• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

IC: Rear Strut Tower Bar

Status
Not open for further replies.
Beans said:
Why don't you make a bar like the st200? 2 mounting points per side. Maybe I'm being paranoid i just thinking having one rigid mounting point is kinda iffy. The 2nd one i don't think will do anything because well there isn't any thing that's structural where those lower bars go. Just thin sheet metal.

IE this: http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showt...-Broken..-Structural-Advice!&highlight=broken
Click to expand...

I guess I see what your getting at now. However it's mounted exactly like the ST200 bar is, but without the cross bars. It is sandwiching the sheet metal in the same way. There is a backer plate with weld nuts that needs to be installed into the wheel well potentially requiring two people to do the install. Adding the cross brace will add cost because of the added material and the bracketry for the mounting becomes complex and costly to manfacture. This design mounts in the same manner as all previous RSTB's. However it does dissipate the load over a larger surface so that if anything you would have less of a chance of the inner fender buckling under load.

As for the comment about the structure, that whole panel is structural. If it wasn't you'd be shooting your struts through the top mounts. The panel has the impressions stamped into it to provide rigidity to the panel and to prevent buckling.
 
Alright if your sure I'm good. I'll go with what everyone else wants then. Depending on cost, but most likely in.
 
Beans said:
Why don't you make a bar like the st200? 2 mounting points per side. Maybe I'm being paranoid i just thinking having one rigid mounting point is kinda iffy. The 2nd one i don't think will do anything because well there isn't any thing that's structural where those lower bars go. Just thin sheet metal.

IE this: http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?29616-My-Rear-Strut-Tower-is-Broken..-Structural-Advice!&highlight=broken
Click to expand...

Just for everyones information, that did not happen because of a RSTB (I had no RSTB and a BAT Suspension when it did happen, I only realized it during Koni/GC install)! I actually have no clue to how it happened. Besides the fact of it being thin sheet metal, I dont see these failures being extremely common with or without a RSTB. Several mounting points will always be better then one. I would like to know what is going on with this as well, as if you make a better strut bar then Rawburts. I may be in!

- amyn
 
Well I've made some mockup's and so far I'm satisfied with them. So I'm working on sourcing the brackets from a local supplier to have them CNC'd. Once I have a set of prototypes made out of steel I'll post some pics. Hopefully it won't be to much longer.
 
CSVT#49 said:
Well I've made some mockup's and so far I'm satisfied with them. So I'm working on sourcing the brackets from a local supplier to have them CNC'd. Once I have a set of prototypes made out of steel I'll post some pics. Hopefully it won't be to much longer.
Click to expand...

Any love on the solid, angled bar to clear speaker boxes?
 
Chas said:
Any love on the solid, angled bar to clear speaker boxes?
Click to expand...

Yes. I plan to offer two options. One for a bent brace and one for a straight brace. However the straight braces will be available first. I'm working on finding a reasonable mandrel bender for the bent brace option.
 
CSVT#49 said:
Yes. I plan to offer two options. One for a bent brace and one for a straight brace. However the straight braces will be available first. I'm working on finding a reasonable mandrel bender for the bent brace option.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
I would be interested in both but I would prefer the cross member piece. I'm not sure it it matters but it looks more stable
 
Just an update... I'm still working on finding a reasonable priced CNC/laser cut machine shop... I have had few leads, but nothing has turned up so far.
 
It's been a while, but time for an update! Thanks to gomach1 I should have some brackets made up next weekend with a test fit late Sunday if not then sometime the second week of March. Things are starting to come together.
 
My brother and I welded up some brackets with the material I received from gomach1 this past Friday. The material is a lot thicker and the cuts are rough, but they are prototypes and you'll get the idea of what the final product will look like. Nothing picture worthy yet, I need to grind them, blast them, and powder coat them before I do that. Hopefully I'll have something presentable by Thurs/Fri. However that said these RSTB's are gonna be pretty dang awesome.
 
wantsansvt said:
awesome mike. dont you have enough projects going on. i am in depending on price
Click to expand...


Yea, yea... well I need this done for my car anyway, so I figured since it's to cold to be painting and I'm still waiting on my cams... might as well knock this one out along with my other supporting suspension mods.
 
Alright guys by this coming weekend I should have everything finalized for this GB. Here are some pics of the first proto. I did not have weld nuts available to me at the time we built this one, so disregard the gob of weld there. The second proto will be of all production intent parts and will be fabricated next weekend as well.

rtsb1.jpg


rtsb2.jpg


tourrstb4.jpg


tourrstb5.jpg
 
So i assume that bracket goes on the inside of the tower? Does that require removal of rear struts?
 
Beans said:
So i assume that bracket goes on the inside of the tower? Does that require removal of rear struts?
Click to expand...

No it shouldn't. I say shouldn't because I haven't installed it yet. Just removal of the wheel and tire is all that I am intending.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top