strut braces

[DavoTheGreat]

My VZ SS has one on the front from the factory but it's not real big/thick steel. Aftermarket ones I've seen look much beefier. Maybe Holden added it for marketing hype for the tossers out there...

 

[StatOmaN]

id just like to say apart from doing noting...or something, i reckon they look good...mmm..notihing wrong with a lil cosmetics

 

[bangers]

a few cars are coming out of the factory with them now to improve handling.

 

[hakhawk]

yeh, they do look good, when one side doesnt sit higher than the other coz they bent it wrong.

dunno what the new stock ones are like, but as long as the mounts are strong, id say theyd be good.

 

[matrix]

my first commodore was a VN was stock as a rock apart from a nice set of 17inch mags. only thing was it kept on wearing out the strut mounts and bearing plates (which were only about 10 months old). so after paying way too much to get it repaired i had a stutbrace added and could feel the difference in rigidity straight away. also never had any probs with strut towers and stuff for about 3 years till i had to replace the old shockies.

since then every commodore i have had has had a brace put on within a week of getting it. the second VN had every bush and bar replaced with performance bits when i got it, was nice to drive but felt a bit "bendy". i put on the brace and it was so much better. never had a strut mount problem there either.
now ive got a VT and ive done all the bushes, lowered it on "lows" adn put a brace on its realy smooth but didnt notice the change as much as with the VN's (maybe i just dont drive as hard as i used to).

not to mention the cosmetic enhancement too.

 

[RACE5L]

They work if you do the right mods to the rest of suspension, well mine does, it makes the steering feel more "direct" too, also comes in handy for leaning over engine lol.

 

[Cheap6]

Sole purpose of a strut tower brace is to reduce chassis flex during cornering. This does two things: minimises geometry changes due to chassis flex (minor compared to rubber suspension bush deflection) and permits the effect of front and rear roll stiffness distribution to be used to adjust a (4 wheel) car's handling balance more predictably.

In my opinion, any strut brace using spherical bearings is useless as the strut brace needs to be stiff in bending and twisting neither of which a bar w' sph. brngs can be. Those with a single bolt attaching brackets to the bar will be OK in twist but rely on the friction of the bolt in bending - not good.

To see what is required, play with the poor man's CAD/FEA - cardboard models. In this case, a cutout cereal packet representing the engine bay with a 'strut bar' left across the middle. Twist the box and see which way the 'strut bar' deflects.

The best strut brace designs I have seen so far have been on R33/34 Nissan GTR's in stainless and fully welded.

 

[ucwepn]

Basically they don't do very much unless the rest of your suspension is modified, If you want to get rid of body roll get Nolathane bushes and lowered springs with short throw shock absorbers.

 

[vncommy]

a strutt brace is just a place to store your weapon serves no purpose unless ur blown hg monaro is puttin out 600rwhp. dnt bother.