Celica Forums General Discussion Exterior Strut Bars...

Ok, I was doing some thinking, and...

1. Could one just make a "homemade" strut/sway bar? Kinda expensive for some of the ones on the market now.

2. If you get both a front and rear strut/sway bar, wouldn't they both kinda cancel eachother out? I mean, ideally, since we have a front wheel drive application, wouldn't a rear bar alone help to correct that to some extent?

What would putting one in front and in back accomplish, except for making the car more rigid around turns on both ends?

A front strut bar is like $100 or so...if you consider that too expensive for an aftermarket modification, you might want to look in the driveway and ensure that you actually own a Celica. Theoretically there's nothing stopping you from making your own but the benefits of a front strut bar are not big enough to warrant spending the time and money on something that is (no offense) going to look like cheese. Pick up a Tanabe or APR strut bar.

You engine bay is a big gaping hole...a front strut bar will help to reduce flex...a rear strut bar accomplishes the same purpose (only in the rear) I don't see how one would cancel out the other - it should compliment the other in making the front and rear stiffer at the same time.

I only buy TRD products for my car (trying to accomplish a half assed theme), and the rear tower is quite pricey.

I realize the front ones are quite cheap.





Making the rear stiffer as opposed to the front would make the ass end of the car respond better through turns, thereby encouraging oversteer. At least that's what someone told me once, and it makes sense.


Also, since its a strut bar, it only prevents the strut assemblies from flexing. I thought sway bars prevented the chasis from flexing.

I guess that kinda does make sense. It probably will depend on what purpose you are looking to set your suspension up for, but I suspect unless you are looking to autocross or something hardcore, a front and rear set-up should benefit you for daily handling. I hear you on the TRD thing, I'd love to keep everything on my car TRD but yeh I'm not rich enough...yet. I think for $140 or so the rear TRD brace isn't too bad, I'd like to pick one up soon.

Shit, I thought they ranged into the 200's?? That's what someone once told me, I guess I should have looked it up for myself.


Anyways, since we have a FF config, I thought it would be logical to just reinforce the rear struts to minimize understeer, which our cars suffer from.

But you see people out there with both front and back reinforcements, and I was wondering what the real point to that was, if there was one at all.

I realize that some people just buy stuff to "max out their cars," without really knowing the method behind their madness.



Right now, I'm looking for tech articles that would better explain the concept.

Found one...

Kinda what I meant.

http://www.tuninglinx.com/html/a_bars.html

I know it's an RSX site, but it gives you the jist of it...
http://performance.clubrsx.com/suspension102.html

$135 from Claremont Toyota...not a bad price at all

TRD Rear Brace [trdsource.com]

https://celicahobby.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=124

...

During high speed cornering situations, the strut towers of a vehicles chassis have a tendency to flex making the vehicle less responsive. The APR Flex Control Bar reduces the flexing of the strut towers by keeping the towers in a fixed position. This allows a vehicle turn in to be sharper and an overall improved responsiveness of your vehicle.

So from what I read, it stiffens the chassis and relieves the pressure on one strut and applying it evenly to both, allowing for better traction and tighter cornering. Sway bars keep the car from leaning alot, which also allow for tight cornering. Great Performance mod!

i have a rod millen on...aka RMM

Hey I got Hotchkis Sways and Tanabe Strut bars.. AMAZING! best setup ever! Ask TGTS2000.. He drove my car and he notice's it ALOT!

You def notice the difference!

Look...check out the professional race cars, like the gt300 and gt500 cars (FF cars such as integras race in gt300) ...if they have front and rear strut bars then that must be the best setup