I've been looking at some different strut bars ... What would make one manufacturer better than others? They all seem to appear quite similar (although the Neuspeed has a slightly different design) Is it literally all in the name? I can't see spending 100% to 150% more for "name brand" strut bars when the "lesser names" are very similar in design. Name brands include DC Sports / Neuspeed etc. ... Lesser Names include Pilot / Tucan (Ractive) / Suspension Techniques / V-Racing / APC.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

 

well it all comes down to how stiff it makes the front end. If you can put the front strut bar on easily then it most likely wasnt made to properly stiffen up the front end. Some of them like Neuspeed need to have the front end lifted off the ground to be put on because they have tension in them when they are just sitting there to further make the strut tower stiff under cornering loads

 

Werd. Stay away from strut bars with pivot points. They're a waste of money.

 

well, not quite useless guy. the strut bars i threw into mine work great and guess what, they have pivot points. installation on those is just the same as the fixed ones like the neuspeed sb. you lift the front of the car at the crossmember with the bases already in place and torqued down correctly then bolt the bar to the pivots but not tighten them. twist the bar with your hands until its as tight as you can get it (and so it pushes outward on the strut towers) and tighten the bolts at the ends and pivots to keep everything from slackening. same installation technique if its done the way its meant to be done. but not everyone wants to spend the time or put in the effort. it made a HUGE difference in the attitude of my car in tight corners. the jitteriness at limit is gone and when you do exceed the limit the car just smears like butter, nothing sudden or abrupt. definitely one of the better mods to my suspension.

 

neuspeed is garbage

obx is fine, you cant beat the price and they wont bend or break

 

well if you do happen to get a lesser expensive strut bar...just don't get apc...i have been boycotting them forever just because of the whole gayness factor in their products...suspension techniques will probably be your best bet if you get an off brand...but i would recommend the dc strut bar!

 

dc is junk too, so are pretty much all their products

obx is quality and affordability

 

dont worry about any of them, make your own!
that way yuO will get exactly what you want, and it's a whole lot cheaper.

 

How is this so? The tubular design has much less flex than other designs.

 

i have three people that have had theirs bend, and they just toss it in the garbadge, this is from experience of what i have personally seen

 

I've had mine over 5 years... never had a problem.

 

personally, i got my front upper off of ebay for $25...it has pivot points but works fine. i definitely noticed the stiffer chassis (amplified all the little bumps in the road) but not much of anything in terms of better handling.

i haven't heard of anyone bending their neuspeed bars...that's good to know. from a design standpoint, the neuspeed bar is better because it has four points where it bolts to your car. people have complained that this makes it a b!tch to install though.

 

I found the installation to be extremely easy... took me less than 20 minutes...

 

neuspeed, they do bend over time, but does not affect performance, basically conforms to the stock mounts, but still will resist flex when cornering

neuspeed is easy to install, if you follow the directions... jack car up to remove stress on towers, remove plastic fuse boxes, etc..., install then rearmost mounts, then ones towards from of car

personally i chose neuspeed over all others and would buy again

best bars are solid bars, w/o pivots, never seen obx, but dc sport is **** for upper mounts and cos ts wayyyyyy too much