Question about strut brace

[russv]

I've been thinking about adding a strut brace but wanted to hear from those that have added one. Is there a significant difference in handling? Is one particular brand better than another? Thanks in advance.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Not a significant change. You'll get a slight difference in feel, maaaybe a slight reduction in vibration. It will make more of a difference if you already have sticky tires and firm suspension, but IMO it's not a part that is a priority. BUT...they do look kinda cool and it's not something that is going to harm anything. There are just other areas that are priorities.

- andy

[Propaganda]

+1 to what RCE said. I have the tri-bar from ft86 speedfactory...as well as FA 500 coilovers (feels much more firm than BCs I've ridden in), and Hankook RS3s. Not a huuuuuge difference. Definitely won't notice it if you just DD your car. On all seasons or less sticky summer tires, your tires will roll a lot more so it won't be as noticeable. I felt a slight difference - it feels a little more neutral now. But as RCE said, how much you notice will depend on other mods as well as how well you know your car.

[Huehuecoyotl]

This is my opinion:

It depends how hard your setup, drivingstyle, and how much traction your tires have. As you get to the types of tires that far exceed oe grip, I think bushing and chassis flex become more discernable. Once you isolate stuff, like getting rid of big rubbery factory bushes, I think you can better sense stuff like what a bar such as a strutbar does. There is alot of flex in the 3" rubber discs in the front LCA. Putting a PSRS type there really changes the feedback you get from, say, cornering, and if I keep my tire psi firm, yeah I can tell. I suspect something like the robipsec LCA will also allow you to better feel flex in the towers, but all this is oh so very slight.

Adding the r888s, that are like velcro when they are hot, and the koni race dampers too make me able to hold G forces that toss me well against the doors, so yeah, as you increase your build level, it can be functional and not just bling.

[zc06_kisstherain]

usually you wont feel shit....I had all my other cars had strut bar mod but didn't feel much difference. mainly it's for looks.

[omegared19]

The initial design on this car is such that for a daily driven car, you won't feel much of a difference. If you're a more aggressive driver, then the front strut bar will make a little difference. However, given the god awful Prius tires that were so intelligently chosen for our cars, you're not really going to feel any difference until you start making other suspension upgrades, or tire upgrades and decide to take corners the way our cars were designed for.

[ModBargains.com]

Not a huge performance gain out of it, but it's enough to make you feel like the price tag on it ($180 or so), is totally worth to get one of these from Cusco for example:

[GC_Adam]

A hinged (Cusco, Whiteline, etc) strut brace typically won't increase any rigidity. If you want to decrease the engine bay flex by adding a strut brace then look at a solid mount brace (GC, Hotchkis, Etc).

Adam

[DriftEightSix]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Not a significant change. You'll get a slight difference in feel, maaaybe a slight reduction in vibration. It will make more of a difference if you already have sticky tires and firm suspension, but IMO it's not a part that is a priority. BUT...they do look kinda cool and it's not something that is going to harm anything. There are just other areas that are priorities.

- andy

Which areas would you count as higher priority?

[neutron256]

You probably won't feel much if any difference, but that doesn't mean it's not doing anything. If you're pushing the car hard, and/or have other upgrades that stiffen suspension it's appropriate to reinforce/stiffen the chassis some even if you don't feel it.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by DriftEightSix

Which areas would you count as higher priority?

bushings, a proper alignment, front sway bar, etc.