I am looking about buying a strut tower bar for my 1999 Z28 Camaro. I was doing some research on the web about different brands and styles. My question is, what is the difference between them and what would be the better choice for my car. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

 

2000 Camaro SS,

I was considering the Hotchkis STB (2 point), is that one of the best 2 pointers? I know it's one of the best looking.

And where can I see a picture of your Edelbrock STB?

Thanks

 

<img src="http://communities.msn.com/_Secure/0LwABAh8QOnRQZZjEUE4B28SVZ2DvJlStArODk3RY33hrLbcRQ tJzFQ5EZabBe5H0Yoc*msoZ!rY/Eng2.jpg" alt="" />

Hotchkis STB is one of the best 2 point systems by what I have read over the past 3 years. I would guess they are on the majority of the cars. Just in case you want to know I got mine from either Jegs or summit. The third point for mine is just under the purple purge line in the middel of the firewall.

 

200 Camaro SS,

I've heard that sometimes the widshield can break from the 3 point during high torque or a big bump, have you heard of this.

Looks nice!

 

Never have heard of it happening but I could understand how. It would have to be a hefty bump in the road but it could happen. I had to re-install it last weekend and I was thinking if I got into a wreck in the front my windshield would go for the same reason. That might be a factor if you drive on a lot of bumpy roads.

 

They look sexy, but will yield you no real world gains unless you are running on R compound tires and on aprepped track.

Otherwise, with street tires, the tires will give way traction WAY before the front chassis begins flexing.

If you are running R compounds on a road course, then a 3 point is the way to go. If you get a 2 point, you are in effect making a box out of the front K member, the shocks and the STB. Without any lateral support, it will just rack back and forth like 4 2x4s nailed together, standing on end.

 

You have a few chooses. You have a two point and a three point. I myself have a three point it is a big PAIN in the *** but I feel it stiffens up the front more. A two point is from each strut tower, one to the other. The three point ALSO goes to the firewall I am one of the few that run a Edelbrock STB. With a third point of contact the front just don't give. BUT when you want to install plugs this is where the hard part comes in. So it's up to you, do you want a very good STB and easy to reach plugs or do you want a very very good STB and hard to reach plugs. Don't get me wrong the Edelbrock STB is not the best one out there by far it is just the one I happen to have.

<small>[ April 05, 2002, 12:23 PM: Message edited by: 2000 Camaro SS ]</small>

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Without any lateral support, it will just rack back and forth like 4 2x4s nailed together, standing on end. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yikes!!! guess I better get that hammer out...or maybe I'll use some drywall screws instead of nails!! <img border="0" alt="[jester]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_jest.gif" />

Sorry...haven't had my coffee yet <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" />

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by mitchntx:
<strong>They look sexy, but will yield you no real world gains unless you are running on R compound tires and on aprepped track.

Otherwise, with street tires, the tires will give way traction WAY before the front chassis begins flexing.

If you are running R compounds on a road course, then a 3 point is the way to go. If you get a 2 point, you are in effect making a box out of the front K member, the shocks and the STB. Without any lateral support, it will just rack back and forth like 4 2x4s nailed together, standing on end.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I disagree! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="gr_tounge.gif" /> I could feel a REAL difference with the Hotchkis stb and my car handled better entering corners AND all though not as important...I lost a few rattles in the dash.

I, like a lot of people here have their favorite roads, hills, and curves they like to take. I have a couple of very tight cloverleaf ramps that I like to test out.

After the brace my car felt much more solid entering the turn at higher speeds and did not tend to drift as before.

The advantage, I think, is exactly what you seemed to think was a disadvantage...creating a box out of the front suspension. Even though it is a "racking" box, it more or less keeps the geometry more evenly spaced than without a brace.

Without the brace, the outside wheel/tire tends to flex as if to fold under the car(exagerated) while spreading the top of the shock tower away from the car. Granted this is probably minimal in the whole scheme of things BUT if it helps and particularly if I can FEEL the difference then I feel it's a good mod.

Here is something that I've wondered though...the Hotchkis stb is connected to the shock towers with bolts acting like hinges so that at whatever angle they may be, they should still remain the same distance apart without ADDING stress or binding to the suspension.

The BMR and other similar single piece designs seem that they "might" induce stress and binding on the tops of the towers, or at least the bolts, when taking hard corners since they don't pivot at those points.

Just a thought. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by WEASEL:
<strong>
I disagree! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="gr_tounge.gif" /> I could feel a REAL difference with the Hotchkis stb and my car handled better entering corners AND all though not as important...I lost a few rattles in the dash.

</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">And we can do that in this country ... ain't it great? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

And I will disagree with your "testing" parameters.

There are way too many variables on the street (dirt, oil, pedestrians,) to get a real world, side by side comparo.

I will admit, when I installed my 2pt, I too thought I felt a tremendous gain. That is until I saw there was no differences in my lap times on a road course with or without it.

I think my butt-o-meter was calibrated by the reduction in my wallet size.

But hey, a lot of people swear they can feel it ... results vary ...

 

Two point braces are great and DO help greatly in stabilizing the front end. You can't go wrong with one of those braces. Three points hold a little tighter and do not allow the body to flex. My car is for drag race only and for me the stiffer the better. My concern is twisting the body on launch or twisting the body when my front end comes down so I want it as stiff as possible.

 

The only way to go is the three point. Right now my car is in the shop at HP Motorsports in Omaha were they are fabricating a new 3 point brace for the LS1. My car is the lab rat of sorts, for quite a few of thier projects. The strut tower brace was invented more or less by the father (Kenny Brown) of the General Manager of HPM. Most of the stuff being run out of other companies was "borrowed" from Kenny Brown and his son Paul's reasearch and developement.
<img border="0" alt="[hail]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Chevrolet]" title="" src="graemlins/camaro.gif" />

 

I have a Hotchiks and I like it. I could feel the front end dig into corners a little harder. But the best thing was it kept my front tires from wandering as much on road irregularities with my 275/40 front tires. I noticed that immediatly. I guess when one tire hits a rut, it causes the front to flex because the wheels are trying spread apart from each other (or move closer together}, and keeping the shock towers from moving helps alot. Maybe that theroy is flawed, but I'm sticking to it <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> The Hotchiks is the beefiest and best looking 2 point. Where does a 3 point bolt to the fire wall area? I may could find a way to make mine a 3 point.

 

I went with the BMR 2 point, its easy to take off if you need to get at the motor, etc....and it looks plain and simple in the engine bay... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />