Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Suspension New rear strut tower brace

The bar looks good Brad! I would definitely feel better with a tubular steel unit. The only problem I have is with my big speaker box in the way. Can you do a modified design with that would go above the top of the box? If you look at my car audio setup in my home page then you can see what I am talking about. My box is pretty tall.

BTW, aluminum is much more sensitive to cyclic stresses than steel is and you would have to logically conclude that if the bar recieves a compressive force then it will automatically recieve a tensile force as soon as the compressive force is removed.

I do not have any problem with an aluminum bar that is designed with 'actual' stresses in mind.
However, it must be of a significantly larger diameter than a comparable steel bar. Other than welding, I don't see any disadvantage between using aluminum versus steel. Welded steel would give good peace of mind though.

(my 50 cents)

warmonger

How many different ways can a STB look? Are you implying that he copied your bar? :rolleyes:
Look at enough of them and they still look very similar.

warmonger

Bradness.... :p ....this is too easy so I am just going to stop....
The way the struts are placed in the vehicle dictates that the strut towers will flex inward unless the car is jacked from the center of the vehicle...that is an easy one. The strut bar therefore cannot receive inputs in tension unless the bar is too short for the application and it is tightened (pulling the strut towers into each other). If it is installed and the force is directed outwards (force against the brackets, spinning the bar so that it gets longer than the distance between the towers). If compression is applied to the bar and then released: it is not considered as being a tensile pull....just returning the bar to its zero. The bar would have to be pulled...by way of jacking the car up frrom its middle.....I used to do full vehicle road simulation......

Puppy: I'm not totally convinced yet, however if it'll make you happy, I'll only refer to compressive strength. What happens when there's a dip/pothole (L or R side only)? What about during rebound loading (at the strut)?

The strut goes back to its original position.....unless the wheel is pulled downward to the point that the strut is fully extended and tehn it pulls on the struttower...but the angle the tower is installed and the corresponding angle of the strut : it would pull straight down on the top of the tower.....and at some point (read: you are replacing toe strut tower) it will eventually pull the brace in a tensile mode....I do this stuff for a living and I am never wrong.....ever :p

I'm OK with what you're saying so far but... Didn't you say earlier that the bar would only see compressive force as the towers tilt inwards? If so, why the "it will eventually pull the brace in a tensile mode...." comment? Am I misunderstanding something here? Struts bottoming or extending fully has never been a good thing in my books.

You two sound like teenagers fighting over the same hor.

Good technical discussions benefit everyone here.

da ***** was mine first...and he knows it. As soon as he sees things my way the world will be a better place

I wish I could get a hor.........
j/k