My homemade front strut bar

[MtyMseHarmer]

Well I had a bunch of angle steel and square tubing left over from a house project a few years ago so I figured I put that metal to good use and see if I can make something that is a little better then the factory strut bar. So this is what I came up with. Total cost was just some more welding wire (I ran out in the middle of making it).

[tigerpee]

Looks good!

[Raptor13x]

I love it. Why pay $200 for something you can make yourself for basically free?

[Dance_Business]

good job.

[Maruki-kun]

should have made one that fit where the stock one went too, that would have been really cool

[MtyMseHarmer]

Originally Posted by Ku-sama

should have made one that fit where the stock one went too, that would have been really cool

I am pretty sure doing that wouldn't help any. The only real difference it would be doing it add the few pounds that it weighs. Sometimes more isn't always better.

[Maruki-kun]

but it would be pretty!!! lol.... nice job though

[Gairloch]

Good work!

Have you driven enough with it to notice any difference in the feel of the car?

[MtyMseHarmer]

Originally Posted by Gairloch

Good work!

Have you driven enough with it to notice any difference in the feel of the car?

I don't drive the car much since it isn't my daily driver and mainly an autox car. I did have an autox this weekend with it but it was the first event for me this year and I did a lot of things during the offseason to the car and so I couldn't really tell you which things I did helped the car. Once there is a test and tune autox I plan on going to it and testing to see if the stock one or my homemade one helps better.

[feral4mr2]

seeing you can cut steel and weld. triangulate your brace to the front firewall.

[MtyMseHarmer]

Originally Posted by feral4mr2

seeing you can cut steel and weld. triangulate your brace to the front firewall.

I would love to do that. However, the rules in Street Modified do not allow me to triangulate the strut bar.

[Gairloch]

That blows. Does it matter if the bar was originally triangulated?

[MtyMseHarmer]

Originally Posted by Gairloch

That blows. Does it matter if the bar was originally triangulated?

If it came from the factory with it triangulated then it is fine. Basically if it has original mounting holes you can use it. You just can't create more suspension mounting locations.

[jus7o]

hey thats my bed frame!

[AW114life]

Looks good bud.

[racelane]

dude it looks awesome! i'll make one for myself!

[LokiRx7]

In order to take full advantage of that you will need not only a four point bar that meets the firewall (as stated) But at the very least you need poly bushings. All that nasty rubber in your suspension will flex and move before your strut towers do.

I have personally seen some tests taken out using a Miata with a stock suspension with and without a front strut bar and with a front and rear strut bar. The difference was so negligable that it could have been a temperature change on the pavement in the time they changed the bars. However there was an improvement, but not much. A few weeks later we waited for a similiar day after installing delrin bushings (car wasnt going to see much street duty... Delrin is about as hard as you can get without using steel) After that there was a noted improvement, and after welding in a full cage and welding the seams in the uni-body there was a massive improvement.

It was a fun project for a family friend who is shall we say LOADED... (Now has a 13b-REW 1.3 liter twin turbo rotary for those of you Rx-7 illiterate )

Just my $0.02

[TomsMR2]

Originally Posted by MtyMseHarmer

I am pretty sure doing that wouldn't help any. The only real difference it would be doing it add the few pounds that it weighs. Sometimes more isn't always better.

ive done both (57 different ways), and ill totally back that statement. doesnt do a damn thing to brace the firewall, besides look kinda neat.

cool stuff man, i love homemade things when i made mine it made a pretty good difference in steering feel, for the ~8 bucks mine cost it was worth it.

[mk2Josh]

hey it gets the job done, nice work bro!

[MtyMseHarmer]

Originally Posted by LokiRx7

In order to take full advantage of that you will need not only a four point bar that meets the firewall (as stated) But at the very least you need poly bushings. All that nasty rubber in your suspension will flex and move before your strut towers do.

I have personally seen some tests taken out using a Miata with a stock suspension with and without a front strut bar and with a front and rear strut bar. The difference was so negligable that it could have been a temperature change on the pavement in the time they changed the bars. However there was an improvement, but not much. A few weeks later we waited for a similiar day after installing delrin bushings (car wasnt going to see much street duty... Delrin is about as hard as you can get without using steel) After that there was a noted improvement, and after welding in a full cage and welding the seams in the uni-body there was a massive improvement.

It was a fun project for a family friend who is shall we say LOADED... (Now has a 13b-REW 1.3 liter twin turbo rotary for those of you Rx-7 illiterate )

Just my $0.02

I have replaced all the rubber bushings with polyurathane so that is taken care of. Also like I said I can't triangulate or brace it to firewall because the rules in SCCA Street Modified do not allow it. What I really would like is to find a test and tune solo day and take the stock bar and this one and do some testing with each one.