City Driving: Strut Bars with the Thickest Mounts?

[GripSpec]

I live in the city with horrible roads (not an understatment), so while installing my coilovers I'd like to protect my strut towers from the beating as much as possible with some beefy strut tower bars. ( I could actually care less about the connecting bar, I'm just in it for the added protection the mounts give) .

So which bars have the best mounts and are reasonably priced? Cusco? Greddy? Its quite hard to tell from looking at pictures online. Thanks for the help.

[Brian]

I was a die hard CUSCO fan until I found GT SPEC.

hands down, the biggest, strongest looking bars I have ever seen.

:)

[mad-ass]

Circuit Sports S13/S14 Aluminum Front Strut Bar (http://www.phase2motortrend.com/cisps1alfrst.html)

I have Circuit Sports Strut Tower Bar on the S14 with Stance GR+ and I love it. Very reasonably priced, very solid construction. and good fitment as well. Seems that it fits all your criteria.

[Jonnie Fraz]

Not to toot my own horn, but I use 3/16" (.1875) in my strut tower braces. They are reguarded as some of the beefiest out there.
Here are some pics
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/Fraz-Man-One/FSTB-end-plate.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/Fraz-Man-One/SR-20-FSTB-fit.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/Fraz-Man-One/BMC-stopper-installed-2.jpg

Or you could do this...
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa15/Jackson-Rally/RLLYSTI/IMG_0916.jpg

[mrflip69]

Was just gonna recommend Jonnie Fraz's prodcuts. Great price for cold hard steel. If my car blew up, I bet the only thing left would be his STBs... lol.

Fixed mount too, so no points of flex. Fittment, was spot on.

[ThatGuy]

You could tow an aircraft carrier from one of Johnnie's bars! :rawk:

[Phlip]

Another vote for Johnnie Fraz and his bars, anything less would be uncivilized.

[GripSpec]

Thanks for the opinions guys. Great info in here. Johnny, do you sell those bars or is that something you make for yourself and friends? Great work either way.

[racepar1]

Strut tower bars will help little with what you want them to help. First off when a strut tower comes apart is is usually at the spot welds, second I don't care how bad your roads are I will guarantee you that they are not bad enough to rip strut towers out no matter what spring rates you are running. The most important thing to look for in a strut bar is a solid one-piece design. Anything that bolts together (like cusco) is a waste of time and money as it has pivot points in it. The second thing to remember is that a strut bar strengthens the chasis by holding tension on it. It does NOT have to be a huge beefy piece. I have seen some of Johnny Fraz's stuff and my ONLY gripe with it is that it is just too damn heavy, complete overkill. My favorite chasis braces that I have ever seen (or used) are the ultra racing braces. They are well designed, one piece, and made of thinwall material so they are VERY light. IMO they may be the best off the shelf stuff out there. Too bad they are quite hard to get your hands on.

[az_240]

The best front strut tower bar for the money is the DC Sports bar. I paid around $100 shipped, solid construction, decently light, no problems with fitment, noticed a difference immediately after install.

I have not found a good rear bar that is reasonably priced for the S14 yet...

And I agree with racepar1.... the only way you will really do any damage do the strut towers is if you hit a curb going fast or some other type of accident

[S14DB]

To bad Jonnie doesn't make S14 bars...

[mad-ass]

^False! he does make S14 strut bars! and he also makes rear strut bars as well[for S13s]!!!
and yes, I would also recommend his product! I have two of his products on two of my cars and I love them to death. Go Jonnie!

[GripSpec]

Strut tower bars will help little with what you want them to help. First off when a strut tower comes apart is is usually at the spot welds, second I don't care how bad your roads are I will guarantee you that they are not bad enough to rip strut towers out no matter what spring rates you are running. The most important thing to look for in a strut bar is a solid one-piece design. Anything that bolts together (like cusco) is a waste of time and money as it has pivot points in it. The second thing to remember is that a strut bar strengthens the chasis by holding tension on it. It does NOT have to be a huge beefy piece. I have seen some of Johnny Fraz's stuff and my ONLY gripe with it is that it is just too damn heavy, complete overkill. My favorite chasis braces that I have ever seen (or used) are the ultra racing braces. They are well designed, one piece, and made of thinwall material so they are VERY light. IMO they may be the best off the shelf stuff out there. Too bad they are quite hard to get your hands on.

I definitely see where you are coming from and everything you say is very true and valid, but there are a couple reasons that I think a beefy piece of metal would help to prevent any damage. This is somewhat complicated and more than most people care to think about so bare with me. As I see it (after working at a nissan dealership with an attached bodyshop for the past 4 years) there are 2 types of strut tower damage. (A) the actual cracking of metal or seperating of spot welds as you described, and (B) the bending up, crowning, or mushroom of strut mounts from stiff suspension. This issue is common on 3 series bmw's and mini's that are known to have weak strut towers. I have also had friends that have complained that megan coilovers are "garbage" because their camber plates were bent downward when they removed them. What they don't realize is that hard road impacts are not only bending their camber plates, they are also bending the attached strut tower (obviously). This is why I believe that attaching a reinforment plate to the top of any strut tower is an added piece of mind when driving on rough roads. The only time I have seen this happen on a 240sx was when an s14 came in with major suspension damage from hitting a curb, I've seen it many more times on bmw's and mini's as noted above. Basically I don't think this is a very big problem with our cars, but after seeing it in real life and thinking about the hard coilover impacts, I guess I am kinda paranoid. haha.

[az_240]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/livinglegendlll/ImportedPhotos00002.jpg

Shakitto plates are nice as well

[S14DB]

^False! he does make S14 strut bars! and he also makes rear strut bars as well[for S13s]!!!
and yes, I would also recommend his product! I have two of his products on two of my cars and I love them to death. Go Jonnie!

I thought they didn't clear S14SR's?

[racepar1]

I have also had friends that have complained that megan coilovers are "garbage" because their camber plates were bent downward when they removed them. What they don't realize is that hard road impacts are not only bending their camber plates, they are also bending the attached strut tower (obviously).

Well that statement right threr tells me exactly how little it matters on our cars. Their camber plates are giving before the tower does. I simply don't think that bolting a piece of metal onto the top of the strut tower in only 3 places will make any discernable difference at all. If you really wanna prevent bad stuff from happening then make plates for the strut towers and weld them on. I honestly have not heard of any 240's having issues with the strut towers though. I have heard of other parts of the chasis coming apart, but not the towers.

[Brian]

I noticed a difference with and without a strut tower bar at the racetrack. True story.

EDIT: noticed "city driving" in thread title.
fuck me.

[mad-ass]

I thought they didn't clear S14SR's?
That is true. his strut bar is built around S13 SR's. so it won't clear any notch backs sadly to my knowledge. I brought that up to him last time and I'm sure he'll come up with some thing soon enough

[Jonnie Fraz]

Thanks for all the complements guys! I am glad that the bars make difference...If I was not getting Great feedback for the people using them, than I would not be building them.


That is true. his strut bar is built around S13 SR's. so it won't clear any notch backs sadly to my knowledge. I brought that up to him last time and I'm sure he'll come up with some thing soon enough

The fitment of the S14 SR in the S13 I have not figured a way to make that work yet.
As for the S14 SR in the S14 I am pretty sure it will fit, but I need to make sure before I say yes for sure.

To the OP...I to have never seen the deformation of the S14 strut towers from "street driving", but I do not work at the dealer either.