Best strut tower brace? - Suspension and Brake Forum

Forum Post / Reply
You must log in before you can post or reply to messages.
Best strut tower brace?
Saturday, April 16, 2011 12:12 PM
Simply question....what is the best one for the J?

I've seen some skinny ones on ebay for cheap....but I want to know is it worth the extra money for the thick mrz performance one.


GMR has got nothing on this

Re: Best strut tower brace?
Saturday, April 16, 2011 12:29 PM
Best one is a factory bar from a vert.



JBO Stickers! Get yours today!
Re: Best strut tower brace?
Saturday, April 16, 2011 12:31 PM
The best one is going to be a 1 piece bar like the GM vert bar or OEM godzilla bar. Any one with pivots will not get the job done as well no matter how tight those bolts are.





Re: Best strut tower brace?
Saturday, April 16, 2011 3:23 PM
DC Sports makes a nice bar too.
Re: Best strut tower brace?
Saturday, April 16, 2011 4:45 PM
I got a cheap ebay one and its worked great for 7 years


Fireboy153
Brady Fire Co. - Station 150
Long Live The Sunflower! (yea its not so "cool")
Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 5:44 AM
Best in this case is very subjective.


Want hub spacers? Shoot me a PM.



Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 5:50 AM
We do carry the DC Sports...


-Aaron
www.TurboTechRacing.com

Performance Parts For Cavalier, Sunfire, Cobalts and More!!!
Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 6:34 AM
best is going to be opinion and theory since nobody has actually tested multiple bars subjectively and actually gotten data to back up claims.



Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 10:44 AM
strat81 wrote:best is going to be opinion and theory since nobody has actually tested multiple bars subjectively and actually gotten data to back up claims.


I dont have data as far as track times but I have driven the car hard with different setups. The only thing changed during my experience was the strut bar. I have run nothing, an ebay bar with the bolt on end plates, and the vert bar. We all know what stock feels like. I first put on a vert bar and the difference was very noticeable. The front end tightened a lot. Next I switched to the ebay bar for looks, it was tighter than stock but pretty loose feeling compared to the vert bar. So needless to say I went back to the vert bar.

My final consensus was from 1-10 stock is a 0, the one piece vert bar is a 10, and the bolt on end plate ebay version was about a 5. Like I said above this is all based on the feel of the car while driving and not track times or sensor data. But to me the feel of the car is very important. Seems to me any 1 piece will out perform and of the ones that have the bolt on end plates because those still allow side to side movement where the bar bolts to the plate.


I couldn't find the graphic I wanted but this will suffice.






Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Sunday, April 17, 2011 11:08 AM


Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 12:56 PM
Zs Z wrote:The best one is going to be a 1 piece bar like the GM vert bar or OEM godzilla bar. Any one with pivots will not get the job done as well no matter how tight those bolts are.

This.
And on top of that, GM's version has a "curved lip" so it locks to the towers, instead of the flat design mount that it will only slide and it relies heavily on the studs.



>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 3:16 PM
Zs Z wrote:
strat81 wrote:best is going to be opinion and theory since nobody has actually tested multiple bars subjectively and actually gotten data to back up claims.


I dont have data as far as track times but I have driven the car hard with different setups. The only thing changed during my experience was the strut bar. I have run nothing, an ebay bar with the bolt on end plates, and the vert bar. We all know what stock feels like. I first put on a vert bar and the difference was very noticeable. The front end tightened a lot. Next I switched to the ebay bar for looks, it was tighter than stock but pretty loose feeling compared to the vert bar. So needless to say I went back to the vert bar.

My final consensus was from 1-10 stock is a 0, the one piece vert bar is a 10, and the bolt on end plate ebay version was about a 5. Like I said above this is all based on the feel of the car while driving and not track times or sensor data. But to me the feel of the car is very important. Seems to me any 1 piece will out perform and of the ones that have the bolt on end plates because those still allow side to side movement where the bar bolts to the plate.


I couldn't find the graphic I wanted but this will suffice.



i agree that the vert bar works well. Ive autox'd using both the ebay bars and vert bar with the 2 tabs and i like the vert bar too.

again though, there is no skidpad data to back up the consensus that the vert bar is better than a 3 pc. design. in theory, it will be but no physical proof. butt dyno's are not a reliable source of measurement.

hence my original statement.




Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 3:22 PM
p.s. sti offers a damper as a rear strut tower brace on their s204. based on your drawing, this would be worthless yet a performace car is fitted with this from the factory...

google subaru s204 strut tower brace




Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 3:44 PM
Skidpad is not the right measurment for measuring how effective a strut tower brace is. Skidpad measures lateral G-forces held between road and tire. For measuring the effectiveness of a bar on a car, you'll need a Hz measurment device.



>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 5:08 PM
between skidpad and slalom, you should be able to tell a viable difference if the strut tower braces are really that far unequal... honestly, if it's that much of a night and day difference the effects should be obvious.

you'd also want to test the bars between the same car... just as any other performance test.



Re: Best strut tower brace?
Sunday, April 17, 2011 7:24 PM
Ahhh ok I see what your saying.



Re: Best strut tower brace?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 10:56 AM
IMO the best one would have to be a tri-angulated version that has bars going to the upper radiator support.

ive yet to see a such bar be created for our cars. with as many engine options as we have it would be very hard to make a universal one. a few have just added bars for the same effect though... which is what im working on as we speak.

*edit* well thats nice... OEM has stepped up to make a tr-bar. awesome!


Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, April 19, 2011 10:59 AM


Re: Best strut tower brace?
Thursday, June 02, 2011 8:13 AM
Re: Best strut tower brace?
Thursday, June 02, 2011 8:27 AM
z yaaaa wrote:IMO the best one would have to be a tri-angulated version that has bars going to the upper radiator support.

ive yet to see a such bar be created for our cars. with as many engine options as we have it would be very hard to make a universal one. a few have just added bars for the same effect though... which is what im working on as we speak.

*edit* well thats nice... OEM has stepped up to make a tr-bar. awesome!


Late to the party I have been running my stainless piece for about 2 years now.








Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Thursday, June 02, 2011 8:33 AM


Re: Best strut tower brace?
Thursday, June 02, 2011 8:58 AM
Once we get along further with our project car we will start fabbing up a TRI STB


http://www.overkillengineeringmotorsports.com/
Re: Best strut tower brace?
Thursday, June 02, 2011 5:07 PM
Mike wrote:
z yaaaa wrote:IMO the best one would have to be a tri-angulated version that has bars going to the upper radiator support.

ive yet to see a such bar be created for our cars. with as many engine options as we have it would be very hard to make a universal one. a few have just added bars for the same effect though... which is what im working on as we speak.

*edit* well thats nice... OEM has stepped up to make a tr-bar. awesome!


Late to the party I have been running my stainless piece for about 2 years now.






mike........i've asked you for a long time. make me one. make me one now. i demand it. so sayeth jay.



Re: Best strut tower brace?
Thursday, June 02, 2011 6:06 PM
blucavvy wrote:
Mike wrote:
z yaaaa wrote:IMO the best one would have to be a tri-angulated version that has bars going to the upper radiator support.

ive yet to see a such bar be created for our cars. with as many engine options as we have it would be very hard to make a universal one. a few have just added bars for the same effect though... which is what im working on as we speak.

*edit* well thats nice... OEM has stepped up to make a tr-bar. awesome!


Late to the party I have been running my stainless piece for about 2 years now.






mike........i've asked you for a long time. make me one. make me one now. i demand it. so sayeth jay.


*Cough* Ahem. I do believe I was first.




Re: Best strut tower brace?
Thursday, June 02, 2011 6:20 PM
i do believe i don't care. , i do believe brian still owes me audio installation. so the way i see's it, is brian and mike both owes me some stuff. so sayeth jay.



Re: Best strut tower brace?
Thursday, June 02, 2011 6:54 PM
Might just make my mine. Brian with a blow torch and a hammer = good weekend.

As far as the hinged vs unhigned goes. I have a feeling that our strut towers dont flex that much that its going to be a noticeable difference. Struts/springs, sway bars, and subframe braces will likely do more for your handling than a strut bar will. Its like arguing about the color of the lugnuts on your car when the body has rust holes and missing paint.



Re: Best strut tower brace?
Saturday, June 04, 2011 7:57 AM
Mike wrote:
z yaaaa wrote:IMO the best one would have to be a tri-angulated version that has bars going to the upper radiator support.

ive yet to see a such bar be created for our cars. with as many engine options as we have it would be very hard to make a universal one. a few have just added bars for the same effect though... which is what im working on as we speak.

*edit* well thats nice... OEM has stepped up to make a tr-bar. awesome!


Late to the party I have been running my stainless piece for about 2 years now.






Sorry this just look cheap. I do not see where this would do much. If it was truly a 1 piece design ok. I will stick with the GM brace.



FU Tuning



Re: Best strut tower brace?
Tuesday, June 07, 2011 10:01 AM
Screaming for Mercy!! wrote:
Mike wrote:
z yaaaa wrote:IMO the best one would have to be a tri-angulated version that has bars going to the upper radiator support.

ive yet to see a such bar be created for our cars. with as many engine options as we have it would be very hard to make a universal one. a few have just added bars for the same effect though... which is what im working on as we speak.

*edit* well thats nice... OEM has stepped up to make a tr-bar. awesome!


Late to the party I have been running my stainless piece for about 2 years now.




Sorry this just look cheap. I do not see where this would do much. If it was truly a 1 piece design ok. I will stick with the GM brace.


Because a fake CF cowl looks sooo much better?

I can't prove what it does or doesn't do. But fact is, it's better than nothing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, June 07, 2011 11:15 AM


Forum Post / Reply
You must log in before you can post or reply to messages.

 

Start New Topic Advanced Search