3-point strut bars

[Blizz92tsi]

Hey guys,
I was wondering if anyone has made or bought a 3-point strut bar for their DSM? I'm in the middle of having some one make one from an existing rear strut bar for my car. I'm going to have my shoulder straps from my racing harnesses mounted on the rear strut bar. While I'm having this done I asked about making it a 3-point and the guy helping me didn't seem to think it would be very hard. I also was wanting to do the same thing in the front but haven't really started brainstorming or anything. That and I don't have a front strut bar yet. I'd love to see what other people have done or get your suggestions on how to do it. Thanks.

 

[Defiant]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=82188&highlight=point+strut

 

[Blizz92tsi]

Thanks for the link Defiant. I've read that thread but its been a while since I've seen the updates. I wish I could find someone who had a pic of one on their 1g or someone who had some blueprints sketched up. Oh well. Later.

 

[1gAWD^PSI]

Call me retarted but i am dieing to know what is the difference between the 3=point and regular sturt bar???????

 

[igs]

3-point is about 30-times better

 

[Defiant]

Originally posted by 1gAWD^PSI
Call me retarted but i am dieing to know what is the difference between the 3=point and regular sturt bar???????

A regular, single bar is some good (much less if they have a bend in them, as most of them do) for direct lateral forces at the tower tops, but if you could run from the tower to the tower to the middle of the firewall and back to the first tower, the bracing you'd get off the firewall and the triangulation would make things that much more stiff. Not that DSMs really need strut bars anyway, but it's just the thing to do. Like replacing the amber front corner lights. Any time you're making a tubular frame or frame component, you want to make it triangulated somewhere.
Unfortunately, it looks like the gangs of crap already on the firewall will make designing this a real exercise in injenuity.

 

[rookieupgrade1]

Guess the gauntlet has been thrown down. I'll get right on this.

 

[Turningturbo25]

. Anyone have a picture of a 3-point sturt bar? I cant like undersand, and the one in the link dont helpa

 

[Blizz92tsi]

A three-point bar mounts to the shock tower just like a normal one, but the three-point has a two extra bars coming off of it. There's an extra bar on each side. The extra bar mounts either to the bar itself or the shock tower and (for front bar) and the other end mounts to the firewall. Both bars meet at a third point (for the front) on the firewall. This gives extra riggity (sp?) because the forces while cornering have an extra place to unload the forces on the car.

 

[Blizz92tsi]

Picture the car cornering without a strut bar. There's nothing there to keep the body from flexing while cornering. With a strut bar the body is kept from as much flexing because of the bar holding the body the way its supposed to be. With a three-point this is taken a step further by having two extra supports for the strut bar. These extra supports take the energy on the strut bar while cornering and unload it on the third point which makes it even that much more effective.

 

[Blizz92tsi]

The rear three-point strut bar acts in a similar way as the front. Except the extra support bars go from the strut bar to the floor. Under cornering forces the energy that's going through a normal bar are also now unloaded on the floor. I tried drawing a diagram using the keyboard but it didn't turn out right when I posted it, and I'm too lazy to look for pictures right now. I hope that helps. I'll try looking around for some good examples. Cusco makes a really cool looking three-point rear bar for the WRX. Later.

 

[Blizz92tsi]

https://secure1.nexternal.com/share...2=405295968&Target=products.asp&ProductID=130
This page should show you a Cusco 3-point rear strut bar. This thing looks very heavy duty, and very well made. I just wish they made one for our cars. Oh well. I found it within a couple minutes of searching. Later.

 

[Blizz92tsi]

Something else interesting I've seen is a three-point strut bar that the third point was the engine. This was on an import that was rear wheel drive. This served dual functions. It kept engine movement to a bare minimum and also served like I said as the third point for the strut bar. I guess technically it would be a four-point. Each support bar ran to one side of the engine. Super cool!

 

[Brett95GST]

Yeah, 3-pts are cool, but no one makes them for our cars because the general census is that all DSMers like to do is go straight.

Maybe its time for someone to go be a guinea pig and go to Home Depot racing to make one.

 

[Blizz92tsi]

RRE will make 3-point front strut bars. They sell for about $120. I've heard however that they are kinda a pain to install.

A fellow DSMer named myAWDm5 (Mike) on dsmtalk is in the process of getting 3-points made for both the front and rear.

I personally was going to be a guinea pig and take on this project, but when I posted these threads (one here and one on dsmtalk) Mike responded and sounded like he was alot further along. So now I wait to see his finished product to see where I go from there. Later.