Carbing F&R Strut Bars and Cusco Side Bar Review

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.

Dupain · Postby **Dupain** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:17 pm

Magpie wrote: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...

Why was it locked? Still more to do on the exhaust system.

Will look at your readings tonight.

Stock suspension has reached it's used by date. Tightening everything up first before sways, coils etc.

Have you seen some 2nd hand aluminium bars? mounting area often warped.

Getting an alarm and central locking done this week, so not much work on it this week.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:30 pm

You are doing things so out of order and you will find it difficult to sort out the wheat from the chaff mods. If your suspension is stuffed then the strut braces will 'feel' better, but with a well sorted/planned/executed suspension package the strut braces are a placebo.

Fix the suspension first, coilovers (if needed), ride height, spring rates, alignment, bushes, reduce the unsprung weight first then look into the fine tuning like sway bars, damper/rebound settings and possibly spring rates. Just adding a strut brace is well...

The path you are going has been trod so often by so many and they have been trying to give you the advice, however you can only flog a dead horse for so long and you have to face reality that no amount of flogging the horse will bring it back to life, but it is fun (for a while).

Dupain · Postby **Dupain** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:25 pm

Think you are missing the point Magpie. I'm strengthen the car and reducing the scuttle/body flex first. Not even working on the handling as I was happy with the stock handling but will now replace the stock setup as it has had better days.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:41 pm

No I'm not missing the point, if you were looking at scuttle shake then I would have understood frog arms and frame rails/butterfly brace, not suspension tower braces.

I went frame rails/butterfly brace as one of the first mods on the car, but the now removed suspension tower braces were last. Still no frog arms on my car yet. I have openly admitted that my tower braces were done because everybody else does so it is a good mod, WRONG!

Once you replace suspension it will no longer be stock or have stock handling especially considering your choice of spring rates.

Again I defer to your knowledge and look forward to reading your thoughts and decision making process.

Dupain · Postby **Dupain** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 11:31 pm

When a good deal comes along, I'll pick them up. Looking at some Nagisa fender braces and Autoexec braces for under the car. Not keen on the FM braces with all the drilling. Strut braces work on the MX5, you are kidding yourself otherwise.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 11:41 pm

I scientifically challenge you to prove your statement on the strut braces. On an MX5 the dampers are not struts hence the braces can not be called strut braces!

Dupain · Postby **Dupain** » Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:03 am

This is why we have chosen a steel brace with a thick base plate and a thick semi cone connecting the bar. The extra thickness does wonders for the vertical forces. The bar reduces the scuttle shakes.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Tue Sep 02, 2014 6:24 pm

Dupain wrote:This is why we have chosen a steel brace with a thick base plate and a thick semi cone connecting the bar. The extra thickness does wonders for the vertical forces. The bar reduces the scuttle shakes.

you mean horizontal force right?

Dupain · Postby **Dupain** » Wed Sep 03, 2014 5:30 am

project.r.racing wrote:
Dupain wrote:This is why we have chosen a steel brace with a thick base plate and a thick semi cone connecting the bar. The extra thickness does wonders for the vertical forces. The bar reduces the scuttle shakes.
you mean horizontal force right?

Up and down prr.

Regie · Postby **Regie** » Wed Sep 03, 2014 7:49 am

project.r.racing wrote:
Dupain wrote:This is why we have chosen a steel brace with a thick base plate and a thick semi cone connecting the bar. The extra thickness does wonders for the vertical forces. The bar reduces the scuttle shakes.
you mean horizontal force right?

He must have got that sentence off Wikipedia.

Mx5's don't have strut suspension setups. Strut brace improvement would be very minimal say against a commodore or falcon with a different setup

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Wed Sep 03, 2014 8:55 am

Don't feed the troll.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dupain · Postby **Dupain** » Wed Sep 03, 2014 2:14 pm

Regie wrote:
project.r.racing wrote:
Dupain wrote:This is why we have chosen a steel brace with a thick base plate and a thick semi cone connecting the bar. The extra thickness does wonders for the vertical forces. The bar reduces the scuttle shakes.
you mean horizontal force right?

He must have got that sentence off Wikipedia.

Mx5's don't have strut suspension setups. Strut brace improvement would be very minimal say against a commodore or falcon with a different setup

Exactly, only up and down forces prominent. Going to run the back suspension @ 1/2 an inch higher than the fronts, a much firmer front springs 10~12 kg/mm and a thicker front sway only.