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Reply With QuoteGood thing you got specific. Still you're going to get all kinds of answers because it really comes down to experience and preference.
Personally, I prefer the FD strut bar for the G.
J
Who makes the best products (specifically strut/tie bars)?
Good thing you got specific. Still you're going to get all kinds of answers because it really comes down to experience and preference.
Personally, I prefer the FD strut bar for the G.
J
what do u mean when u ask for the best? umm right now, there is looks vs. performance (that is until someone makes one that bolts to the firewall also). the most effective ones are not that pretty, and the pretty ones (although they work) are not as stiff as the purpose built ones.
FREEDOM DESIGN makes probably the best looking one.
the OEM eclipse GT bar, although not fancy, is very effective.
the ROAD RACE ENGINEERING bar is probably the the stiffest since it is not adjustable, but it is the ugliest of the bunch (i have this one).
hey reelax, u got any pix of yours?
there ya go.. thats reelax's its only held in place by 1 bolt on each side... but def. stiffest one out there!
Diego
here is my Freedom Design
Jason - - cofounder of TGCNY
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2001 Galant ES
2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Special Edition
Heres the Eclipse OEM strut bar:
Note: it normally comes in black, but I painted mine metalcast blue.
Also note the extra brackets that actually bolt into the eclipse firewall.
i need to get a strut bar :?
i hear stories about how strut bar is probably second best modification handling wise, right after tires. and that its like night and day to drive the same car with and without a strut bar. really? :shock:
hmm, sounds to me like the eclipse strut bar might be the best of both worlds, looks/performance. hey pinoy, u said it comes in black, is it like a nice shiny black, or an ugly flat black, or what? and can u just get them at the dealer? how much did u pay for yours? its for a 3G, right? and there is no problem with the alignment of the bolts?
I never really knew the total concept of strut bars.. i now see where they bolt up onto, but how does that increase handling? Break it down for me, im lookin at you Pinoy
what a strut bar does is keep the two wheels flat on the ground. what happens when you corner is the body flexes and you have body roll, thus losing traction. a strut bar helps keep the tires touching pavement.
but how...?
cuz i understand that if its attached to the firewall, then the frame cant flex because of the firewall, but if its not attached, dont the two sides just move togethor?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cardude03)</div><div class='quotemain'>hmm, sounds to me like the eclipse strut bar might be the best of both worlds, looks/performance. hey pinoy, u said it comes in black, is it like a nice shiny black, or an ugly flat black, or what? and can u just get them at the dealer? how much did u pay for yours? its for a 3G, right? and there is no problem with the alignment of the bolts?</div>
It comes in a not too bad looking gloss black - same color as the brackets that attach to the towers.
Ya I picked mine up at the dealer for about $80 (you could probably find it cheaper online), and its for the 3G, part numbers MR468848 (bar), MR468851 and MR468852 (left and right brackets). You also have to pick up four nuts (sorry, forgot the size, but I remember using metric size nuts) and four washers.
Install is easy, pops right in, fits perfectly, no alignment problems whatsover - hardest part was figuring out which bracket went to which side.
In terms of how they work, do a search on TGC for strut tower bar, as there were lots of discussions on that topic chock full o' information goodness.
a strut tower brace works like this:
imagine a shoe box w/ no top. it twists pretty easily right, and the side can be pushed towards each other and away from each other pretty easily? now securely attach a brace on the top in the middle of the long sides. now it is a little harder to twist and alot harder for the sides to be pushed in and pulled apart. imagine that that shoe box is your engine bay.
get a good strut tower brace, and d3 chassis stiffening kit...and kiss body roll goodbye
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SilverDragonGTZ)</div><div class='quotemain'>get a good strut tower brace, and d3 chassis stiffening kit...and kiss body roll goodbye</div>
Don't forget a rear sway bar. That is, if you are willing to modify your jack point on the spare tire well to fit an aftermarket sway bar for the Eclipse. I'm still waiting to find out from Addco why their Galant sway bar doesn't fit.
okay, so i picked up the 3G strut bar today from the dealership, went over the to hardware store where my friend works, got the bolts, and put it on right there in the parking lot. now i went to test it out, and it feels like it did as much for my stiffness as my intake did for my performance (not none, but not a whole lot either). i can feel the difference at certain turns and certain speeds, but overall, most of the bodyroll is still there. Now this is a super easy install, so im pretty sure i didnt mess up on anything, except maybe for where i put/need to put washers, if any? Hmmm, maybe you only feel a real big difference from the strut bar after with new springs/struts? cuz i dont have those yet. maybe the STB brings like a 10% gain in stiffness with stock springs/struts, where as opposed to it bringing 30% gain in stiffness with aftermarket springs/struts, could this maybe be it?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cardude03)</div><div class='quotemain'>okay, so i picked up the 3G strut bar today from the dealership, went over the to hardware store where my friend works, got the bolts, and put it on right there in the parking lot. now i went to test it out, and it feels like it did as much for my stiffness as my intake did for my performance (not none, but not a whole lot either). i can feel the difference at certain turns and certain speeds, but overall, most of the bodyroll is still there. Now this is a super easy install, so im pretty sure i didnt mess up on anything, except maybe for where i put/need to put washers, if any? Hmmm, maybe you only feel a real big difference from the strut bar after with new springs/struts? cuz i dont have those yet. maybe the STB brings like a 10% gain in stiffness with stock springs/struts, where as opposed to it bringing 30% gain in stiffness with aftermarket springs/struts, could this maybe be it?</div>
if you still have stock suspension, you won't even notice having a STB since your springs and dampers (shocks/struts) are so soft that your car's body won't even begin to flex... all the body roll will still b there. the biggest difference in handling you will ever get is from lowering your car w/ lowering springs or adjustable springs, then every suspension mod you do from there will add to the package. just like your intake is not working completely until you get headers and exhaust.
Hello wanderingpinoy. Do you have the Eclipse strut bar attactched to the firewall? From your second photo, it appears not. If so, do you have the OEM part # of the "brackets" that attach the bar to the firwall as it is in the Eclipse GT? I have the Eclipse bar as well, still new in box, because I was unable to locate a part # for those brackets, even after contacting numerous dealerships. I currently have the Freedom Design bar installed on my 02 Galant ES-V6, but would prefer the OEM brace due to it's tri-mounting locations (each strtut tower and firewall). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
hey GSpeed, i will just try to answer your question here, the one u posted at GS, the OEM clipse STB will NOT connect to a galant firewall, the brackets are the ones that will bolt on right above your struts, and the bar will bolt on to the brackets. and i dont think there are any parts from the lancer or evo that will fit on the galant. the only reason some eclipse parts fit is because i think the Galant and eclipse share the same platform or chasis or something like that. and the part numbers for the brackets are up a couple posts, i believe either pinoy or reelax posted them.
Edit: if you look at wanderingpinoys picture, u will see the bar itself is the blue one(although it comes black from the dealership), and then u can see the lil black piece on the end, thats the bracket(also black), there is one on the other side too
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