Strut Tower Brace
#1
Strut Tower Brace
Are these really worth the money? What difference can I tell if all I do is normal driving. I think they look cool, and am thinking about getting one and wrapping it in carbon fiber. But I don't want to waste money if I really won't tell a difference.
#2
On The Tree
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My opinion is it's a personal assurance thing. If YOU think it helps, then by all means. I don't see how they could affect anything negatively so I have nothing against them.
#7
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The consensus is that they don't do much of anything. I thought I felt a slight difference with mine but I had it off for awhile and did not notice anything. It looks good though.
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#8
TECH Junkie
I have went threw hundreds of previous post and threads on this topic, the seven posts above pretty much sum up the hundreds of posts I have read, many many other threads on this subject if you look it up, but like said, the seven posts above covers it
#9
I think it about sums it up for me as well. I'll save my money and put it else where. I could probably get a pipe and bend it myself and look just as good. That is if it could bend the pipe in the right spots. Welding a plate on the end would be a piece of cake. To bad I don't have one to go by to make sure I bend them correctly. I could use rigid conduit for the pipe, and I know where to get benders. Now I need one to go off of.
#10
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My car didn't have one when I bought it. Added shocks/springs and replaced the sway bar bushings/end links (32mm/19mm sways on my car).
After 2 years, bought a STB and I did notice that the 'shake' from rough/uneven areas in the road calmed down. Sudden changes (lots here in vegas) were not as evident either. Also noticed the initial turn in felt more planted, especially at higher speeds with off camber turns.
It's up to you. I wouldn't go spending 100.00 on one, but if you found one say, around 50 (even used one), I would go for it.
After 2 years, bought a STB and I did notice that the 'shake' from rough/uneven areas in the road calmed down. Sudden changes (lots here in vegas) were not as evident either. Also noticed the initial turn in felt more planted, especially at higher speeds with off camber turns.
It's up to you. I wouldn't go spending 100.00 on one, but if you found one say, around 50 (even used one), I would go for it.
#11
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I did notice a few things smooth out like the guy above me talks about, but for the most part they don't do much on a 4th gen other then look good and give you something other then the cowl to brace yourself against when leaning over to work on the car, different cars get different results, like back in my ricer days I put one on my civic and there was this corner of the parking lot where I worked I had taken probably several hundred if not a thousand times before in that car (it was not uncommon back then for me to take that turn a 4+ times a day while "cruising through town") so I would say I knew that corner better then the back of my hand and i instantly noticed how much less I had to turn the wheel to take that corner in the civic.
bigger sway bars would be a more noticeable difference, definitely don't spend more then 100 bucks on a strut bar if you get one tho, founders is good for the LS1 and BMR is the only "budget" option for the 3.8 V6 guys out there, founders is like half the price of the BMR one so if you can use it then that would be the one to get. It's an inexpensive part that takes just a few minutes to install so even if it is a "90% appearance mod" it is worth that much in my book.
bigger sway bars would be a more noticeable difference, definitely don't spend more then 100 bucks on a strut bar if you get one tho, founders is good for the LS1 and BMR is the only "budget" option for the 3.8 V6 guys out there, founders is like half the price of the BMR one so if you can use it then that would be the one to get. It's an inexpensive part that takes just a few minutes to install so even if it is a "90% appearance mod" it is worth that much in my book.
#12
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (13)
I got one because I like the look. Also my girlfriend bought it for me. As far add it being dead weight. I drove my f body mainly on the street and that bar weighs only a couple pounds. So idc.
One pain about it is when doing work on the car it's one more thing to remove and install. Even though it's just 4 nuts
One pain about it is when doing work on the car it's one more thing to remove and install. Even though it's just 4 nuts
#13
If you like handling, the chassis can never be too stiff. Strut tower/chassis flex introduces unwanted variables in to suspension tuning... From slight changes in alignment, to altering suspension geometry.
#15
My car didn't have one when I bought it. Added shocks/springs and replaced the sway bar bushings/end links (32mm/19mm sways on my car).
After 2 years, bought a STB and I did notice that the 'shake' from rough/uneven areas in the road calmed down. Sudden changes (lots here in vegas) were not as evident either. Also noticed the initial turn in felt more planted, especially at higher speeds with off camber turns.
It's up to you. I wouldn't go spending 100.00 on one, but if you found one say, around 50 (even used one), I would go for it.
After 2 years, bought a STB and I did notice that the 'shake' from rough/uneven areas in the road calmed down. Sudden changes (lots here in vegas) were not as evident either. Also noticed the initial turn in felt more planted, especially at higher speeds with off camber turns.
It's up to you. I wouldn't go spending 100.00 on one, but if you found one say, around 50 (even used one), I would go for it.
I had to go back to the one I found used for $50 and see if it was in your area. I thought you might be trying to drop a hint.
#16
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does not do much, but it would help a little. the thing is when they designed the car the strut towers were super weak, so the over compensated massively and hence why tower braces dont to much. that being said, i have one lol
#17
Launching!
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I have a hotchkis one sitting in my garage. Needs a repaint but will sell it really cheap if anyone wants it. I have FRCs now and like the look without the STB.
Pm me if anyone wants it. It was on my 2000 TA for 6 years or so.
Pm me if anyone wants it. It was on my 2000 TA for 6 years or so.
#19
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Imo paying anything over the 40-something dollar price of the Founders STB is flat out retarded. Idk if I really noticed a difference or if it was just in my head since I WANTED to notice a difference. But if it did improve anything, it was only 40 dollars worth of improvement and I'd never pay more.