ive heard mixed stories about these, and ive found myself w/some extra cash so now i havent stopped spending! i wanna know if gettng a front strut tower bar is worth it? how about those $25 ebay ones, are they worth it?

http://64.191.37.27/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1344

they are only worth it if you have aftermarket sus and wheels/tires on your rex.

on my tein's its a night\day difference with cusco's.
the rear was subtle, but on high cornering you can
feel the difference.

also make sure they are high grade bars like cusco.
otherwise, dont waste your money.

Originally posted by kenchan
also make sure they are high grade bars like cusco.
otherwise, dont waste your money.

what other brands are considered high grade?
what makes them high grade?

I'd wonder about the value of a brace that didn't have at least some preload to it. Otherwise if its easy to install then the small amount of flex that you did have would not be controlled by the brace. There would be too much play in the suspension bolts and the strut brace bolt holes. If you can get them find the rear brace that has a add on section that goes down in the middle of the brace like a V and bolts to the floor of the trunk. The only way to really eliminate flexing is to add a diagnal support to it. Which is what the V brace does for the flat strut bar.

is whiteline considered a good brand?

I've got one for my RS-T but thats because I had to in order to clear the TMIC on my car.

I have both front and rear Whiteline / MRT strut bars.

I cant really say they noticable improved anything... Hard to say.

For $250 I figured what the hell :)

Spend money on sway bars first.

~v6

Go for the STi replica on ebay... they're going for something like $75.

I felt no difference from a front strut tower bar...it looks cool! Get a rear bar, or an ALK. Cusco is my Drug of choice!
adamsrs

Originally posted by Dick Fitzwell
is whiteline considered a good brand?

Can't go wrong with whiteline or mrt products, they may not have that "show" look :rolleyes: but at least they are rally proven.

Originally posted by b_tapper
Can't go wrong with whiteline or mrt products, they may not have that "show" look :rolleyes: but at least they are rally proven.
thx for the reply brian.
i know whiteline is a good product, i was just giving them a hard time;)

I have Cusco's front and rear and I will say I think it was worth every penny.

I like mine. (cusco front & rear)

I am sure the generic brands are fine. I have a generic front and rear. They made a noticeable difference, and I am really happy with them. The name brand ones might function slightly better, but is that worth the extra $100 or $200, it your call.

-Wes

I stand by Cusco all the way (except in the design of their front pillow mounts!!!) i own almost every brance that Cusco makes for the GC8..the only think i am lacking it the front Lower arm bar! And i will get that soon! I LOVE CUSCO! and it looks BEAUTIFUL!
adamsrs

The front towers are quite close to the firewall so the effect is less. I would stiffen the rear first. Unless you are pulling some high cornering Gs, it's not as effective as you think with the front strut tower bar.

Does anyone have the Cusco front lower arms(the 4 point one)?? They have it on vivid and i am wondering if it is worth it??? Does it make more difference than a front strut bar??

Front tower bars on a Subaru put the "doo" in voodoo. The strut towers are right by the firewalls. If your body is flexing enough to have your strut towers bow in toward each other, you have bigger problems than a strut bar can cure.

You would get more handling improvement from a lower brace from STi or Cusco, than an upper brace. I have the four-point Cusco brace, and it is excellent. It adds a bit of understeer, but my wagon was a bit tail-happy, so the addition brought it right back to neutral. Stability is the biggest improvement wrought by the Cusco brace. The STi lower brace is also nice, but more expensive.

Kevin

Thanks.. guess i am going for the 4 point cusco front lower arm......

Only downside to the Cusco bar is when it meets Mr. Pothole....otherwise, its a nice piece that adds good turn in response.

Adam

Originally posted by Z1 Performance
Only downside to the Cusco bar is when it meets Mr. Pothole....otherwise, its a nice piece that adds good turn in response.

Adam

:D Knock wood Adam, knock wood... Oh, it also picks stuff up. We were under the car, and discovered a soda can stuck in the bar, which also explained the metallic rattle that we were hearing. (d-oh!)

Kevin

gtguy- is the lower brace you are talking about the small one that goes on the rear cross member? I was thinking of getting that and STI strut tops before the rear strut brace...

sound like a good Idea?

Originally posted by Dolphin Overton
gtguy- is the lower brace you are talking about the small one that goes on the rear cross member? I was thinking of getting that and STI strut tops before the rear strut brace...

sound like a good Idea?

The one that I'm talking about goes on the front, and makes a nice, snug little box of the control arm bushings and suspension crossmembers. Yummy! I believe that there is also one for the rear, but with all of the STi goodness that I have going on back there, it seemed overkill for my needs.

Kevin

Where do you get this front brace, I don't believe I've ever seen it? I've had the STI V5 suspension on the car for a little over a year and need to stiffen the chassis up a bit...

I have a GC8 though... is there one made for the GC8?

Try Teague's Auto, or MPJ Performance (where I got mine).

Kevin

I saw one today at Flatirons(best dealership ever). The Whiteline. That is exactly what I need. Flatirons sells, prodrive, zero sports, STI, MRT/WHiteline as an authorized dealer. THey friggin ROCK.

All strutbars function practically the same.
Difference is in material quality. If you're going for looks AND functionality go with brandnames cuz they do justify the cost of looking 'cool'. If you're for fullout performance then just any generic brand will do. But generic brands will rust, ie. Ractive, etc

The front strut bar does make a difference! I have one on my car now and it makes the car understeer a lot. In my opinion, the gains is more controll of the car, and never worry about a tail spin (I tried every corner and it just wont oversteer). However, I notice that I got lesser speed in a cornering now. I usually can do a 80km corner easily without the bar, but now 70km is my maximum! I tried a few times doing over 70km and what I had found is lossing traction up in the front. The last thing I can say is that the bar does give you more confidence, but on the other hand you may have to sacrifice some speeed.

Golly! I just love a "snug little box"! I have got to find one of these! Yummy! anyone have any idea what the web address of this "Flatirons" place is? Thanks in advance....