Cusco Front Strut Bars

[DrDubbleB]

Ok, to me these two look entirely different in build quality, yet they are of the same "series" so to speak, since one is carbon fiber, and the other is aluminum, but are both type "OS". I could be wrong, but it looks like the aluminum one is hollow, whereas the carbon fiber one is solid.

http://www.takakaira.com/performance/cusco/strutbar/type_os.jpg

http://www.takakaira.com/performance/cusco/strutbar/alu_os2.jpg

Is there anyone that has experience with both of these that can comment on the difference in performance at all?

[White240sx]

They both look hollow to me. And the "carbon fiber" one looks to just be the aluminum bar wrapped in carbon fiber.

[sykikchimp]

I own the Carbon Fiber bar, and it is hollow alluminum wrapped in Carbon Fiber.

It is the OS Type-B bar.  Type-a is for another kind of car.

Fit beautifully.  Amazingly better build quality than the cheap ones.  But it should be for the price.  I have a pic of it installed if you want I can post it.

[DrDubbleB]

That'd be great if you could post it! &nbsp;I didnt' realize it was hollow as well though, but I did know that it was aluminum wrapped in carbon fiber. &nbsp;I have already seen the aluminum one posted, but have not decided if I want to get that one, or the carbon fiber one yet. &nbsp;Thanks in advance for posting the pictures! <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

[jskim9]

well, C/F wouldn't make too good of a stiffening bar, since it flexes a lot... basically, it's just a strong plastic. it just looks nice wrapped around stiffer metal. &nbsp;

However, why don't they use "I" beam design? any architect major will tell you that's the stiffest way to design any metal w/o flex. &nbsp;any physicist or engineer to back this up or shoot it down?

John

[SaintlyCharBoy]

mech engineering major...
i am honestly not sure how the struts act on one another, but i assume from the way that they are positioned, and how stb's attach the strenght that needs to be found is compression/tension between the members

C/F is EXTREMELY (can't bold that enough) strong under tension (compression not so much)

alluminum is pretty rugged when it comes to compression tho

an i beam is good in only one dimension for load bearing

they have a tendancy to warp side to side and tist along the central axis (bad)

and aren't really rated for tension and compression

i'm done

i drew a happy little ascii pic, but it didn't show up, so oh well i'll have to use engineering/architectural engrish, bah

an i beam is rolled out of steel, it has 2 flanges and one web, the web being the taller central part; the strength of the i beam is seen when a force is applied perpendicular to the web on one of the flanges
make sence?

in other words, i htink cusco has the right idea, and has some engineers to back up product