tegwin
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| posted on 19/12/07 at 10:54 PM |
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Tintop strut brace!?!?
One of the other car specific forums I frequent is full of people going on and on about how they are fitting strut braces to the front and rear of
their front wheel drive hot hatch....(along with some other pointless bits and pieces of heavy metal)
Now, I know the theory of them is to prevent flexing between the suspension mounts to give a crisper ride with sharper handling etc...BUT
If the flexing without a brace was so bad as to effect the suspension enough to be noticed wouldnt this cause the car to fall appart due to excessive
fatigue stressing of the metal?
And...Because the suspension arms are mounted on nice squidgy bushes, adding a strut brace would do diddly squat because the suspension arms can still
flex in a direction that is not beneficial to the cars performance...
So are strut braces really an aid...or are they just another one of those "go faster" "shiny" cons...
I know they are fitted as standard to at leas t one production car...Either the rx8 or the 350Z...I cant remember which, seemed a bit odd...
Just one of those random questions that i figured I should share with the world...
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blakep82
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| posted on 19/12/07 at 10:57 PM |
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well... they use them in mk1/2 escort rally cars and the like. i doubt they're much use on road cars though
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indykid
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| posted on 19/12/07 at 11:57 PM |
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i know 2 people that have fitted them.
both noted it increased the car's tendency to understeer. this was a mk3 astra and a 106.
the one with the astra took it off again within a couple of hundred miles, the one with the 106 gti left it on for the look, but to be fair, he never
really drove it hard except in a straight line.
not a road car mod i guess, and not ideal if used on its own
tom
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MkIndy7
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| posted on 20/12/07 at 12:22 AM |
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I think in FWD they might be a bit of cosmetic gimic as well, if its got Front anti-roll bars then it should be enough.
My 170 BHP 1988, Opel Corsa understeers less than my 1995 55 BHP 1.1 MK3 Fiesta Sapphire ever did with the same size tires!.
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 20/12/07 at 01:33 AM |
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you'd be suprised just how much some cars flex, you won't don't tend to notice unless the car has a forward opening bonnet.
I've seen the bonnets move around at the top when open and the wheels are turned from side to side 
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carpmart
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| posted on 20/12/07 at 07:39 AM |
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I had an old e30 BMW 325i 2 door. Now admittedly this is RWD so doesn't directly answer your question but, I fitted one and transformed what
was already good handling to great handling. I am not sure if that was due to the car being 22 years old so a bit 'looser' than it should
have been but it did make a significant and worthwhile difference.
I've sold that car now 
You only live once - make the most of it!
Radical Clubsport, Kwaker motor
'94 MX5 MK1, 1.8
F10 M5 - 600bhp Daily Hack 
Range Rover Sport - Wife's Car
Mercedes A class - Son's Car
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mcerd1
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| posted on 20/12/07 at 08:52 AM |
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anything that stiffens the chassis has got to help
but I suspect that you'll also need to adjust the suspension to make use of it as well as pollybushes etc
(followed by lots of testing/ setup)
my 106 (1.0 LX) flexes so much that it would take a full weld-in cage to really stiffen it, also its got very soft bushes, soft springs, soft dampers
and there is no anti-roll bar - so just fitting a strut brace would be totally pointless
[Edited on 20/12/07 by mcerd1]
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irvined
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| posted on 20/12/07 at 08:59 AM |
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I have both front and rear braces fitted to my MX5 (RWD Though) and i noticed a big improvement compared to not having them.
Don't know how to describe it - but its definitly sharper.
http://irvined.blogspot.com
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pajsh
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| posted on 20/12/07 at 11:18 AM |
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I had a 06 Mondeo ST150 CDTi last year that I'm pretty sure had one fitted as standard.
Cornered well on flat stuff but easily unsettled over bumps. Had pretty wide wheels (245 40 R17 IIRC) too which didn't help.
I used to be apathetic but now I just don't care.
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dan__wright
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| posted on 20/12/07 at 01:15 PM |
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ive added on to my corsa c (fwd) and it made a huge difference, the car used to understeer a lot, added the brace and its loads better, then put
stiffor & shorter springs and even if i try i can not get it to understeer now.
FREE THE ROADSTER ONE…!!
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MkIndy7
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| posted on 20/12/07 at 06:42 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by dan__wright
ive added on to my corsa c (fwd) and it made a huge difference, the car used to understeer a lot, added the brace and its loads better, then put
stiffor & shorter springs and even if i try i can not get it to understeer now.
I suppose mines got lowering springs on it and its Polly bushed everywhere.
I was considering getting a strut brace for the front but its hard to find a definitive answer which (if any) will fit over the standard air box on
the XE engine.
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