I've been offered a choice of 2 Strut braces for my MY01. One is steel and the other Carbon. The question is this.

What is the real benefit of fitting a strut brace to an otherwise std suspension setup?

I know the carbon one will be lighter but it will also make by pocket lighter by double. Is the weight saving significant enough to warrant it? (ignoring the fact that I have an unhealthy fetish for carbon fibre)

 

the weight gain or loss is really a matter of preference, but I can assure you you will feel the difference from the brace, the whole car will behave diffently and I am not talking only noticable at 100mph +, choise is yours

 

Strut braces made a huge difference to the Classic Scoob - even at parking speeds you could feel that the car was stiffer.

The new car is much stiffer - but there will be some improvement - although not quite as dramatic.

I would go for steel/alloy as they are much stiffer than the majority of carbon ones - the Classic Scoob Sti Carbon is as much use as a chocolate teapot for example.

There are some good carbon ones - they will have a 3-4in diameter tube tho.

Trout

 

I Have a OEM Strut brace on my MY01

Now I am going to be honest I didn't feel any difference

The engine compartment looks good now though

Phil

 

I have heard from a lot of tuners that the strut braces don't do agreat deal at all as there is hardly roll in the body anyway. The STI one was simply on there for show.......
Haparently

 

I agrre with Trout
I have a Cusco front brace on my MY98 and it makes a big difference.
The rest of you must be bad drivers if you cannot tell the difference

 

Alan,

if they were classic Scoobs I agree - the new model is MUCH stiffer and the difference is less obvious

Trout

 

I see someone (swan) has posted the same question so I'll add this and they might see the answer

Thanks for all the confusion ya bast*rds. Now I don't know what to get


[Edited by SoreHead - 7/23/2002 8:45:06 AM]

 

Tony Jones - do you have a classic or the new shape?

 

'Classic' shape is made from from the thinnest metal you can get!

Strut braces (front and rear) defo make an improvement to the rigidity of my car!!!

I have always questioned the rigidity of the carbon types though.

 

Is it worth getting one of these industrial strength, cast from a single block of metal types, or do the "standard" items do the job?

 

go for a cusco one

 

Cusco or similar if you have the funds or a OMP steel type if funds are tight (wife wont let you spend).

 

Where can you get a Cusco strut brace and how much are they?

 

BTTT

 

Cusco front strut brace - worth getting then ? (99MY)

Back to basics - does it stop the front of the car flexing under hard cornering or is it mainly for show ? No downsides

 

Someone must know where to get one, and how much?

 

RC Developments Cusco parts page

http://www.rcdevelopments.com/cuscoparts.html

You need Flash plugin to see this site properly, god knows why they did it this way, perhaps the webmonkey was padding his CV

[Edited by madou - 7/27/2002 5:37:44 PM]

 

You beat me to it Madou
They are around 140 plus I think.

[Edited by alanjack - 7/27/2002 9:35:11 PM]

 

Cheers Gents!!
(Now where's the kiddies piggy bank.)

 

I put a cheapy ( sub £50 )sparco steel one onto my legacy estate. I noticed no difference , so maybe imprezas are made of jelly??
Im sure it will depend a lot on how stiff the springs/damper setup is on different cars, but I doubt they will make any huge improvements. If the springs are so hard, that it does make a difference on the road, then where the hell did you find a road surface smooth enough. Our roads are crap. Or is the difference less scuttle shake and rattles when you hit a pothole.
I did subsequently remove the said sparco item, coz a painted red strut brace does look crap, especially when the paint starts to chip off. You also cant remove the brake fluid reservoir with it fitted. I would fit a carbon one, but purely coz they look good.
Im gonna fit one on the rear soon, as hopefully it will make a difference, as its an estate.

 

He did it cause the buttons he used are supplied with the Dreamweaver so it was easy and a little fancy