Front strut brace.

Started by 6100art, July 2, 2015, 14:55

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6100art

Has anyone had any experience with a front strut brace, one that goes between the front suspension at the top. I have scuttle shake and I want to fit a brace under the plastic cover.

L14HRE

#1
ebay is your best friend. Ultra I think is the manufacture. There about £120

IO2

#2
I might have my Trd front brace for sale soon if your interested.

1979scotte

#3
Do you have a mid brace fitted?
TTE, Corkys  or Matts?
Any of the above are the best way of improving chassis stiffness.

My front brace is TRD which I am happy with although they are pricey.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

connorap

#4
How much difference do front strut braces make to the overall feel/ handling of the car?

I have just fitted my tein 30mm lowering springs and have not only been impressed with the reduced arch gap  s:D :D s:D  but also the conering speeds. So i have been thinking about the next handling modification to make.

1979scotte

#5
First stop for handling mods should always be a mid brace. I think matt still sells his type of 120. They're brilliant should have been fitted from the factory.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

connorap

#6
Quote from: "1979scotte"First stop for handling mods should always be a mid brace. I think matt still sells his type of 120. They're brilliant should have been fitted from the factory.

How easy are they to fit and what kind of difference does the extra stifness translate into on the road? Apologies for my engineering ignorance   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

mr mr2

#7
Matts braces are fantastic the car feels so much nicer on the road one off the best mods for the money
Excelsior

1979scotte

#8
Front strut brace does improve handling and perhaps makes the steering feel quicker or more direct but it isn't in the same league as a mid brace.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

mr mr2

#9
If you have a pfl a new cheap mod is to up grade you under brace to a fl one did mine for £40 lots better but on mine I have front and rear top braces matts brace and a fl under brace feels very solid now money well spent
Excelsior

1979scotte

#10
Can't have too much bracing!
Law of diminishing returns applies though.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

1979scotte

#11
Quote from: "connorap"
Quote from: "1979scotte"First stop for handling mods should always be a mid brace. I think matt still sells his type of 120. They're brilliant should have been fitted from the factory.

How easy are they to fit and what kind of difference does the extra stifness translate into on the road? Apologies for my engineering ignorance   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

I've never fitted one tbh.
Matt did mine at the same time as my turbo.
Think it is just a few bolts and maybe a tiny bit of drilling if it doesn't line up 100%.
Less scuttle shake whole car feels more rigid.
Combine with lowered springs and fresh shocks handles like a dream.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

lamcote

#12
I have to say that I'm not convinced by the need for a front strut brace on our cars for a few reasons.

1) The strut towers are welded directly to the front bulkhead so if the towers can move relative to the bulkhead the addition of a strut brace isn't going to make any improvement because the bulkhead is going to be way stiffer than any strut brace
2) By my estimation, the maximum lateral load that the top of the strut towers will experience during cornering is about 120 kilograms of force. That means that if the strut towers do move during cornering it would actually be possible to move the towers relative to each other by simply pulling hard on one of the strut towers by hand
3) The 3 bolts that hold the struts and any strut brace in place are only,  I think,  8 millimetres in diameter which indicates that the designer clearly  wasn't expecting any significant lateral loads at this point, which supports point 2 above
4) Any cornering load on the two towers acts in the same direction on both towers so if there was any movement of towers they're actually both trying to move same way as each other so the strut brace actually doesn't have anything to brace against and the brace could simply move along with the strut tops

Just my thoughts, interested to what others think.
Silver 2004 MR2 -  Unmodified but very shiny.

IO2

#13
I have the Trd front brace and I can say there is a difference in the drive. Less rigid and sharper on cornering.

This might sound weird but I feel the hardtop itself also stiffen the 2.

Lee H

#14
Quote from: "IO2"I have the Trd front brace and I can say there is a difference in the drive. Less rigid and sharper on cornering.

This might sound weird but I feel the hardtop itself also stiffen the 2.

Hardtop stiffens it more than anything in my opinion, mine is so much better with it on. Made more difference than the chassis brace.
2000 black Roadster - hardtop, 16" Rota Grids with T1R\'s, TTE springs, TRD bodykit, JDL spoiler, 2.0 16v turbo swap with forged internals, Apexi AVCR, Apexi intake, ST205 chargecooler, JP custom exhaust, Accord Type R Recaro\'s

phaeton

#15
I have a Matt's mid brace & then both front & rear strut braces & still get scuttle shake, I can visibly see the screen shaking.

peteyb

#16
Hard top bracing is the best  s:) :) s:)  when i take mine off, i always think something is broken, the shake is crazy, hard top on, nothing at all, i rarely take the hard top off unless its a really nice day because i prefer the drive with the hard top on

6100art

#17
Thanks guys.
IO2, how much and how does it fit, does it fit under the plastic cover.
I usually use my car without the hard top fitted and do not drive it hard, just a special day car. With my background I just feel that it could benefit.

1979scotte

#18
No front strut brace I have come across goes under the front plastics.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

phaeton

#19
Quote from: "1979scotte"No front strut brace I have come across goes under the front plastics.
Beg to differ, there was a very nice installation of one from somebody on Facebook which he'd taken time to cut the front plastics to cover the strut tops but had the brace above it.

tomaky

#20
So it doesnt go under a standard frunk plastic without modification does it?
My ultra has modified plastics.
Westfield Seiw
2011 Skoda Superb Estate 170 CR Daily Driver
2005 Porsche Cayman S
Ex - 2003 Sable
Ex- 2000 Pre FL Blue THOR RACING Ex- TURBO
Ex 2004 Blue  Roadster RIP

phaeton

#21
This is a random one I found on Google


mr mr2

#22
Excelsior

tomaky

#23
Looks like a de stickered ultra
Ps that is the ultra and its one of my cars  s;) ;) s;)
Westfield Seiw
2011 Skoda Superb Estate 170 CR Daily Driver
2005 Porsche Cayman S
Ex - 2003 Sable
Ex- 2000 Pre FL Blue THOR RACING Ex- TURBO
Ex 2004 Blue  Roadster RIP

1979scotte

#24
Our ideas of fitting under the funk plastics differ.
Obviously where it connects to the struts it has to.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

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