Proper intallation and function of strut tower bars [Merged 1-7]

[Defiant]

Strut bars don't do a lot on DSMs, and I've yet to discover _why_ the compression method is supposed to be better than tension. But do an experiment, get the strut aligned and with just one end fastened so that you can see any difference, then jack the car up and see if there is. I'd be very surprised if it moves 1/32".
And yes, I do run struts. I _think_ the sunroof creaks less going in and out of the driveway, but that could be dust in there, too.

 

[MorpheusGPR]

I am not too sure on this compant. The bar looks petty solid.

I am looking for a front strut bar and a rear also if they make one?

I also am looking for swaybars front and rear.

I found this on ebay and it looks beter then the $15 alm. jobbies that would surely flex.

Anyone know if it will actually work or just be a show piece?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33591&item=2434897754

 

[Defiant]

Any bar will flex, but it doesn't matter because they're tension/compression pieces. The $15 ones don't work any better than a piece of electrical conduit... and neither do the $250 ones.

If you don't like the cheap ones, go with the one you like the looks of best. They have virtually no effect on DSMs, as the structure isn't flimsy enough to take advantage of them.

Rears for 1Gs are needed even less, and are tough to find.

 

[Maximuscr31]

I just installed rear and front strut tower braces on my car and I can tell a noticeable difference.I still have the stock suspension. My car doesnt roll as much as it did and it also is stiff and more rigid. If you install them right the do make a difference.

 

[Tom N]

I didnt notice much of a difference with the front bar( doesnt mean it wasnt making a difference) but i did notice a difference with the rear.
Not sure if brand matters but i have a Eibach front strut bar and a buschur rear bar.

 

[Defiant]

Originally posted by Maximuscr31
I just installed rear and front strut tower braces on my car and I can tell a noticeable difference.I still have the stock suspension. My car doesnt roll as much as it did and it also is stiff and more rigid. If you install them right the do make a difference.

They _can_ have an effect on the head.... yours, not the car's.

There's some folklore about installing them "pressing out" instead of "drawing in", but I don't know if there's anything to the idea. It's foolishness in engineering practice, as they're already crooked enough to have minimal strength in compression (and, crooked enough to have minimal effect in tension).

I put them on my 94 and my 95, because you have to. I mean, all the cars at LeMans have them, and you never know, I just might get a reply from the FIA about my request to run as an amateur. It'd save me that much more setup time. But I've not noticed any difference in handling feel. I just hope the weight penalty is worth the gains.

 

[sacestar836]

where can i get cheap strut bars? particularly the rear one...kinda hard to find...

 

[wastefuldreamer]

www.Ebay.com www.roadraceengineering.com

 

[Laser-man]

i was told that our cars dont need front strut bars because of the fire wall being so close the the strut towers. please correct me if im wrong. but the rear is a good idea.

 

[Dieselboy]

Strut bars are good in any suspension upgrade. The more stability to the chassis, the less flex, which equals better handling.

 

[Defiant]

I don't think they do much, but you gotta have 'em. Well, you just do.

Rears for 1Gs are _very_ hard to find, and expensive when you do. Apparently the fronts off a Civic will work in the rear if you make your own brackets.

Another myth is that they work better if they're installed under pressure instead of tension (pushing out instead of pulling in).

 

[sacestar836]

how do you install them like that?

 

[boosted95]

www.machv.com

 

[Defiant]

Originally posted by sacestar836
how do you install them like that?

Jack up the car so that the suspension is hanging, put the bar on so that you can turn it to make the screw ends move _outward_ to level it up, tighten and lower.

But I'd like to find anyone who if we took the bar out for one random day in a week, without their knowing, they could tell us what day it'd been.

And I've not seen _anything_ on here about _lower_ tie bars (although I've not looked for it, either).

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

ebay cheapest

 

[91silvergsx]

speed people.com that is were i got mine. they are nice and simple.

 

[Jason84]

ive got a really really nice 1g rear strut bar.. think i paid $66 + $15 shipping.

 

[Jason84]

well here is a link to one.. dont know if im alowed to post it or not but here it is anyways
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33591&item=2438080847

 

[OddyseusDSM]

lower bars are nuts, we put them on my friends '94 civic dx and he banded the hell outta them. we eventually ripped it off (well broke one side) driving rally style. honda + rally = not happening. anyway with just the rear on his car understeers more. its kinda like the opposite of sway bars if ya think about it. front bar = understeer.

 

[nellystyle]

here's the pics, they're from ebay, RS series or something, i pulled the sticker off and left them plain chrome. hell for 22.50 for both front and rear... can't go wrong in my book, i've noticed a substantial difference in handling around corners suspension feels a lot tighter. all in all i'm very hpapy with them

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[greyforestgst]

i have the same ebay specials.

$35 shipped for both!

be sure to tension them. once you get the bar so that the end bolts slide right through, screw one of the end holes out one turn from the bar(yes out).
the bolt shouldn't go back in. get a couple beefy friends to pull the fenders away from each other, while you pound the bolt through the hole.

repeat process for rear.

 

[nellystyle]

sounds exactly like what i did those things are tight as hell

 

[Defiant]

Or just jack up the end you're installing on. The question of tension or compression seems unanswered. From an engineering standpoint, you'd want tension: A strut bar isn't a compression component. Particularly the front one, with its nice bend.

I have both on my 2G, and a front on my 1G. I've felt no difference with them. However, the rear does interfere nicely with getting things in and out of the hatch.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

not bad for that price at all. i wonder if theres anything else out there. like for BMWs they have sum phatt looking ones.

 

[CowPimp]

I noticed a very small difference in handling with mine. Luckily the front one was already installed when I got the car. Anyway, you can't go wrong with a deal like that.