Carbing F&R Strut Bars and Cusco Side Bar Review

Dupain · Postby **Dupain** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 7:07 pm

Front strut was easy to install but the rears were tight.

Side Bars, bolts in along the side of the car doors. Need to drill through the floor for the front support point. Middle support point to the seat and the back support point under the seat belt post.

Together with the BD roll bar the synthesis of them all has really tighten the car up. The side bars has reduced front to rear skittle significantly. Looking to get so fender braces and a broad chassis brace under the car. Stock front and rear bars under the car are fine.

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

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.

Dupain · Postby **Dupain** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 2:52 pm

Nevyn72 wrote:
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?

Did not get the BCS version. They do make a bar with a built in BCS but I was after a strong steel version. Not keen on the aluminium types. Cusco also makes a BCS kit @$90 but you can't use the strut bar. I'll be running 10kg/mm F and 8 kg/mm Rs coil overs soon after tightening her up. I think the strengthening is coming along nicely. Just picking up pieces here and there.

Below is the side bars (new) for auction, it'll go got that amount. You can't go wrong with the steel versions 2nd hand however the aluminium ones do warp. You can get 2nd named ones for $50.

CUSCO Cusco reinforcing bar Roadster NA8C/NA6CE
ends in 5 Hours
buy AU $ 158.21

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.