Best front strut bar?
Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 177
From: HOUSTON,TX
^^^me too, its crammed in there really tight. But I like the look of it, and it's very aggressive. Very thick and well we are lowered on skunk 2 springs and taking turns on highways and roads, it feels a lot better than stock. DC was reasonably priced and looks good.
Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,371
From: NC USA
[quote=manxman;250422]Jeff,
I have been insisting for almost 1 1/2 years that, with no visible evidence that the struts move (no cracks or buckled paint on strut towers, not even smears from rubber mounts), strut bars are only cosmetic decorations with no actual performance effect on the Fit. This has produced a lot of yelling to the contrary.
So, with your freshly installed "riding on rails" coilover/rear sway bar suspension, would you please do me the favor of posting your own results after adding your front strut bar? Take a quick test ride in your Fit as-is to reset your impressions of cornering behavior, then put the new whatever under the hood, and take the same route again. This will be entirely subjective, as are all claims about strut bars since no one is using skid pads or any other kind of accurate, repeatable scientific measuring instruments.
Those of us with metallurgical experience have already posted that any bar that can be bent across your knee cannot possibly prevent movement of the struts (if they actually move at all). A flexible bar could only be effective if it could be adjusted by drawing the tops of the struts together with a pre-set adjustability for tension. None have that ability. To me, that fact renders all aluminum bars as ineffective.
The really expensive stainless steel bars would not flex as easily as the flimsy aluminum ones, but because they are bowed in order to follow the contour of the firewall, they still will flex to an extent if there is any mechanical force at all on the bar ends once mounted to the struts.
It looks as if your purchase of a strut bar is inevitable, and I would really appreciate your own judgment once you have it in place.
I hear the rustle of lighters and matches being prepared- have my Nomex suit on.
We concur with you based on 50 years experience with suspension improvements on virtually every make of vehicle for the street. Some race cars do need strut braces but not street cars. Even if you're running R rated tires. Waste of money. There may be car with strut towers so flimsy but if you find it you need to sell that vehicle.
PS any bar can be flexed laterally yet have great resistance longitudinally. The general rule of thumb is the bar needs to be 40 or more times greater than the diameter to be useful. As you point out some of these bars do not have good cross-section designs and those twist enough to be ineffective. And a little curve is more lilely to be stronger in compression than a straight bar. And I'm not putting my Nomex on either. Unless you too have an engineering degree don't waste your matches, too.
I have been insisting for almost 1 1/2 years that, with no visible evidence that the struts move (no cracks or buckled paint on strut towers, not even smears from rubber mounts), strut bars are only cosmetic decorations with no actual performance effect on the Fit. This has produced a lot of yelling to the contrary.
So, with your freshly installed "riding on rails" coilover/rear sway bar suspension, would you please do me the favor of posting your own results after adding your front strut bar? Take a quick test ride in your Fit as-is to reset your impressions of cornering behavior, then put the new whatever under the hood, and take the same route again. This will be entirely subjective, as are all claims about strut bars since no one is using skid pads or any other kind of accurate, repeatable scientific measuring instruments.
Those of us with metallurgical experience have already posted that any bar that can be bent across your knee cannot possibly prevent movement of the struts (if they actually move at all). A flexible bar could only be effective if it could be adjusted by drawing the tops of the struts together with a pre-set adjustability for tension. None have that ability. To me, that fact renders all aluminum bars as ineffective.
The really expensive stainless steel bars would not flex as easily as the flimsy aluminum ones, but because they are bowed in order to follow the contour of the firewall, they still will flex to an extent if there is any mechanical force at all on the bar ends once mounted to the struts.
It looks as if your purchase of a strut bar is inevitable, and I would really appreciate your own judgment once you have it in place.
I hear the rustle of lighters and matches being prepared- have my Nomex suit on.
We concur with you based on 50 years experience with suspension improvements on virtually every make of vehicle for the street. Some race cars do need strut braces but not street cars. Even if you're running R rated tires. Waste of money. There may be car with strut towers so flimsy but if you find it you need to sell that vehicle.
PS any bar can be flexed laterally yet have great resistance longitudinally. The general rule of thumb is the bar needs to be 40 or more times greater than the diameter to be useful. As you point out some of these bars do not have good cross-section designs and those twist enough to be ineffective. And a little curve is more lilely to be stronger in compression than a straight bar. And I'm not putting my Nomex on either. Unless you too have an engineering degree don't waste your matches, too.
Last edited by mahout; Mar 31, 2008 at 09:52 AM.
[QUOTE=mahout;270519]
Yay, Mahout!
I KNEW that there were some people out there who would understand my points that you quoted. Nice to hear from the right audience, and thanks for the back-up. But the children will still scream that Fit needs strut bars.
Jeff,
I have been insisting for almost 1 1/2 years that, with no visible evidence that the struts move (no cracks or buckled paint on strut towers, not even smears from rubber mounts), strut bars are only cosmetic decorations with no actual performance effect on the Fit. This has produced a lot of yelling to the contrary.
So, with your freshly installed "riding on rails" coilover/rear sway bar suspension, would you please do me the favor of posting your own results after adding your front strut bar? Take a quick test ride in your Fit as-is to reset your impressions of cornering behavior, then put the new whatever under the hood, and take the same route again. This will be entirely subjective, as are all claims about strut bars since no one is using skid pads or any other kind of accurate, repeatable scientific measuring instruments.
Those of us with metallurgical experience have already posted that any bar that can be bent across your knee cannot possibly prevent movement of the struts (if they actually move at all). A flexible bar could only be effective if it could be adjusted by drawing the tops of the struts together with a pre-set adjustability for tension. None have that ability. To me, that fact renders all aluminum bars as ineffective.
The really expensive stainless steel bars would not flex as easily as the flimsy aluminum ones, but because they are bowed in order to follow the contour of the firewall, they still will flex to an extent if there is any mechanical force at all on the bar ends once mounted to the struts.
It looks as if your purchase of a strut bar is inevitable, and I would really appreciate your own judgment once you have it in place.
I hear the rustle of lighters and matches being prepared- have my Nomex suit on.
We concur with you based on 50 years experience with suspension improvements on virtually every make of vehicle for the street. Some race cars do need strut braces but not street cars. Even if you're running R rated tires. Waste of money. There may be car with strut towers so flimsy but if you find it you need to sell that vehicle.
PS any bar can be flexed laterally yet have great resistance longitudinally. The general rule of thumb is the bar needs to be 40 or more times greater than the diameter to be useful. As you point out some of these bars do not have good cross-section designs and those twist enough to be ineffective. And a little curve is more lilely to be stronger in compression than a straight bar. And I'm not putting my Nomex on either. Unless you too have an engineering degree don't waste your matches, too.
I have been insisting for almost 1 1/2 years that, with no visible evidence that the struts move (no cracks or buckled paint on strut towers, not even smears from rubber mounts), strut bars are only cosmetic decorations with no actual performance effect on the Fit. This has produced a lot of yelling to the contrary.
So, with your freshly installed "riding on rails" coilover/rear sway bar suspension, would you please do me the favor of posting your own results after adding your front strut bar? Take a quick test ride in your Fit as-is to reset your impressions of cornering behavior, then put the new whatever under the hood, and take the same route again. This will be entirely subjective, as are all claims about strut bars since no one is using skid pads or any other kind of accurate, repeatable scientific measuring instruments.
Those of us with metallurgical experience have already posted that any bar that can be bent across your knee cannot possibly prevent movement of the struts (if they actually move at all). A flexible bar could only be effective if it could be adjusted by drawing the tops of the struts together with a pre-set adjustability for tension. None have that ability. To me, that fact renders all aluminum bars as ineffective.
The really expensive stainless steel bars would not flex as easily as the flimsy aluminum ones, but because they are bowed in order to follow the contour of the firewall, they still will flex to an extent if there is any mechanical force at all on the bar ends once mounted to the struts.
It looks as if your purchase of a strut bar is inevitable, and I would really appreciate your own judgment once you have it in place.
I hear the rustle of lighters and matches being prepared- have my Nomex suit on.
We concur with you based on 50 years experience with suspension improvements on virtually every make of vehicle for the street. Some race cars do need strut braces but not street cars. Even if you're running R rated tires. Waste of money. There may be car with strut towers so flimsy but if you find it you need to sell that vehicle.
PS any bar can be flexed laterally yet have great resistance longitudinally. The general rule of thumb is the bar needs to be 40 or more times greater than the diameter to be useful. As you point out some of these bars do not have good cross-section designs and those twist enough to be ineffective. And a little curve is more lilely to be stronger in compression than a straight bar. And I'm not putting my Nomex on either. Unless you too have an engineering degree don't waste your matches, too.
I KNEW that there were some people out there who would understand my points that you quoted. Nice to hear from the right audience, and thanks for the back-up. But the children will still scream that Fit needs strut bars.
when i put on the bracket for my engine torque damper, i took off my strut bar and there was paint being rubbed off of each side where the strut bar contacts. i think for a strut bar to work properly, certain variables have to be in place.
[quote=manxman;270551]
notice how no one is chiming in all of a sudden?
i think that a lot of it comes down to feeling dumb after being so passionately opinionated on something, and not liking the idea that it could potentially not work as well as you think it does.
I would be lying if i said i wouldn't be sore if i was in their position!
personally i think its lame for someone who has experience for with something to be called out because he doesn't share the same opinion as everyone else on the matter.
for those of you who track your cars...i understand why you have one.
for those of you who attack an on-ramp every now and again, its probably not necessary. lets just keep our e-penis' in our pants guys.
Mahout has posted some great info, it would be unwise to not heed it. just my opinion.
oh, and i'm still getting one, but mostly for looks, not so much for performance!
notice how no one is chiming in all of a sudden?
i think that a lot of it comes down to feeling dumb after being so passionately opinionated on something, and not liking the idea that it could potentially not work as well as you think it does.
I would be lying if i said i wouldn't be sore if i was in their position!
personally i think its lame for someone who has experience for with something to be called out because he doesn't share the same opinion as everyone else on the matter.
for those of you who track your cars...i understand why you have one.
for those of you who attack an on-ramp every now and again, its probably not necessary. lets just keep our e-penis' in our pants guys.
Mahout has posted some great info, it would be unwise to not heed it. just my opinion.
oh, and i'm still getting one, but mostly for looks, not so much for performance!
Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 283
From: Mililani, Hawaii
I'm using both the Tanabe strut bar and lower arm bar (they work good together). The car has a more planted and heavier feel. My Fit doesn't sway at highway speed or drift in high gusts of wind. Turning feels more positive and controlled (no bump or acceleration steer). Looks good too!! For me it's worth the money.
yep, it's not all about just getting track times down. the feedback
improvement itself is well worth the money.. given that you get the right
one. cusco has shown quite a bit of improvement in steering feedback.
i dont run a stb on my cooper-s (as ive mentioned many times already)
because that car's chassis is so damn solid you dont need one. some
cars you really can't tell a difference. on a Fit you can especially
running aftermarket sus.
improvement itself is well worth the money.. given that you get the right
one. cusco has shown quite a bit of improvement in steering feedback.
i dont run a stb on my cooper-s (as ive mentioned many times already)
because that car's chassis is so damn solid you dont need one. some
cars you really can't tell a difference. on a Fit you can especially
running aftermarket sus.
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