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Strut Tower Bars

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sinned4g63

Proven Member
320
86
May 1, 2017
Pasadena, Maryland
I recently purchased a set of Megan Racing strut tower bars (front and rear) and I don't have very much experience in suspension work.. when reading the directions for the installation it says to "set the desired preload". With the adjustments on the bar I can either pull the tops of the towers in or push them out. With a stock suspension set up, which would be more ideal? I know it's ultimately going to come down to personal preference but again with my lack of experience/knowledge I'm not sure how the adjustment would initially effect handling or how the suspension sits, or frankly if it would even make a huge difference. I'd like to think the shorter the bar, the stiffer seeing as how it would have less room to flex as opposed to being "pushed out" to a longer length. Hoping to make the trial and error process as short as possible.
 
I wouldn't worry about it honestly just set them so they fit and can be removed easily. Those adjustable bars for our cars are very weak and don't do a ton. Most strut/shock bars are just a solid piece with no adjustment options.
 
I prefer the DC Sport strut bars. They're just solid strut braces, no adjustments needed. The only thing I see adjustable strut braces doing, is stretching or crushing the upper strut mounts since they bolt onto the frame, which isn't supposed to adjust. A strut brace is only intended to brace the frame from side to side flex, not give you any suspension adjustment as it wouldn't work for that anyway. With the Megan Racing braces, the adjustments on the ends are for adjusting the position of the brace so it fits properly, not to change the suspension in a location it can't be changed.
 
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i would think you would want to preload it pushing outwards if at all. The forces during cornering on the bottom of the tire would cause the shock tower to move together on the highest loaded wheel (outer wheel). Preloading it outward would help keep it in place. Thoughts?
 
spyderdrifter that makes sense backing up the thought that the adjustments would be minimal if not meaningless but I also like the point doubleclutch brings up in thinking about how the towers might move. I'm about to take it for a corner filled cruise with it pulled in and take the same route back with it pushed out and see how both feels. I'm expecting little difference if at all, not like I have a ton of work done anyways to make it really matter for now LOL
 
My thoughts are the strut bar's function is to increase the strut towers rigidity. Idealt , I would install the strut bar and get it set where I wanted in static ride heights trim. Then when all set & secured I would do the wheel alignment. The trouble is our cars are noodles when it comes to rigidity. I don't use strut bars, but if I did, I would install it (them) with my car on level ground, all tire pressure checked & adjusted, maybe some weights in the seats, & tighten everything up so it won't change (move) and then align my wheels. Preload is just a marketing thing to help sell crapping products. You'd be best off with the solid, non-adjustable bars if you're going to have them.
 
Anyone seen a strut bar for the front that ties into the firewall? My brother had one for a 3000GT and that seems like it would make the most sense.
 
It takes a lot of work to cross brace to the firewall on our 2G DSM (not sure about the 1g's). The firewall is really flimsy & not structurally sound to tie into it. You'd need to weld in mounting plates (like when doing roll bars) that ties into a stronger place on the unibody. It would be a lot of work to make it actually functional.
 
For install from what I gathered you want to jack up the car but not off the ground just enough to relieve stress, adjust bar and then tighten everything. Then drop it and your good to go. I just bought an adjustable one off of ebay I have used them before with good results and cant see the reasoning to drop a lot for the DC ones. Overall research I did basically says they all do the same thing the DC one might give a slightly noticeable difference under extreme circumstance, but I doubt it. My friends used to make them out of pipe and just crush the ends in a vice and drill them.
 
Lmao +1 for using customs pipes and a vice, that's awesome. My front bar should be here on Saturday so after work I'll do everything properly %100 but for now I essentially just bolted on the rear and tightened the bar to get the least flex plus cut the tower covers to make things look clean. I did find that as I have it now, the bar being pulled in or pushed out makes little/no difference. XD
 
Lmao +1 for using customs pipes and a vice, that's awesome. My front bar should be here on Saturday so after work I'll do everything properly %100 but for now I essentially just bolted on the rear and tightened the bar to get the least flex plus cut the tower covers to make things look clean. I did find that as I have it now, the bar being pulled in or pushed out makes little/no difference. XD
Good to know. I take it you tried out playing with it a bit?
 
Yeah yesterday on a cruise and today to and from work. I know the big difference would be in the front bar but I figured might as well get the rear on since it came early. I'll try to update again on Saturday when I get the jack out and do it right. Stay tuned! Haha
 
Sorry for the delay on the "update". I got my front bar in the mail Saturday and put it on Sunday, it was a lot easier to put the brackets on the front then the rear, but the rear was easier to preload because of the clearance under the front bar make it impossible to twist after its bolted down on both sides. Once everything was bolted on though it felt good. It is NOT a massive difference for daily driving but it cuts the body roll down for sure which feels nice. The biggest difference I felt was by accident in the rain when I took a slight turn I take every day on my way home and the back end slid out before the front did. Other then that they look great and DO make a nice small difference, but as stated above you're going to want solid ones for the track or for a noticeable change.
 
Strut bars do work on our cars. The gains might not be hugely noticed on a coupe but on a Spyder it is along with fender braces.
 
Strut bars do work on our cars. The gains might not be hugely noticed on a coupe but on a Spyder it is along with fender braces.
Never said they didn't, just that the difference is small in an adjustable bar as opposed to a solid bar. They definitely do work, I can vouch for that. But again is minimal at best. But hey for $60 a piece it's definitely worth it in my opinion. XD
 
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