Carbing F&R Strut Bars and Cusco Side Bar Review

Regie · Postby **Regie** » Fri Aug 29, 2014 8:35 pm

time for you to attend a club track day and test this gear out!

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Fri Aug 29, 2014 8:46 pm

The general thinking at the moment is that F/R strut braces do very little due to the suspension design of the car. I have now done 2 tracks days without them and I have been faster!

However the front brace makes a good cable tie point and arm rest.

How will you objectively review the impact of the braces? A seat of the pants is not very objective.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Fri Aug 29, 2014 9:00 pm

Strut brace in mine made a huge difference.

When changing plugs etc I have something to lean on. When I had the crappy old intake I held it steady by cable tieing it to the brace.

TTT · Postby **TTT** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:58 am

Dupain wrote:Not too expensive new all under $200 and 2nd hand @$100.

link?

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 9:21 am

I have a set of F/R strut braces that I would sell each for $150.

da pain has not specified if his $200 new or $100 used was for all the items or an each price.

I would like to see the link for $200 (including freight) new as well!

Nevyn72 · Postby **Nevyn72** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 10:00 am

Magpie wrote:I would like to see the link for $200 (including freight) new as well!

Well being painted white they're probably the cheaper steel versions......

Did you get the brake cylinder stopper on your front brace Dupain?

Regie · Postby **Regie** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 10:35 am

Nevyn72 wrote:Did you get the brake cylinder stopper on your front brace Dupain?

He wouldnt know what that is....

taminga16 · Postby **taminga16** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 10:49 am

Speaking as an owner of an NA on and off over 25 years. The 5 is great around town, short zips to the local TAB and back. Easy in traffic with the light clutch. To me the gear ratios are perfect for the car. Other cars like the Boxster, the gear ratios are too ambitious for our road conditions. However at speed, the steering is vague and you can feel that your body is bending with the stock chassis, more so with the roof down. I'm a fan of the stock suspension set up and have left it as is, more than adequate with how I drive. Dupain

Nothing like trying to kill a snake by hitting it on the tail. :roll:

Oh! But wait, suspension components are out of sight.
Greg.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 11:20 am

Why would you brace the chassis if happy with the stock suspension?

taminga16 · Postby **taminga16** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 11:27 am

project.r.racing wrote:Why would you brace the chassis if happy with the stock suspension?

My point exactly, initial efforts with my NB involed a note pad, an accurate TP gauge and the same piece of road. A set of Bilsteins out of an SE sorted out heaps and was not terribly expensive. Do the elongated holes in the braces require an insert?
Greg.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:10 pm

Dupain you are swapping between coil overs, Brake Cylinder Stopper and strut braces all in the same sentence. All you missed out was sway bars.

What did you purchase? How much? How are you objectivley reviewing the purchases?

The strut bar transfers loads, it is not load bearing. Aluminium will do the same as steel in this instance and be lighter. The arument is that a strut brace has minimal impact on double wishbone as the shock is not a load bearing part of the suspension. However in a macpherson strut suspension the shock is load bearing, hence its name strut and the use of a strut brace between the 2 sides. This is explained on Wikipedia and eHow.

How did you come up with the 10/8 spring combination? What ride frequency are you targeting? Why the RS coil over choice?

taminga16 · Postby **taminga16** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:14 pm

Dupain,
Do some research into what other people are using, there is no point in trying to re-invent the wheel and it may save you time and money in the long term.
Greg.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:16 pm

Pass the popcorn. This next Da Pain thread is gonna be great reading.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:23 pm

The last DuPain thread is now locked, how long before it happens again...

Dupain have a read of the next dozen or so comments in this thread regarding strut braces http://mx5cartalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=793335#p793335. If that is not enough it created its own thread http://mx5cartalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=793960#p793960.

I'm sorry that it is not links to Wikipedia or eHow.

I doubt anybody wants to revist the strut brace discussion again...

Vat · Postby **Vat** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:52 pm

Magpie wrote:The arument is that a strut brace has minimal impact on double wishbone as the shock is not a load bearing part of the suspension. However in a macpherson strut suspension the shock is load bearing, hence its name strut and the use of a strut brace between the 2 sides.

Can vouch for this - ran a front strut brace in my old Mirage and it tightened the front end up markedly, structure felt much more secure and much of the slop went out of the steering - LCA kit took care of the rest of it.

The shock tower brace in the Jaffa has made some refinement differences, and the steering feels 'purer' in that it feels a bit more isolated from whatever the suspension's doing, but it's very much seat of the pants and TBH fairly marginal - I'd very much doubt there'd be any road performance benefit there. I personally prefer the feel of it being there, but that's just me.