ST bar inquiry

[nukefission]

Has anybody had a problem with strut tower bars hitting about the hood of their car? I'm considering getting one in the near future, and I've had bad luck with things rattling against the hood of my car. Just wanted to know if there are any bars in particular that I should avoid.
Question#2: that NOPI bar for $40, is it really good? Just wondering about the quality of the thing since it's about half the price of all the others I've seen out there.. Thanks

[SUPERFLY]

The stut tower brace should not rattle with anything under your hood. I personaly would stay away from aluminum strut tower braces because with heat they may expand and with cold the may contract.

[Van]

See my review post on the $40 nopi, Freedom Designs Front STB. Simply put, it's awesome. I mounted mine to the back two bolts on the strut tower, no rub. *IMO* I wouldn't worry too much about temp. changes affecting the bar. In the last three days my bar has experienced a 45 degree F ambient temp. change with no problems. Plus, the engine compartment heat. Besides that, heads are aluminum.

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Rocky Mountain
'91 Talon Tsi AWD - modified
Live, Learn, Love and Bleed DSM...
http://www.zing.com/picture/pd5c020f0f5cc99255c2d06adf61adc65/ff53f8cb.jpg.thumb.jpg

[This message has been edited by Van (edited October 09, 2000).]

[redgsturbo]

aluminum exands and contracts no drasticlly different than any other metal... plus it wont make much of a difference anyways.. if your that worried make one out of carbon fiber...

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J. Hunter Allred
http://smilecwm.tripod.com/net6/scrambles.gif
'95 GS-T free mods, K&N, 3" HKS Superdragger, ACT2600, lightened flywheel, and otherthings that escape me at the moment. T-25 handicapped though. As you can see its a work in progress. Figure if i buy it i should buy it once :)

[ATKChemist]

carbon fiber?!? Now are we getting into weight savings as well! j/k I've had an aluminum bar for a little less thna a year and nothing rubs, It also makes a good ground if you need a jump start!

Zach
'92 Laser RS Turbo AWD
"RSX"

[redgsturbo]

pound for pound carbon fiber is hella stiffer than steel or aluminum or titanium or any metal for that matter.. if its done properly

------------------
J. Hunter Allred
http://smilecwm.tripod.com/net6/scrambles.gif
'95 GS-T free mods, K&N, 3" HKS Superdragger, ACT2600, lightened flywheel, and otherthings that escape me at the moment. T-25 handicapped though. As you can see its a work in progress. Figure if i buy it i should buy it once :)

[redgsturbo]

plus it is very resistant to expansion/contraction

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J. Hunter Allred
http://smilecwm.tripod.com/net6/scrambles.gif
'95 GS-T free mods, K&N, 3" HKS Superdragger, ACT2600, lightened flywheel, and otherthings that escape me at the moment. T-25 handicapped though. As you can see its a work in progress. Figure if i buy it i should buy it once :)

[octalon7]

Many experienced DSMers, several autoxers, have told me aluminum isn't the best to go with for an STB. Here's a test they said to perform and possibly explain why certain alum bars suck:

Grab the bar (once its installed on the car of course). Pull hard on it, from every which angle, preferrably directly up. If the car moves the bar is good, if the bar flexes a tiny bit or a whole lot then it pretty much is a ****ty bar and isn't doing everything that a STB should be doing.

This is just some info I'm passing on. I don't own a STB and probably won't for a while. But I thought if you are going to get a STB might as well get the best one for your money otherwise you are wasting your money on something that you think is doing its job...or in other words you might wasting your money on some more "rice" apparel for your car :)

-Adam (octalon7)

[redgsturbo]

thats partially true.. stiffness is at a premium here, but not so much flexing but compression and tensile strength is what matters.. i doubt anyone (but me :D ) here can corner hard enough to buckle a stb. anything you add.. even if it was a 2x4 would help lockup the front end suspension

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J. Hunter Allred
http://smilecwm.tripod.com/net6/scrambles.gif
'95 GS-T free mods, K&N, 3" HKS Superdragger, ACT2600, lightened flywheel, and otherthings that escape me at the moment. T-25 handicapped though. As you can see its a work in progress. Figure if i buy it i should buy it once :)

[octalon7]

All very true, good point redgsturbo. Just pointing out that its not just "flexing", its the permanent bending to worry about. Aluminum tends to keep shape if I'm not mistaken. Guess I'm just trying to say if you get a really good stiff bar you won't have those worries :) Anything will do though, I've heard of someone using parts from Home Depot to make an STB.

-Adam (octalon7)

[Van]

The Freedom Designs ($40) strut tower bar I have is a beefy oval shape, the adjusting bolts are pretty big also. I would recommend it. It's improved my handling alot. Right after I put it on, I did the flex test and the car moves, not the bar. Good investment if you want to improve handling *IMHO*. Definitely not ricey!
FWIW - if there was a carbon fiber bar for $40, I'd have bought it.

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Rocky Mountain
'91 Talon Tsi AWD - modified
Live, Learn, Love and Bleed DSM...
http://www.zing.com/picture/pd5c020f0f5cc99255c2d06adf61adc65/ff53f8cb.jpg.thumb.jpg

[redgsturbo]

i wasnt saying there was one.. especially for $40.. just that if flex was a critical issue for someone carbon composites are extremely rigid.. more so than steel

------------------
J. Hunter Allred
http://smilecwm.tripod.com/net6/scrambles.gif
'95 GS-T free mods, K&N, 3" HKS Superdragger, ACT2600, lightened flywheel, and otherthings that escape me at the moment. T-25 handicapped though. As you can see its a work in progress. Figure if i buy it i should buy it once :)