Strut tower brace question

[farbyhardcore]

Can anyone give me a somewhat detailed explanation of what a strut tower brace does? I know the obvious, but i was wondering if anyone happens to know a bit more in depth. And anyone have suggestions for who makes a good one? I've been talking with Steeda about there Alloy Steel Strut tower brace for '00 - '04 GT's, but any other ideas?

 

[twogts4us]

Welcome to StangNet!
A strut tower brace ties the strut towers together - then often ties them into the firewall in a triangular fashion. The prevents the front end from twisting under heavy torque load. Steeda makes good stuff; hard to go wrong with them. To further firm up the unibody, sub frame connectors are very popular, but welding is required. IMO, subframe connectors will yield more positive results than the strut tower brace.
Maximum Motorsports also makes quality stuff.

 

[farbyhardcore]

all that stuff

thanks, but what exactly does all that mean? Like I've heard something about mustangs have a two piece frame and it's like less sturdy, maybe i heard wrong. So if you would explain the uinbody connecter things.

 

[AdRock]

thanks, but what exactly does all that mean? Like I've heard something about mustangs have a two piece frame and it's like less sturdy, maybe i heard wrong. So if you would explain the uinbody connecter things.

A unibody frame like the Mustang has does not have a solid frame running from the front to the back like a truck does for instance. This unibody construction will allow the body to twist under heavy loads.

For example: I park in a parking garage where I work. Going up it have ti hit the incline at an angle. When I do this I can hear the body tweak a little bit. That's the sound of it twisting slightly under the load of the front right side being pushed up.

The subframe connector creates a solid connection between the front and the rear of the body. This eliminates that flex. This will also help the car to launch straighter at the track and feel much more solid on the street.


Here's a great page that explains how a strut bar works. It's a long read but it's very informative.
http://e30m3performance.com/myths/Strutbar_Theory/strut_bar_theory.htm

Here's a good article on subframe connector install. It should help expolain some also.
http://www.yellowmustangregistry.com/CP.html

 

[propellerhead]

Try this... borrow the wheels off your little brother's wagon. Attach a wheel to each of your knees and elbows. Get down in the crawling position and have someone pull you around the block. Your arms are like the strut towers in your car. They'll bend and twist each time your elbow wheels go over bumps. Kinda hard to keep the wheels in place, huh? Now, clasp your hands together and hold them against your forehead. It provides additional stability to minimize the flex as you go over the bumps.

How's that for an analogy? Hahahaha!

 

[mrpositraction]

Try this... borrow the wheels off your little brother's wagon. Attach a wheel to each of your knees and elbows. Get down in the crawling position and have someone pull you around the block. Your arms are like the strut towers in your car. They'll bend and twist each time your elbow wheels go over bumps. Kinda hard to keep the wheels in place, huh? Now, clasp your hands together and hold them against your forehead. It provides additional stability to minimize the flex as you go over the bumps.

How's that for an analogy? Hahahaha!

Thats funny, I don't care who you are.

 

[JonJon]

Try this... borrow the wheels off your little brother's wagon. Attach a wheel to each of your knees and elbows. Get down in the crawling position and have someone pull you around the block. Your arms are like the strut towers in your car. They'll bend and twist each time your elbow wheels go over bumps. Kinda hard to keep the wheels in place, huh? Now, clasp your hands together and hold them against your forehead. It provides additional stability to minimize the flex as you go over the bumps.

How's that for an analogy? Hahahaha!

STICKY