stiffness so the tires stay flatter and more connected mid-corner. It is adjustable for street or track and, like every bar here, bolts to the factory points. If your budget is tight, start here — the rear bar alone transforms how the car rotates.

BRZ & 86 Sway Bar Comparison: Specs Side by Side

Here is how the five sway bar options for the 2013–2020 Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 compare by position, adjustability, bar diameter and price. All five are in stock at NLP Performance.

How to Choose: Front Bar, Rear Bar, or Both?

Start with the rear bar. On the 2013–2020 BRZ and 86, a larger adjustable rear sway bar is the most effective single change because it attacks the car's built-in understeer and makes it rotate. If you only buy one part, buy a rear bar — the Whiteline 18mm or the budget Progress 17.5mm.

Add a front bar when you want sharper turn-in and a more neutral car at the limit, or when you have added grippier tires and want to keep roll flat at both ends. Matching a front and rear bar (like the Whiteline 22mm front with the 18mm rear, or the Eibach and Hotchkis kits) lets you fine-tune the balance so the car stays planted rather than snappy. For street cars, run the softest settings; for track use, step up the rear rate first and the front second until the balance feels right.

Whatever you choose, a sway bar install is a weekend job on a lift or jack stands, requires no cutting, and pairs perfectly with upgraded suspension down the road. Browse every option in our sway bars collection.

Installation and What to Expect on the ZN6

Installing a sway bar on the 2013–2020 BRZ or 86 is one of the most beginner-friendly suspension jobs there is. A rear bar typically takes about an hour: raise the car, unbolt the factory bar from its two chassis brackets and the end links, slide the new bar in with the supplied polyurethane bushings, and torque everything down. A front bar is similar, usually 60 to 90 minutes. No alignment is required and no parts are cut, so your warranty-friendly factory geometry is untouched.

Set the adjustable end links to the softest (outer) hole for your first drive, then stiffen one notch at a time until the car rotates the way you want. On the road you will immediately notice flatter cornering, quicker turn-in and less of the nose-wide push the stock car is known for — all from the same tires. Owners running a staggered front-and-rear setup, such as the Whiteline 22mm front with the 18mm rear or the Eibach and Hotchkis kits, get the most tunable, track-ready balance. Pair the bars with fresh performance tires and the ZN6 twins reward you with genuinely neutral, confidence-inspiring handling.