Anyone using the STi Flexible Strut Tower Brace?

[Dimman]

Originally Posted by MSTiFK8R

I driven both solid and flex strut bars from STI (on Forester XT)

I may say they react pretty much same, giving sharper steering response and chasis solidness

the difference is when you drive on the harsh road with uneven surface - with the solid bar car tends to jump hitting a crack\hole\bump with both sides, even when the hole is at 1 side of the car

and driving with a flex one allows more vertical movement for each side of the car, leaving the other side in relative comfort, so as not bothering you with unnecesseary hit in the steering wheel

and concerning horizontal movements and corners - you will get the same stiffness from both bars

I hope this helps

Isn't that the suspension's job?

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by MSTiFK8R

I driven both solid and flex strut bars from STI (on Forester XT)

I may say they react pretty much same, giving sharper steering response and chasis solidness

the difference is when you drive on the harsh road with uneven surface - with the solid bar car tends to jump hitting a crack\hole\bump with both sides, even when the hole is at 1 side of the car

and driving with a flex one allows more vertical movement for each side of the car, leaving the other side in relative comfort, so as not bothering you with unnecesseary hit in the steering wheel

and concerning horizontal movements and corners - you will get the same stiffness from both bars

I hope this helps

Sorry, but I don't buy it. There's no way making the chassis stiffer will make both wheels react to a bump that only one hits (unless it's a HUGE bump and the whole car reacts, but that would happen stock too).

I could see a really stiff sway bar doing what you're describing a bit since those actually limit independent wheel motion, but not a strut bar.

The strut bar doesn't know the difference between being compressed by a bump, or being compressed by loading the outside suspension in a corner.

All a strut bar does is minimize the strut towers folding towards each other under load. The forces from a bump or from a corner are acting on it the same, just at a different speed and duration.

[jkonquer]

Sounds like its made for more comfort

[MSTiFK8R]

Originally Posted by wparsons

Sorry, but I don't buy it. There's no way making the chassis stiffer will make both wheels react to a bump that only one hits (unless it's a HUGE bump and the whole car reacts, but that would happen stock too).

I could see a really stiff sway bar doing what you're describing a bit since those actually limit independent wheel motion, but not a strut bar.

The strut bar doesn't know the difference between being compressed by a bump, or being compressed by loading the outside suspension in a corner.

All a strut bar does is minimize the strut towers folding towards each other under load. The forces from a bump or from a corner are acting on it the same, just at a different speed and duration.

Bro, your theory may have a chance to live

I only shared my personal experience

Bar with flex section feels more comfort on a harsh road, still giving same ( you can not tell the difference ) steering sharpness as a solid one

just my 2 cents

[ngabdala]

Well it's installed but I won't be able to give it a proper test. Took it out for a spin. Turn in on cornering seemed much more crisp and precise but the key word is "seemed."

I need more time with it.

[wparsons]

I would want to see measurements of how much deflection the strut towers get stock, with the "flexible" bar and with a fully solid bar before believing the flexible bar does anything. In most modern cars a strut bar does almost nothing on stock suspension.

I would be willing to bet almost all people couldn't tell the difference between no bar, flexible bar and super solid bar on stock suspension if they were to drive without knowing which bar (or none) was installed.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by MSTiFK8R

Bro, your theory may have a chance to live

I only shared my personal experience

Bar with flex section feels more comfort on a harsh road, still giving same ( you can not tell the difference ) steering sharpness as a solid one

just my 2 cents

how? a strut bar doesnt make the ride more rough. there is a reason that sports cars and luxury cars alike chase rigid chassis. the more rigid the chassis, the better equipped the suspension is to do its job. i believe strut bars on modern cars are a more of gimmick to begin with but this is crazy. if the only purpose of a strut bar is to add stiffness, why would add flex to the unit?

[Guillaume]

User ICantAffordAnLFA has one on his BRZ. Bump his thread for feedback: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...4&postcount=44

[SkullWorks]

I remember there being a STi bar with a damper built into it (gas charged IIRC) for a strut tower bar, I think it was something a friend was adapting to his S13....I want to say it was a yamaha branded Damper...

I'll see if i can find pics,

[TuxedoCartman]

It states right there in the description of the product what the joint is for: "It doesn't regulate a movement of a suspension in the length direction with keeping stiffness of a lateral direction." In other words, it allows the shock towers to flex upward (for absorbing harsh bumps on the road), but not inwards (such as when you're cornering hard). Which also explains why you don't see them on race-cars: there are no potholes, speed bumps, dead animals, etc... on a race track. This part is designed for real world driving.

And as loathe as I am to start up another "does it work, does it not" debate about strut-tower braces, all I can say is this: if you think they do not have an effect on the handling of a car (especially our twins), then you're spending too much time racing on paper and not enough time behind the wheel. Or, possibly, you're not pushing your car hard enough to see where such components come into effect... either or. Well made strut tower bars DO have an affect on handling.

[wparsons]

^^ Care to explain how a strut tower will move differently depending on what kind of force is loading the suspension?

The LCA moves in the exact same axis and path regardless of it's a bump in the road or compression due to corner loading, same thing with the front strut.

It's not like cornering forces the strut inwards while a bump forces it straight up, compression is ALWAYS along the arc drawn by the LCA and macpherson strut arrangement.

The only difference is how long and how far the suspension is compressed, neither of which would effect the direction the towers are deflected.

As for if strut bars do anything, notice that I said above that I would want to see measurements of tower deflection before stating a product actually does anything. Modern unibody cars are quite stiff, and I bet on stock suspension the deflection is very minimal. With stiffer suspension more loads get transferred to the chassis so it could be more dramatic then and a quality strut bar (see the size of the GC one...) would make more difference.

Another problem with this bar is the shape of it, take a bar shaped like that and push straight in and it'll bend WAY easier than a straight bar being pushed straight along it's length. It's like trying to compress an arrow along it's length vs pushing straight along the string line of a bow.

[omgwtfbbqsauce]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r8xW03PVow"]STI flexible tower bar movie - YouTube[/ame]

Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson says it helps brake feel and there are 'huge differences'.. Then again they were once sponsored by Subaru..

[Djratrap]

Originally Posted by fatoni

how? a strut bar doesnt make the ride more rough. there is a reason that sports cars and luxury cars alike chase rigid chassis. the more rigid the chassis, the better equipped the suspension is to do its job. i believe strut bars on modern cars are a more of gimmick to begin with but this is crazy. if the only purpose of a strut bar is to add stiffness, why would add flex to the unit?

A solid strut makes a noticeable difference in ride (especially if you have aftermarket coilovers). I used to have a neuspeed bar in my previous vehicle and it made the ride terrible. It felt like my liver was shaking every time i hit a bump. I removed it when i sold my vehicle and it was a night and day difference.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by Djratrap

A solid strut makes a noticeable difference in ride (especially if you have aftermarket coilovers). I used to have a neuspeed bar in my previous vehicle and it made the ride terrible. It felt like my liver was shaking every time i hit a bump. I removed it when i sold my vehicle and it was a night and day difference.

how does that work?