Strut tower bar brands

[kclo4]

Hullo again folks.

Looking for input on strut tower bars.I am wondering what the important factors are when choosing one? Can a STB break under hard use? How much will different brands limit flex?

I have none, and really need them. The car is driven hard (track, auto-x, drift) and has very stiff suspension already(kts coilovers 8kg/6kg springs). I am broke so I am looking into possible ebay STB's but I know ebay parts are typically junk. I don't know if a STB is one of those things that I really need to spend a lot on though since it's not a main load bearing component or anything.

Thanks

[eddiec]

i have the ebay stb's and they are somewhat effective. the design flaw is that little bolt that connects the bar to the bracket. below is a pic of what i'm talking about. that bolt allows that point to become a hinge. no matter how tight that bolts gets tightened, it will always allow flex. my solution is going to be some time of welding that joint solid.

of course you get what you pay for in this instance. the big jdm tyte style bars usually don't have this bolt as they are made to fit. these will no doubt cost more. the ebay versions are somewhat universal and are made for ease of installation among various cars. so these are priced more in my league.

of course if you want the uber effective bar then just weld a section of angle iron between the strut towers and your set. oh and connection to the firewall is nice, but not necesary

[kclo4]

Thanks for the input. I am at a point now where its no STB's or ebay cheap/used STB's so I think I will go with the later. I don't see any of the cheap brand ones for the rear though. I may have to get a used rear and a cheap brand front.

[frsh13]

as everyone on this forums knows.....you get what you pay for....a few days ago some guys rear upper control arms that he bought on ebay snapped while he was driving. Not safe and i wouldnt trust it on my car

[kclo4]

Thats why I am concidering cheapy STB's. They arent a major load bearing compenent. If they break they just stop working.I just want to make the chassi more rigid but I don't want to spend a lot to save money for sway bars which are likely more important.

[GhostDriver]

I just got some pilot motorsports STBs and they're fine. Strut bars aren't too complex to screw up. I just wouldn't pay more than 200 bucks for even a pair.

[eddiec]

i lurked around ebay for a while until i found the sale i wanted. every once in a while one of the sellers offers up the pair of front and rear together.

if your familiar w/ ebay then you may know this but its not the upfront price you have to watch, its the shipping cost that they get you on.

and yeah i would never trust a critical component, like susp. arms, from an unknown source.

[BomexS13]

. the big jdm tyte style bars usually don't have this bolt as they are made to fit. these will no doubt cost more.

most"big jdm tyte" companies i know has the bolt you're talking about. THe only japan company i can thnk of that doesnt have that bolt is carbing(not sure, similar to it tho).

[Exar-Kun]

Most companys have that bolt, the difference is how its implimented. a Cusco bar may have it, but the bar it goes through has a flatter cross-section, making it much harder to twist...

I know I talked about this in dpeth about a year ago...

-Chet