BRZ/FR-S Strut Tower Brace - Any Interest?

[GrimmSpeed]

Originally Posted by elrod

Please add me to the list.

Killer!

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

This will be GrimmSpeed part number 6 for me I think.

License Plate Mount, Oil Cap, Battery Tie Down, Master Cylinder Brace, Hood Struts, now this. What do I get if I to 86? Keep making quality stuff and giving great customer service, and I'll keep buying it guys.

Thanks for the amazing support! When you've got 86 grimmspeed items on your 86, send me an email and I'll mail you an autographed shirt!

Originally Posted by dem00n

I'd like to be added as well, thanks.

You got it!

Originally Posted by The Tengu

Add me please!

Done!

Originally Posted by cmspooner

Add me! (If I didn't ask before!)

I'll add you again, just in case.

Originally Posted by turbos86

I want in!

Well, I suppose.

Originally Posted by Noob4Life

Sweet can't wait to see the GB price!

Originally Posted by Calum

Count me in.

Counted!

Originally Posted by vincent201089

I'm in.

You sure are!

Originally Posted by whitefrs

is it coming in different colors?

We've had some feedback on colors. Most seem interested in black, but we've got some time before we need to decide. You preferred red, right? We can't make any promises, but I can assume you that we'll strongly consider options!

Originally Posted by EL7

Add me to the list!

Added!

Can't thank you guys enough for the kind words and support! Let's keep this party going!

Matt Beenen
Engineering

[mit_peid]

The bar looks good and I like the fact that you're trying to go for a OEM look. My question is about performance with a strut tower bar. My thinking is for 99+% of us, the functionality of one brand's strut bar will essentially be the same as another brand's. Discriminators for us would be how much quality is perceived in the design (including how strong and light it is relative to the cost) and obviously how good it looks in the engine bay. Intuitively, with a strut tower bar, I can visualize better steering response at higher speeds and especially if you have lower-profile tires compared to stock. I have the FRS that has spring rates that favor more oversteer when compared to a BRZ which have been described as being more balanced (relatively speaking). Does adding a front strut tower brace to a FRS make the car more balanced? I'm just asking here, but if I wanted to invoke even more oversteer in an FRS, should I be looking at more of a brace connecting the rear towers? I'm just trying to get more educated on car mechanics and handling in general.

[BoxRZ_86]

can you add me as well

[sierra]

How much does it weigh?

[goke186]

pics?

[Sutty]

Add me to the list pls

[BlueSTaR]

Add me please

[fuddbutter]

Has anyone flex tested the chassis yet to see if these new strut braces are needed?
of the 8 people i have asked who have installed one of various brands, only one person so far has said it's done anything..

:\

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by fuddbutter

Has anyone flex tested the chassis to see if these new strut braces are needed?

It isn't needed.

Originally Posted by GrimmSpeed

We will touch on the specifics of our testing in another post, but in the interest of brevity we'll summarize our testing and results here. We made a very simple brace out of metal that fit on the studs on the strut towers that the triangulation bars are bolted to. We then took several data sets with our Faro Arm with and without different combinations of the stock triangulation bars and prototype strut tower brace. We did this to compare how much the strut towers were deflecting when we jacked up one side of the chassis to a calibrated height. This is NOT indicative of the lateral loads the strut towers see in cornering, where the forces are much higher and specifically located. Instead, this test is much more simplified, and results seen here will be more exaggerated when applied to real life cornering.

I took several data sets and then compiled them looking for trends. In my software I held one strut tower in place, and measured the differences in deflection in the other strut tower. I'll post a picture here showing some quick visual results. The blue stud represents the car sitting on the ground, completely unloaded. The yellow stud is the car loaded (jacked up to a calibrated height) with the triangulation bars and our prototype strut tower brace. The green stud is the car loaded with just triangulation bars. Finally, the red stud is the car loaded without the triangulation bars or strut tower bar.



What this initially shows is that the stock triangulation bars do a pretty decent job of minimizing deflection. It also shows us that adding a strut tower brace to those triangulation bars does an even better job at that task. Let the designs begin!!!

Given I have aftermarket struts and front lca bushes fitted I am willing to bet the asking price for this bar. If I don't notice a difference it is a small loss. (And hey, I'm not saying my purchasing decisions are perfectly rational.)

[Detailer_GT86]

Add the German guy please

[RAN94A]

interested

[GrimmSpeed]

Originally Posted by mit_peid

The bar looks good and I like the fact that you're trying to go for a OEM look. My question is about performance with a strut tower bar. My thinking is for 99+% of us, the functionality of one brand's strut bar will essentially be the same as another brand's. Discriminators for us would be how much quality is perceived in the design (including how strong and light it is relative to the cost) and obviously how good it looks in the engine bay. Intuitively, with a strut tower bar, I can visualize better steering response at higher speeds and especially if you have lower-profile tires compared to stock. I have the FRS that has spring rates that favor more oversteer when compared to a BRZ which have been described as being more balanced (relatively speaking). Does adding a front strut tower brace to a FRS make the car more balanced? I'm just asking here, but if I wanted to invoke even more oversteer in an FRS, should I be looking at more of a brace connecting the rear towers? I'm just trying to get more educated on car mechanics and handling in general.

I would say that the effects of the strut tower bar are not the same as what you would expect from changing the sway bar up front. Adding a strut tower bar will not make it invoke more oversteer the way that changing the sway bar might. The benefits of the strut bar are mainly in predictability and consistency in driving. Linking the strut towers helps to minimize movement between them, which includes both tension and compression loads. The deflections that are present without the brace leads to changes in suspension geometry, however, minimal, but they are there. In practice, at relatively low speeds (20-30mph) we were able to more predictably break the front tires loose. Now, I'm not saying that the brace increases understeer at all, I'm saying that when trying to make the car understeer it was easier to accomplish with the brace due to the fact that minimizing deflections between the strut towers increases the predictability of the car's handling from minimizing unwanted changes in suspension geometry. Increasing predictability and "feel" for your car will always make driving it near the limit a bit easier. Also, you can expect a change for the better in NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) as the natural frequency of the chassis is changed with the addition of the brace, and in practice we have noted a significant difference in how the car handles pot holes and bump roads. Let me know if this makes sense to ya.

Originally Posted by Sanka86

can you add me as well

Sure can!

Originally Posted by sierra

How much does it weigh?

The predicted weight is just over 4lbs (4.11lbs), so we expect it to be right around there.

Originally Posted by goke186

pics?

Working on a final sample, should have pics by Friday!

Originally Posted by Sutty

Add me to the list pls

Done!

Originally Posted by BlueSTaR

Add me please

Added!

Originally Posted by fuddbutter

Has anyone flex tested the chassis yet to see if these new strut braces are needed?
of the 8 people i have asked who have installed one of various brands, only one person so far has said it's done anything..

:\

@Captain Snooze quote what's probably the most accurate reply to that. His answer is correct. It isn't needed, but it is certainly good for a performance improvement. I might have some testing video to post tomorrow...

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

It isn't needed.


Given I have aftermarket struts and front lca bushes fitted I am willing to bet the asking price for this bar. If I don't notice a difference it is a small loss. (And hey, I'm not saying my purchasing decisions are perfectly rational.)

Right on!

Originally Posted by Detailer_GT86

Add the German guy please

German guy added, thanks for the support!

Originally Posted by RAN94A

interested

Sounds good!

We've got some testing video from a couple weeks ago that we'll probably post tomorrow if I can get around to editing it into a reasonable length! Lets keep this going!

Matt Beenen
Engineering

[jono_l]

First time poster here - please put me on there list! Definitely interested in an OEM looking strut bar.

[GrimmSpeed]

Originally Posted by jono_l

First time poster here - please put me on there list! Definitely interested in an OEM looking strut bar.

Sure thing!

Matt Beenen
Engineering