vs strut brace

[vs-v8-ute]

hey just got a strut brace for my vs 5L off a mate for free just wondering what exactly the benefits of them are?

[woteva]

what exactly the benefits of them are?

Bling bling, something shiny under the bonnet, something to show your mates..... and so on..

[Hangman]

Stiffens the front up by tying the strut towers together. Probably not needed on the street, but looks cool.

[FusionX]

Also not needed on the track either as they create understeer.

A strut brace is good for dressing up the engine bay/bling. That's about it.

[Sprog]

Reducing flex in the body allows more acurate tuning of the handling with the suspension settings

[vs-v8-ute]

here is a pic of it in pretty good for a freebie <a href="http://s1120.photobucket.com/albums/l485/vs-v8-ute/?action=view&amp;current=006.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l485/vs-v8-ute/006.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[vs-v8-ute]

[vs-v8-ute]

[vs-v8-ute]

cant get it to work

[vs-v8-ute]

[vsl67]

They Also stop your strut towers from flexing and cracking some people notice no difference to steering but it depends on the car and how much flex it has

[vs-v8-ute]

[IMG][/IMG]

[vs-v8-ute]

finally got it to work there

[Darcon666]

Stiffens the front up by tying the strut towers together. Probably not needed on the street, but looks cool.

Also not needed on the track either as they create understeer.

Not dissputing you guys but I take it you have done extensive scientific testing?

I mean.... That's why Holden introduced them into the VX/VY/VZ range... and I quote Holden "The struct brace was introduced to the Commodore range to minimise the possibility of the strut towers seperating from the body"

While Whiteline/Kmac/Pedders/MRT and vehicle manufacturers like Holden/Ford/Subaru/Toyota/Mitsubishi/BMW/Mercedes/Audi and even Porsche offer them on all their range/models as either options or standard equipment.

Best $130 I have ever spent.

[FusionX]

Not dissputing you guys but I take it you have done extensive scientific testing?

I mean.... That's why Holden introduced them into the VX/VY/VZ range... and I quote Holden "The struct brace was introduced to the Commodore range to minimise the possibility of the strut towers seperating from the body"

While Whiteline/Kmac/Pedders/MRT and vehicle manufacturers like Holden/Ford/Subaru/Toyota/Mitsubishi/BMW/Mercedes/Audi and even Porsche offer them on all their range/models as either options or standard equipment.

Best $130 I have ever spent.

Have spent a lot in track testing. When it comes to a Commodore or dare I say it Falcon, both will run quicker times around a race track with the strut brace left in pit lane. Both suffer from understeer when a strut brace bolted in. Cars that we have tested over the years on this include VN/VT saloon cars along with EA/AU saloon cars, VC Commodore cup car, VZ Clubsport and V2 Monaro Improved Production cars and the odd street car.

The only way we found to brace a strut tower and have it beneficial is to run the cage through the firewall to it (as has been done to the Monaro). You still get movement in the strut towers when you brace them together and this is what causes the understeer. They need to be braced to something very solid like a rollcage. You just need to take a walk through the pits here to see that none of the top teams run strut braces on their Commodores for the reasons they handle worse (when some of these guys spend $200k and more building race cars, they also do their research on stuff like this)

When it comes to strut towers apparently seperating... well from some of the big hits we have had in the front end, we have never had any strut tower damage or have moved.

Other makes of car like Mitsubishi and what not, some of those benefit from strut braces as our testing has shown on a couple of other IP cars, but we are talking about Commodores here.

[VYMAD]

I've got a Holden one on my VY. Don't notice ALL that much difference in cornering, just a little, but I don't want my strut towers seperating from the body, the bolts were already there, it looks good and only cost $50-$60.

[Darcon666]

I yield to your obvious experience and testing.... except for this....

.........When it comes to strut towers apparently seperating... well from some of the big hits we have had in the front end, we have never had any strut tower damage or have moved.

See here, TODAY for a forum member that I reckon hasn't had any hits...

.... there are very small but obvious cracks around the strut towers as in the photos i posted. the cracks dont seem too big, so im wondering if i should get a few welds on it and then go over the cracks with filler or gum or whatever.
Attachment 118917 Attachment 118918

[Hangman]

The strut towers on my brothers VT separated as well, but it was driven hard.

And Darcon, all my testing is like full hectic extensively science bro

[FusionX]

Dacron, I think when it comes to cracking at the strut tower, every car will be different. Some cars will be more fragile in that area then others (not every car from the factory is built the same). We have had broken power steering racks, K-frames, control arms but yet to have to repair a strut tower from a front end hit (with the most recent being the last race meeting in May where one of the Saloon cars got hit). Not saying that it doesn't happen, but yet to have it happen to a car where it hasn't been a complete write off.

[Hangman]

My brothers VT is a wagon as well, don't know if that would maybe flex more than a sedan or not.

[TI3VOM]

MY VT sedan has a crack on both strut towers and it has not been raced as of yet!
I also noticed a small gain in turn in response but no under steer, although I do no that any decent strut brace that actually makes a real difference to handling needs to be mounted in 3 places eg: Strut towers and firewall.