strut brace

[nicko]

Looks to have all the stiffening qualities of a bow from an archery set.

Reaper

Tell that to my increased corner speed. yeh blah blah blah placebo effect stick that where the sun dont shine because it did make a difference for me

Also im wondering where you picked up your magic stiffness tester that allows u to test strength from a photo? I would be keen to get one so i can be a smartarse about it aswell

 

[excalibur]

i might have to get one for yhe wives VZ under $50 even if its just a bit cosmetic metal it looks good any stiffness in the steering would just be a bonus

 

[REBinc]

BMR if you a ridiculously heavy duty one.

 

[Reaper]

Tell that to my increased corner speed. yeh blah blah blah placebo effect stick that where the sun dont shine because it did make a difference for me

Also im wondering where you picked up your magic stiffness tester that allows u to test strength from a photo? I would be keen to get one so i can be a smartarse about it aswell

Spent 10 years bending and curving steel, aluminium and other alloys and know (just a little) bit about the process. Furthermore Holden were one of my customers at the time (doing engineering for the US GTO Program) and some of the chassis/underbody engineers were working on both projects. They thought the whole thing was quite funny. Check out the strut braces on race cars. They are all triangulated (usually) back to the fire wall and utilize straight tubes. Any bends will be triangulated with a truss arrangement - without that, it's about as useful as tits on a bull. Have done many thousand km in these cars as well. Thats all .

Reaper

 

[minux]

lol, Placebo toys make companies so much money.

A day at the A Complex showed NO time increases on a circuit using a strut brace. To make sure I wasnt just having a bad day I did return trips to Apollo Bay(they have a great pub what can I say?) one with a strut brace, one without. Yep, it made no difference yet again. It may make a difference in 20+ year old cars, but in newer cars it does nothing. However if you think these do actually help, I suggest buying new exhaust tips, they will give you an extra 15rwkw.

 

[VT-565]

Check out the strut braces on race cars. They are all triangulated (usually) back to the fire wall and utilize straight tubes. Any bends will be triangulated with a truss arrangement

Oh so true. Even the old mustangs had a better setup, pressed steel plates triangulated back to the firewall. Stronger than some of the coathangers you see bolted between strut towers these days. For the ones saying it makes a difference, you're probably doing silly things on public roads. Take it home.

 

[nicko]

lol, Placebo toys make companies so much money.

A day at the A Complex showed NO time increases on a circuit using a strut brace. To make sure I wasnt just having a bad day I did return trips to Apollo Bay(they have a great pub what can I say?) one with a strut brace, one without. Yep, it made no difference yet again. It may make a difference in 20+ year old cars, but in newer cars it does nothing. However if you think these do actually help, I suggest buying new exhaust tips, they will give you an extra 15rwkw.

Newer cars? the VT has a floating flywall and therefore doesnt offer an structural strength in cornering.

So you didnt feel a difference in your car thats ok. I will never have my mind changed about this as i felt it on the very first corner. and have contunied to feel it driving in the hills 6+ times a week. Did it for 6 months without a strut brace and i knew exactly what my car felt like, had it fitted and it changed the car totally through the fast corners car bites as soon as i move the wheel rather than just floating through the corners

Oh and i already fitted a 15rwkw exhaust tip but i only got an extra 12rwkw!!!!! Im spewing i really thought it would work :bang

 

[VT-565]

Newer cars? the VT has a floating flywall and therefore doesnt offer an structural strength in cornering

You must mean the firewall they dropped in with 6 tonne of glue and bolted either side? You try and pry two pieces of material apart bonded with that glue and we'll see what you think about a 'floating flywall'. The weakness is between the strut tower and the firewall, the only true way to fix it would be to run a dash bar and connect the strut tops to bar diagonally towards the centre of the firewall.

 

[nicko]

So your saying that the strut brace i have provided literally NO support at ALL? Your also saying that no flex between the strut towers is reduced, even though there is a metal bar in between them?

From what i can gather from reaper, minux and you a pedders strut brace is so weak that it does NOTHING. I assume i should be able to bend this with my hands becuase its so weak like you blokes are saying?

 

[VT-565]

So your saying that the strut brace i have provided literally NO support at ALL? I assume i should be able to bend this with my hands becuase its so weak like you blokes are saying?

I referred to some of the modern day offerings as 'coathangers' more in reference to their shape and effectiveness in the situation. And no, you won't be able to bend the brace you have with your hands because you cannot exert the same force as what it is subjected to between the strut towers of your commodore.
I am saying there are far better ways to stiffen the front end of the commodore, but once again, the bolt-on brigade prevail.