Strut Bars Discussion

[ArmedAviator]

Am I being "that guy" if I say I like the strut bar but don't like the color scheme? Lol. It doesn't go with my car

High temp paint exists for a reason

For those who don't know what a front strut bar is, it's a brace that attaches to both strut towers in the engine bay and provides a bit of rigidity for the chassis which in turn helps keep the car more level/planted/firm in cornering. It's a worthwhile mod

This is a common misconception. Strut bars (more specifically, shock tower braces, do not reduce body roll or make the car more level in hard turns. The brace only prevents lateral movement of the upper shock towers with respect to each other during hard cornering, which can prevent unwanted minutechanges to the front wheels' camber while cornering. Body roll itself will still be unchanged. Basically, unless you're doing auto-cross, with stiff sway bars and shocks, and some very sticky tires, you will gain only a lighter wallet.

With that said, it's still cool looking , but I'd really like to see some stiffer sway bar kits for these cars.

[DoN_BLaZe34]

Am I being "that guy" if I say I like the strut bar but don't like the color scheme? Lol. It doesn't go with my car

High temp paint exists for a reason

Valid lol. I assume you're not getting one?

[Ilya]

Am I being "that guy" if I say I like the strut bar but don't like the color scheme? Lol. It doesn't go with my car

High temp paint exists for a reason

For those who don't know what a front strut bar is, it's a brace that attaches to both strut towers in the engine bay and provides a bit of rigidity for the chassis which in turn helps keep the car more level/planted/firm in cornering. It's a worthwhile mod

This is a common misconception. Strut bars (more specifically, shock tower braces, do not reduce body roll or make the car more level in hard turns. The brace only prevents lateral movement of the upper shock towers with respect to each other during hard cornering, which can prevent unwanted minute changes to the front wheels' camber while cornering. Body roll itself will still be unchanged. Basically, unless you're doing auto-cross, with stiff sway bars and shocks, and some very sticky tires, you will gain only a lighter wallet.

With that said, it's still cool looking , but I'd really like to see some stiffer sway bar kits for these cars.

Scientifically, perhaps you are right, but from my experience, whether it's placebo or otherwise, I'll have to respectfully disagree. The car WILL feel better in any kind spirited driving/turning (such as in the back country). This will not help someone who lives in NYC and drives in straight lines 99% of the time. This WILL help someone who, for example, lives in the Adirondack Mountains or Catskill Mountains. Then, if you add coilovers or a static drop, the car will handle even better.

[ArmedAviator]

Here's a good read explaining some of the science behind strut bars. Another 2 important points that this article brings up...

Most popular eBay-type braces (and even JDM uber-expensive ones!) have a piece that bolts to the strut tower and then the bar itself bolts into place after that. This is a terrible design and one that will render the brace nearly useless under many circumstances.

Take a look at OEM-designed strut braces and in almost all cases (especially where an engineer was asked), they are SOLID pieces, generally steel in construction.

Why steel? Well, for one it's cost. However, and this is the other thing that bugs me about most aftermarket braces - Aluminum in this application has ZERO advantage of steel. Why?

Aluminum and steel have the same stiffness, given the same amount of weight. In other words, if you go to the hardware store and pick up a piece of 1" bar aluminum, you'll find that while it is much lighter than the same size piece of steel.... it's a great deal flimsier.

It will take the same amount of weight in aluminum (and thus a bigger bar) to provide the same amount of stiffness as the equivilant weight steel. Aluminum strut braces, floor bars, fender braces, and so on - would have to be unreasonably large to add any real stiffness.

The SoulFunction part (as listed for the G35/G37) is hinged AND is made of T6061 aluminum. Keep that in mind. Because T6061 is often used in aircraft construction, people think it's a super hard alloy. Negatory Big Ben, it's actually softer among construction metals. Aircraft are meant to bend and flex quite a bit when forces act upon them so they do not snap, crackle, and pop.

I'm not trying to say SoulFunction is a bad company by any means, I just want to make sure you, fellow members, are informed of the facts before pursuing any further.

IMHO, and I am not a lawyer, scientist, nor even stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I'd rather put money towards better sway bars, wheels/tires, and coil-overs (in that order for a daily driver).

With that said, perhaps a separate topic should be made to discuss the effectiveness of such devices and not clutter this group-buy/fabrication thread.

[Ilya]

Here's a good read explaining some of the science behind strut bars. Another 2 important points that this article brings up...

Most popular eBay-type braces (and even JDM uber-expensive ones!) have a piece that bolts to the strut tower and then the bar itself bolts into place after that. This is a terrible design and one that will render the brace nearly useless under many circumstances.

Take a look at OEM-designed strut braces and in almost all cases (especially where an engineer was asked), they are SOLID pieces, generally steel in construction.

Why steel? Well, for one it's cost. However, and this is the other thing that bugs me about most aftermarket braces - Aluminum in this application has ZERO advantage of steel. Why?

Aluminum and steel have the same stiffness, given the same amount of weight. In other words, if you go to the hardware store and pick up a piece of 1" bar aluminum, you'll find that while it is much lighter than the same size piece of steel.... it's a great deal flimsier.

It will take the same amount of weight in aluminum (and thus a bigger bar) to provide the same amount of stiffness as the equivilant weight steel. Aluminum strut braces, floor bars, fender braces, and so on - would have to be unreasonably large to add any real stiffness.

The SoulFunction part (as listed for the G35/G37) is hinged AND is made of T6061 aluminum. Keep that in mind. Because T6061 is often used in aircraft construction, people think it's a super hard alloy. Negatory Big Ben, it's actually softer among construction metals. Aircraft are meant to bend and flex quite a bit when forces act upon them so they do not snap, crackle, and pop.

I'm not trying to say SoulFunction is a bad company by any means, I just want to make sure you, fellow members, are informed of the facts before pursuing any further.

IMHO, and I am not a lawyer, scientist, nor even stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I'd rather put money towards better sway bars, wheels/tires, and coil-overs (in that order for a daily driver).

With that said, perhaps a separate topic should be made to discuss the effectiveness of such devices and not clutter this group-buy/fabrication thread.

Fair enough. Color me educated. I just know my cheap $80 bar for my Maxima did help enough to be noticeable. Carry on, all.

[Mjkkb2]

Just wanted to chime in on the stiffness comment. Aluminum is generally 3 times less stiff than steel. So to get the same stiffness the aluminum bar would have to have 3 times the cross section of the steel. It doesn't have to do anything with weight but with the modules of elasticity which is 3 times the one of aluminum.
Ok I'm done with materials mechanics 101