I'm working on a budget (go figure) and I have a terrible time getting the tail
around on the autocross and was figuring on cusco type os, maybe the comptech
combo? I am also going to get the car corner balanced should I wait to do this after I have made my decision on the strut/tie bar?
Any and every comment is appreciated

 

Can you tie them in underneath the car easily?

 

I dont think the problem lies in the need for a rear lower tie bar

 

Particularly if you are on a budget, don't let anyone sell you crap you don't need. Strut/tie bars are the aftermarket's wet dream - visible so they sell themselves ("Dude - look what I got"), look like real racing parts ("Whoah - rod ends, baby!"), hard to screw up (no wiring or plumbing), and people want to believe that they work so BADLY that they convince themselves and others that they can "feel the difference. Seriously. Totally. No really. I'd let you drive it but you know..."

Spend the same money on entry fees and practice.

K

 

are you sure you don't mean sway bar?

/me not seeing how a tie bar is going to make the rear "come around"

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...and people want to believe that they work so BADLY that they convince themselves and others that they can "feel the difference.
Spend the same money on entry fees and practice.

K</TD></TR></TABLE>

this happens to be one of the most annoying internet car forum habits out there. i spent $500 on it! it MUST WORK!!!!!!!

cusco strut bars cost 300 something for 2? you could go to evolution school for that amount and knock off more time than you ever would with 2 pieces of welded chromoly on top of the shock towers.

 

Wow I feel incredibly retarded so what your saying is that strut bars and sway bars offer no function other than that of cosmetic appearance. I find that hard to believe.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Papa John &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so what your saying is that strut bars and sway bars offer no function other than that of cosmetic appearance. </TD></TR></TABLE>

That is correct.

What i would look into, in order of importance: Seat time, Tires, Bigger rear sway bar, spring rates, alignment settings.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Papa John &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow I feel incredibly retarded so what your saying is that strut bars and sway bars offer no function other than that of cosmetic appearance. I find that hard to believe. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Strut Bars do very little for performance.

SWAY BARS are a completely different matter and can be invaluable when it comes to handling and chassis tuning.

 

You just contradicted your self<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

That is correct.

What i would look into, Bigger rear sway bar, .</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Papa John &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow I feel incredibly retarded so what your saying is that sway bars offer no function other than that of cosmetic appearance. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Papa John &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow I feel incredibly retarded so what your saying is that strut bars and sway bars offer no function other than that of cosmetic appearance. I find that hard to believe. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry - we just need to get some terms standardized, I think.

The original post said "strut bars" - this typically means reinforcements added between suspension pickup points, or strut or turret tops, or other points of the car (including shoulder belt mounts on B-pillars). THESE are of - at best - dubious value in terms of measurable, repeatable gains in on-track performance. They look cool and are an easy sell, and questions pop up here about them constantly. It's our mission to set the world right about this silliness...

If you are asking about "sway bars" the question and answer are entirely different. These are dynamic (moving) components in the suspension system that control the transfer of forces across one end of the car or the other. They can and do make a HUGE difference in the handling of a car and by using them correctly, lap or run times can improve a bunch.

I would argue that we try to use the more accurate term anti-roll bar or ARB when we talk about these things.

K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would argue that we try to use the more accurate term anti-roll bar or ARB when we talk about these things.

K</TD></TR></TABLE>
Probably a good idea.

 

in my case, I don't plan on modifying the car until this summer, when I'll have a lot of autocrosses behind me. The "strut bar" that I want to get only costs $50, and it's made by Acura. It comes with the Acura TL and CL, and bolts right up to my Accord. would I be wrong in doing that?

Obviously, if I were on a budget, I wouldn't want to buy it...

 

It should stiffen up the front end of the unibody some... as to whether or not you'll feel anything from the seat...?

 

I call them roommate whackers.

 

We're a bit spoiled here in Honda land. Most of Honda's cars do not have load bearing strut towers, so strut tower bars do very little for performance. Cars that have MacPherson setups benefit greatly from a good strut tower bar setup.

Warren

 

If you're not already out of "stock class" remember this will put you out.

 

yes, I'm in STS due to wheels.

This is a 6th gen Accord with the $50 Acura upper front brace:



The Accord just comes with 2 braces that link each strut tower to the firewall, but not to each other. The Acura one, as you can see, just links the 2 together. Many people feel as though this works much better than the aftermarket bling bling strut bars that cost 2-3 times more...

Obviously, if I was on a budget, this would be at the bottom of the list...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would argue that we try to use the more accurate term anti-roll bar or ARB when we talk about these things.</TD></TR></TABLE>

As much as I like that term, it's far too easily confused with "roll bar". When you're dealing with people that don't understand the difference between making the chassis stiffer and making the suspension stiffer, this is a bad thing.

However, this is why I also prefer "strut/shock tower brace" to "strut bar". Calling it a brace makes it pretty clear that it's a structural member and nothing more.

It didn't do anything for performance, but putting a rear upper shock tower brace on my 240SX did make the hatch stop squeaking. The front strut tower brace did absolutely nothing. Good thing I bought the $20 generic braces (which are every bit as good, IMO, as the name brands from a functional perspective).

By the way, since the Honda suspensions most of you are dealing with aren't McPherson strut, but double-wishbone, could a shock tower brace even actually do anything? Do the shocks put any lateral load on the shock towers? The Japanese Honda tuners as well as Honda themselves seem to think so, but I can't figure out why.

 

lol, that's why I refuse to pay more than $50. Don't know why, but they decided to put it in the Acura TL/CL, but not in the Accord...

 

Similar to Proteges. The 5-lug models ('01+ ES, 5, MP3, Mazdaspeed) have them, but the 4-lug models don't. It's kind of funny popping the hood of my box-stock mommy wagon and seeing a big flashy bright red strut tower brace.

 

yeah, but the Acura one isn't flashy seriously, I'd like to know why they didn't put it in the Accord.

 

here's another picture (top). It's available from any Acura Parts counter:

 

I have a 01 Prelude. I too fell for the Strut Bar/Brace theory. I have yet to drive it at the track, but I have not felt any real difference in the way the car handles, at first I thought I did, but now I chalk it up in the "wanting to feel" category. Unfortunately I did not go with the $50.00 one I'll soon find out, AutoX season starts 13 March