Hey fellas, first Happy Thanksgiving. Second does anyone make a rear strut bar? Is it worth having one? From what I have read the rear towers are made of thin metal, so maybe it does benefit having one. What do you guys think?

 

I added one that used to be sold by Luke @ lindsay cadillac. I don't know if it made a huge difference, the design was super beefy except for the connections (dunno how they missed have a HUGE bolt running into 1/8" steel at best, closer to 1/16). I have noticed in oversteer conditions that the car seems to snaps harder when it regains traction, i assume because of less chassis flex.

 

You can fab one up pretty easily if you are any good with metal. I used an old shock to draw up a template on 3/16ths piece of metal. Then drilled the holes cut the metal and you have mounting plates. Then you just have to connect them.

As far as does it do much? It would be very hard to notice unless you track the car. In doing so run the car a few hard laps with out it. Then install it quick and run some more laps. I feel that would be the best way to see if it actualy changes anything.

Either way, it is kind of hard to ignore the fact that it def adds structural support. Whether or not it is beneficial to you type of driving habits is the real question in my opinion.

Also, The reason I run one is I plan on later running true coil overs. So instead of the spring going where it goes in the stock location the weight of the car is now being put onto the shock mount. Which like you said, thin sheet metal. So if you do not add some type of structural support then you will end up like the c5 corvette guys when they go with pfadt coil overs, over the transverse leafs. If they do not add support to the top shock mount they break as that spot was never designed to support the weight of the car and forces applied during driving.

Hope that helps.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Nikdsc5, do you have any pics of your rear strut bar? curious to see how it looks/fits.

 

Interested in this as well, seeing as my v is turning into a weekend/ track car.

 

I wil get some up tomorrow. It is nothing amazing but it works. haha and im not proud of how I cut the trunk inserts. I was in a hurry so...they came out ok, but not great.

 

I really cannot believe that a rear shock tower bar would make a difference. really the strut bar on the front makes a bigger difference because it is supporting the entire strut, but in the rear you are really only tieing the top of the shocks together.

 

Supporting the entire strut? you can drive the car just fine with out that bar you know? Same as you can drive with out the rear. There is no debate to wether or not they work, just look at any car with a full cage, or any race car really. I guarantee they all have bars that connect the two rear shock/spring towers. If def adds rejidity to the car, the question here is whether or not it is overly beneficial in the V series. I think yes, it was worth the time any money I have invested.

 

A rear shock tower brace isn't going to make much of a difference, that said squeezing every little thing to perform better is one of those things where it all adds up to a sum difference. The main barrier would be if something is cost prohibitive or just not feasible for daily use. A roll cage is a great way to stiffen everything but for those of us who use these cars as more than a dedicated track car it just isn't practical, so getting every bushing, brace, and miscelaneous part that can be improved is just more practically feasible.

 

So when you run true coil overs and your springs are now pushing against the top of the shock tower....guess what now the rear shocks are the same thing as the front. So...thats all I'm saying...and thus why I will run a rear strut bar.

 

Rear Strut bar that Luke used to sell:



Replaced mine with a bar that connects to the rollcage...

 

That's the one I am running. For such a fat bar you'd think they'd use beefier joints.

 

Let me clarify my statement some - by the entire strut i mean that it supports the shock/spring "entire" assembly. The engine compartment is also harder to keep rigid as it has a much bigger hole for the engine, where the rear shocks mount it is actually boxed well by the shelf under the rear window

I agree with your closing statement that it will add rigidity the question is if adding rigidity helps any. it does add some weight to the car, and takes up pass-through space. I think the definitition of works depends on what you want it to do. I would define works as making a difference in how the car handles/lap times. If adding rigidity is not helping that (and not reenforcing an area that would fatigue fail eventually otherwise) i would not consider it "working"

Even with coil overs i think my bigger concern would be bracing the top of the rear shock mounts from being able to move up. I am not sure how much benefit there is otherwise. the rest of the suspension is mounted to the cradle. Worst case if the body flexed a little the effective spring and dampening rate would be minutely effected.

 

At first pass the braces seem to make sense but then I would submit the rear cradle is where all the lateral mounting points are for the suspension. On a multi link rear suspension I'm not sure how a rear brace would help since the shock towers have nothing to do with the lateral movement of the suspension. I would doubt there is any lateral load on the shock towers when the suspension is fully loaded during high speed cornering. Junior 1 has a world class full cage that has braces built in that adds to the strength of the cage during side impact (which is similar to NASCAR specs). The added benefit he gets is that it acts like braces to the sub frame.

 

Do you still have this? If so what do you want for it shipped? You should already have my zip from the cradle bushing buy. Thanks.

 

Sorry bro, it sold about a month or two ago in my "garage sale" thread...

 

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/2004-2007-cadillac-cts-v-performance/275665-parts-supplies-sale-all-v-specific.html

Here is a guy selling his strut tower brace.

 

Dmax: that is actually the guy that bought it from me. His car ended up getting totaled before he had a chance to install. Same one from the picture...

 

Thanks for the heads up, I need to get registered on the other forum.

 

I just sent him a PM over there. I can forward your info to him if you'd like or vise versa