They also get rid of the "flex" in the rubber bushing up top. That flex reduces NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness). It also means that there is FAR LESS strain on the POS strut towers.
Adding CC plates means that the alignment stays truer, it allows for more adjustability, it transmits more Noise Vibration and Harshness to the body/frame, and it puts a LOT MORE STRESS on the POS strut towers! So, IMHO, an STB (Strut Tower Brace) is required with any CC plate!
LOL! Ask whether it is night or day and Joe will give you a 3 paragraph explanation on the physics of the universe!!! J/K, Joe! Your info is VERY valuable and appreciated!
They also get rid of the "flex" in the rubber bushing up top. That flex reduces NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness). It also means that there is FAR LESS strain on the POS strut towers.
Adding CC plates means that the alignment stays truer, it allows for more adjustability, it transmits more Noise Vibration and Harshness to the body/frame, and it puts a LOT MORE STRESS on the POS strut towers! So, IMHO, an STB (Strut Tower Brace) is required with any CC plate!
Strut tower brace -hummm - neat idea IF they transmitted the applied force through a perfectly straight tube. Since the tube has several curves, that force is directed into trying to bend the tubes. Since it is the nature of the tubes to resist bending, it becomes a spring with a resonant frequency. That resonant energy is either changed into heat or transmitted back into the strut towers. If the resonant frequency of the strut tower brace ever matches the resonant frequency of the strut towers, the whole thing vibrates like a bowl of jelly.
Strut tower brace -hummm - neat idea IF they transmitted the applied force through a perfectly straight tube. Since the tube has several curves, that force is directed into trying to bend the tubes. Since it is the nature of the tubes to resist bending, it becomes a spring with a resonant frequency. That resonant energy is either changed into heat or transmitted back into the strut towers. If the resonant frequency of the strut tower brace ever matches the resonant frequency of the strut towers, the whole thing vibrates like a bowl of jelly.
The resonant frequency an STB would never match the frequency of the strut towers. Also, we are not talking about a single impulse or a constant frequency excitement. This is nothing like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge - far from it!
It doesn't make any difference if it's a tube, bar, or flat stock. Every structure has to worry about it's resonant frequency. It a huge deal in skyscrapers. (Get the semi-play on words? ) In the response/control systems that I control, there are many resonant frequencies since the structures are often complex. The only time you have to worry about resonant frequencies is if the Force is Great enough. AND, the nature of the driving forces has a lot to do with the type of response.
Yea, I deal with this stuff every day. Part of my job is to come up with algorithms and methods to avoid and control detrimental responses. Sometimes, we add or change bracing. Sometimes, I do "DSP magic".
An STB is very stiff (well, the good ones anyways ). It doesn't make any difference if it has a zillion bends or is a straight I-beam. What matters is the rigidity of the STB and it's make up.
What STB's can do is transmit unwanted forces from on tower to the other. That is BAD!! That's why having a good connection to the "firewall" is important. It helps to _minimize_ the transmittal of forces (but it won't full eliminate them). Still, the basic idea is to set up a rigid triangular structure that will help the two "free standing" structures _resist_ moving. Basic concept that has been used successfully for thousands of years.