rear strut braces

Anonymous · March 8, 2004, 22:13

Part performance and part looks really, but do any suppliers make a decent good looking rear strut brace for the engine bay? Cusco or the likes?

Would like to upgrade handling but at the same time would also like to dress up the engine bay as well now the turbo's going in.

SteveJ · March 8, 2004, 22:21

Quote from: "perry190"Part performance and part looks really, but do any suppliers make a decent good looking rear strut brace for the engine bay? Cusco or the likes?

Would like to upgrade handling but at the same time would also like to dress up the engine bay as well now the turbo's going in.

I was considering the rear strut brace, so did a bit of research on spyderchat (prior to their crash), and someone had done some serious testing on the front and rear towers using strain guages, and found that there was some 5mm or more of movement on the front towers, but less than 1mm on the rears (with the stock brace). This leads me to believe that upgrading the rear brace is just a cosmetic excercise.

That brings me to the turbo - what kit are you fitting, as Martin has had to ditch his rear strut brace as the additional cross-member fouls the turbo manifold.

Anonymous · March 8, 2004, 22:34

PE kit, standard strut barce is fine not 100% about the extra cross over tho

SteveJ · March 8, 2004, 22:36

Same kit as Martin - save your £'s and don't buy the strut brace

(Just to clarify Martin did have the TRD strut brace, and is now running the stock one)

markiii · March 8, 2004, 22:41

much better spent onto the front brace, which makes a huge difference.

Anonymous · March 8, 2004, 23:10

Yeah indeed, the front brace makes ALL the difference.

Anonymous · March 8, 2004, 23:13

yep looks like it would be in the way as you say

Tem · March 9, 2004, 06:38

Quote from: "perry190"Part performance and part looks really, but do any suppliers make a decent good looking rear strut brace for the engine bay?

I like the look of TRD...but like others already said, it's mostly for the looks. It probably does something for performance, but you need more than a buttmeter to see if it does. I never bothered to check my laptimes with stock/TRD or antyhing though...

I got it as a package of Sportivo, front brace and member brace set s8)

s8)

mph · March 9, 2004, 08:29

I have a TRD rear strut brace off and gathering dust at the moment I could sell. Unless I refab the pipework the intercooler it ain't going back on...

Anonymous · March 9, 2004, 10:50

I took the rear brace of my Sportivo on my first car and replaced it with stock and got nothing.

I left it off in the end, it was probably just adding extra weight.

markiii · March 9, 2004, 11:26

sportivo doesn't have any braces ?

Tem · March 9, 2004, 11:32

Quote from: "markiii"sportivo doesn't have any braces ?

Officially no, but many consider the bars&braces a part of the kit...

Anonymous · March 9, 2004, 11:39

Yeah sorry, I bought the bars when I got the kit.

Anonymous · March 9, 2004, 18:26

Perry

How about a new lick of paint and stencil a logo on the stock brace if you want to dress it up and there is no performance benefit from an aftermarket brace.

Anonymous · March 9, 2004, 19:04

could be an idea, paint and vinyl graphics

I assume the strut brace is steel? so could be chrome plated?

markiii · March 9, 2004, 19:22

don't see why not.