Skip to content
As most of us know already, the FC2 and FC4 owners are the "black sheep" of the 10th gen community. Not only do they not have boost, but they also have a lack of available aftermarket parts. The biggest focus on the 2.0L NA is on suspension and brakes due to the need to compensate for lack of boost. The front strut tower bar is a very beneficial suspension component that helps stiffen the chassis under load. We looked no further than 27WON to deliver that need. One of the reasons we stuck with 27WON's FSTB was due to its 1-piece design, meaning that there is less potential for flex as it is 4x stronger than a 3-piece design.
Right away, we took the FC4 into the warehouse and slapped on one of these bad boys. 27WON did advise that this does not fit the 2016-2021 Civic 2.0L NA models. While the FTSB does technically "fit", the vacuum lines will actually rub against the strut bar during acceleration, even with a 27WON Rear Motor Mount (yes, seriously, we tried that). The only part in that kit that absolutely will not fit is the Master Cylinder Brake Brace. Additionally, we found that the battery cables were in the way. This was an easy fix though, as we just relocated those to the side.
At the time, this FC4 had an AEM Short Ram Intake with a K&N Cone Filter and the clearance was minimal, about .25". That caused a problem during acceleration as we didn't want to scratch up our beautifully finished wrinkle black strut bar or put unnecessary stress on the vacuum lines. A few head scratches, and a puddle of coolant later*, we introduced the vac lines to an angle grinder.
*If you decide to follow our DIY path, please make sure you don't contaminate your upstream O2 sensor as it makes for a not so fun time.
After cutting off ~.75" of the lines and some smoothing, we reinstalled them and successfully achieved an additional .5" of clearance, giving us about .75" of room to work with. We have also put on PRL'S High Volume Intake and this method will also clear (with more room, actually) and cause no issues with fitment. Since this install, we've put it on the Dyno, had some spirited drives, and slain The Dragon..all with no problems and a stiffer chassis.