made my own strut towr bar.
- Thread starter kingcobracustom
- Start date
Jaswir
Member
i would put the two up front towards the back by the fire wall... Thats why its designed that way, the front will flex... and if you bolt to the back firewall like normal ones you will have a stiffer feel! But looks good tho!
I have one on mine and like it... Does stiff it up!
I have one on mine and like it... Does stiff it up!
Well, it looks pretty, but the two front bars aren't really needed since the main axis of flex would be behind the strut towers. Also, the rear bars aren't really connecting to anything to stiffen it up. They should really go over to the firewall and join at the pinch weld since it's the most structurally sound part of the bay. The idea is to have the pinch weld take the load transferred to the struts.
Take a look at the maximum motorsports strut bar. It's the best design IMHO for the sort of loads the front end will see.
Take a look at the maximum motorsports strut bar. It's the best design IMHO for the sort of loads the front end will see.
Needs a bar connecting the front two bars that go to the core support...i think that's called a Malibu Bar?
ryan218
In just 10 years, I'll be old enough to drive!!!!
LiquidGT
Member
hahaha...he said it looks flimsy lol... this is all .120 wall tubing (1/8" thick)... it's not flimsy
The tubes are strong, but it looks like it can flex and pivot around on the bolted rod ends. I'd put the front bars in the back like the Maximum Motorsports design. Nice craftsmanship though.
I guarantee it DOES stiffen the front end... spherical rod ends or NOT... the triangulation is what does the work and the rod ends swiveling do not matter! and attaching the rear bars where they are DOES work! that area has THREE layers of metal all attached together and is close enough to the corner where the firewall meets that it is plenty strong enough to stiffen the front end and reduce flex... NO strut tower bar will eliminate ALL flex but ANY reduction is an improvement! I have driven the car since the install and you CAN feel the difference even on the street.
skunk21
Active Member
I'll give you an A+ for effort and design but a C- for taking constructive criticism. I think just about everyone liked it but wanted to help you improve your design. The stiffening you may have gained is due to the fact that you have somewhat stopped the strut tower from flexing in towards(side to side movement) each other now with the bar going across. The Maximum motorsport design Mike was writing about ties into the fire wall to help entire nose from sagging in towards the fire wall(even though it isn't much) and angled flexing of the strut towers when doing high G cornering.
The strut towers on the fox are really far from the fire wall which is what makes the front even more like a wet noodle. Think if you could push the car down with your hand from the roof, the strut towers would start to lean toward the fire wall has they kink in, this happenss over dipps and twists in the road.
Drive with your fingers just touching the outside window frame where it meets the roof and you will feel the gap open and close(almost squashing your fingers) has you drive around corners that is how much this car flexes, but after I did SFC's that gap moved far less, to tell you the truth a great way to tell that the SFC's and strut brace does work. The design you have you are to close to the strut tower with the rear brace, giving no bracing force to stop the strut towers from dipping towards the fire wall, the core support flexes like hell so the front braces will move with front sheet metal. so yes again you gained side to side stiffness, which you would feel, in my opinion you are 1/2 way there.
The strut towers on the fox are really far from the fire wall which is what makes the front even more like a wet noodle. Think if you could push the car down with your hand from the roof, the strut towers would start to lean toward the fire wall has they kink in, this happenss over dipps and twists in the road.
Drive with your fingers just touching the outside window frame where it meets the roof and you will feel the gap open and close(almost squashing your fingers) has you drive around corners that is how much this car flexes, but after I did SFC's that gap moved far less, to tell you the truth a great way to tell that the SFC's and strut brace does work. The design you have you are to close to the strut tower with the rear brace, giving no bracing force to stop the strut towers from dipping towards the fire wall, the core support flexes like hell so the front braces will move with front sheet metal. so yes again you gained side to side stiffness, which you would feel, in my opinion you are 1/2 way there.
