xboxhaxorz

I am currently researching subframe braces since i have a 23mm sway bar. F7, ASR etc; seem to be the recommended brands as they use a higher quality aluminum. Looking at cheaper braces on ebay i find they use 6061 aluminum where as the more expensive brands use 7075.

According to this 6 is structural grade and 7 is aerospace grade. This shows that 7 is about 2x as strong as 6. Now obviously if those more expensive brands are in fact using 7 its definitely a better product. But does the brace even need to be that strong or is it overkill? Has there been any reports of issues with using the cheap ebay braces?

Now for those that want to test and be sure they are getting the right aluminum grade check this out.
I had planned on buying a cheap brace and an expensive brace to compare ie; through weighing and drilling. But since many of the ebay sellers list the lower grade aluminum i found it not to be necessary.

I had looked into buying a sheet of grade 7 and drilling the appropriate holes.

Now dont get me wrong im not trying to cheap out, i am willing to buy the things i need but i always look for the best buy and alternative options before making a decision.

NVturbo

No need to get too technical about this part. Get a quality part and be done with. I have a DS (Dark Star) polished on my Del Sol and it works fine.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

With a 22 or 23mm bar, even with an ASR brace...there is no way to guarantee it won't tear the subframe, if you're using sticky tyres and fairly soft springs in an autocross or track environment.

You'll need to use some sensibility. Use stiffer springs and shocks instead of making the swaybar do all the work, for example.

Buy the ASR if you're going to be using the car on track. Quality goes a lot further than just material type.

xboxhaxorz

I plan on just using the car as my regular driver nI racing and i have an air suspension, should i still get an ASR brace

B serious

iTrader: (1)

I believe the ASR or F7 is made from T6 billet 7075. Then machined to spec from a company that has built a reputation. They did R&D based on real world testing. Their products work. Its been proven. If you had an issue, you'll know where to go. It comes with instructions, well thought out hardware, and all the details you'd want in a product that you can truly take out of a package and install with confidence.

7075 might not be overkill. You'd need to know the spring rate of the bar, and the resulting stresses it puts on the part. Or...buy from a company that already did that research and decided 7075 was a safer bet.

A knockoff is...different for every knockoff. Some work...some don't.

6061? Cast plate? Is it heat aged? Non heat aged 6061 is pretty weak stuff.

6061-0 has an 18KSI tensile strength and 8.0KSI yield. Ouch. Hell no, it won't hold up. Once its been heat aged to T6, those values go up to 42 and 38, respectively. T4 isn't as good.

And a knockoff was made by laying out an ASR brace, tracing the holes, and claiming to be "the same thing...basically". If yours broke, its not like vendor necessarily has a reputation to keep. "for offroad use only....no warranty...its only for show" is a pretty notmal response after something goes wrong with a cheapo knockoff. It may not have been tested or designed. Just...knocked off. Engineered parts have a lot of design "hidden" in them. Shape and form does not reveal function.

Advantage of a knockoff: cost.

I have no idea if a knockoff will work for your purposes...and neither will you til you try it out and test it.

You're just street driving it...so this is mostly for show.

You gonna be proud to show off your knockoff to people who actually know what they're looking at?

If you're mindful enough to ask these questions...my guess is that you'll be much happier and feel better buying the real thing.