strut braces, all the same??

[Project D]

I am looking af a little extra something for my chassis and I was wondering if there really is any diefference between the off-brand strut braces and the brand names (Tanabe, Greddy). I really don't think there is any difference, but if you guys know something I don't, let me know..................

[Phlip]

Name is the only difference for all intents and purpose, I have no reason to believe that a name is a good enough reason for the difference in cost... I paid $20.00 for my own and I have NO idea what brand it is.

[007jpang]

i had cusco and now i have the ebay kind.... the only difference in function is none... but the weight of my cusco os strut bar that i had was much lighter.

the bling level was also high

john

[SpeedMonkeyInc]

I am a firm believer that it does matter. I looked for a design that did not have an exaggerated "dog leg" and weak or thin looking mounts. I chose CP racing
http://cpracing.ca/cgi-bin/online/storepro.php

I am very happy with this bar, cheap, light weight and strong. They have excellent customer service as well.

[2JZGTE]

Some strut bars have solid ends instead of pivoting ends. I've had pivoting and solid end, liked the solid end better.

Maybe think about getting fender brace, especially if you have S13.

Billy

[HyperTek]

having a front strut bar may yeild more understeer.. so its not always neccessary, unless you like understeer. But any rear is a must! im proudly rocking a ebay rear strut bar... its cool cuz i sometimes carry a bunch of metal crap in the back like a truck and last thing i need to worry about is scratching a $100 cusco OS rear bar

i stuck my jdm bling hippo sleek bar under my car.. it actually works just like a chassis brace on my car, I only put it there since I wasnt using it and it supports this area pretty good. Id rather have used a ebay front strut bar to do the job but oh well.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/streetphase/100_0333.jpg

[007jpang]

Some strut bars have solid ends instead of pivoting ends. I've had pivoting and solid end, liked the solid end better.

Maybe think about getting fender brace, especially if you have S13.

Billy

if your low on cash yyou can always get a welder weld in a fender brace

might be stronger too

[iMAGE976]

i Believe theres a difference...for example the cusco or ebay bars function almost the same. But compare those to a CARBING bar...you're in a whole different ball park. Carbing bars are one peice, as appose to a regular 3 piece bar. any time u have screws n nuts, you tend to have flex. Im not saying that the one peice carbing bar doesnt flex,but im pretty sure it does under severe stress. but it has a lesser tendancy to. Jus my Two cents.....

http://bulletproofautomotive.com/items/alt113_07.jpg
http://www.prostreetonline.com/pso/images/products/564-540-A.jpg

[SochBAT]

I think the only difference is in the structural rigidty of the bar itself. My buddy had a cheapy ebay one, and it bent after about a month or so of drifting. We then took it off, and bent it into a V. We tried to make it a bow, but it didn't work. GET SOMETHING RIGID!!!

[OptionZero]

the 3 point ones are way better, but they aren't nearly as common

[Drunk Bastard]

its a proven fact that if you spend more on any particular item, then its truely better. example: your $800 LCA's are better than my $50 LCA's....why? cause "he has the most money, wins." :mephfawk: :mephfawk:

[Project D]

I actually ended up buying some no name one piece (greddy-style) bars of ebay for cheap. When they get here I'll post up my thoughts.

[projectRDM]

9 times out of 10 the reduction in cost is found in the hardware. The $20 Ebay bars are fine but they come with cheap, chromeplated bolts that will shear off when tightened. Buy grade8 hardware and you're just as good as the higher priced stuff.
And the CP Racing three point bar is a horrible design, the firewall points are anchored in with screws to thin sheetmetal, there's no structure there at all. I highly doubt you notice any stiffening over a regular single bar design. If the anchor points were at the pinchweld below the cowl where there's actually double layer steel than they might be better, the Tomei and other bars tie in there and have a larger contact plate also.

[Yoshi]

And the CP Racing three point bar is a horrible design, the firewall points are anchored in with screws to thin sheetmetal, there's no structure there at all. I highly doubt you notice any stiffening over a regular single bar design. If the anchor points were at the pinchweld below the cowl where there's actually double layer steel than they might be better, the Tomei and other bars tie in there and have a larger contact plate also.

Thank god someone said this... I was wondering how far the thread would go.... how come almost EVERY year this question somehow yields a multipage thread? Perhaps one of hte old one need sticky :)

[kandyflip445]

having a front strut bar may yeild more understeer.. so its not always neccessary, unless you like understeer. But any rear is a must! im proudly rocking a ebay rear strut bar... its cool cuz i sometimes carry a bunch of metal crap in the back like a truck and last thing i need to worry about is scratching a $100 cusco OS rear bar

i stuck my jdm bling hippo sleek bar under my car.. it actually works just like a chassis brace on my car, I only put it there since I wasnt using it and it supports this area pretty good. Id rather have used a ebay front strut bar to do the job but oh well.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/streetphase/100_0333.jpg

Strut bars don't affect understeer really. They keep the front of the car from flexing. Sway bars affect over/understeer.