Rear strut bar or rear tie bar?
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Rear strut bar or rear tie bar?
I'm pretty much thinking of a rear strut bar rather than the tie bar, just because the rear tie seems sturdy enough. What do you think? Where can I look for the rear strut bar?
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Rep Power: 0 Only one out is one from WeaponR. I wouldn't tell anyone to buy WeaponR parts. Just wait for DC Sports or Nuespeed or the like to release one, and get yourself a lower rear tie bar for now. It will help more than you think it will.
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I've been told from people that the rear under tie bar provides better handling, but I haven't had any experience with them
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Rep Power: 0 OBX now makes front-upper, rear-lower, and rear-upper GX Style Strut bars. You can get them for 50$/piece shipped from www.ssautochrome.com. I just ordered me a rear-upper since that was the only one I didn't have yet.
They don't have them up on their site, but they're an OBX dealer, and if you email info@ssautochrome.com, and tell him that you heard he had them for 50$ shipped.
Here's a Picture of the (NEW) GX-Style front upper and rear upper, as you can see it gets out of the way of the CAI/SRI now:
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They don't have them up on their site, but they're an OBX dealer, and if you email info@ssautochrome.com, and tell him that you heard he had them for 50$ shipped.
Here's a Picture of the (NEW) GX-Style front upper and rear upper, as you can see it gets out of the way of the CAI/SRI now:
Text 
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From: Markham, Ontario, Canada
Rep Power: 0 Does anyone have a picture of a upper rear strut bar installed? I'm curious as to what that would look like and what's involved in installing it. I have a front strut bar and I can tell you that it's worth every penny. I haven't been convinced on the rear tie rod though. Will the improvements of a upper rear strut bar be significant?
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Rep Power: 420 rhyno: Yeah, that's what I thought at first. Cheesier lookin' IMO as well. 
>> Does anyone have a picture of a upper rear strut bar installed?
Not yet, but ask Bartkat. He's got the AC one installed.
>> I'm curious as to what that would look like and what's involved in installing it.
Bartkat said that the AC rear strut bar bolts onto the lower part of the rear struts, so no cutting of the carpet is necessary and it's actually hidden under the carpet since it lies so low. I don't think this is a good design though. I think more flex would be eliminated if the rear strut bar were mounted to the top of the rear struts instead of the bottom. When you install something like that you have to remove the rear side panels. I think you do anyway? Maybe there's an easier way?
>> Will the improvements of a upper rear strut bar be significant?
I'de think that it would do more than the rear tie bar. If you're convinced about the usefulness of the rear tie bar, then I would get the rear strut bar as well. Then again, a sway bar does more than any of those components. It's like this: 40% rims, 30% sway bar, 20% strut bar, and 10% tie bar. You need all of these components to decrease the body roll during a high speed turn.
>> Does anyone have a picture of a upper rear strut bar installed?
Not yet, but ask Bartkat. He's got the AC one installed.
>> I'm curious as to what that would look like and what's involved in installing it.
Bartkat said that the AC rear strut bar bolts onto the lower part of the rear struts, so no cutting of the carpet is necessary and it's actually hidden under the carpet since it lies so low. I don't think this is a good design though. I think more flex would be eliminated if the rear strut bar were mounted to the top of the rear struts instead of the bottom. When you install something like that you have to remove the rear side panels. I think you do anyway? Maybe there's an easier way?
>> Will the improvements of a upper rear strut bar be significant?
I'de think that it would do more than the rear tie bar. If you're convinced about the usefulness of the rear tie bar, then I would get the rear strut bar as well. Then again, a sway bar does more than any of those components. It's like this: 40% rims, 30% sway bar, 20% strut bar, and 10% tie bar. You need all of these components to decrease the body roll during a high speed turn.
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Rep Power: 0 there is no need to remove the side panels. if you pull up the carpet you will see it's right there. the way it looks, the bar would lie across the trunk floor. i don't think it wold make a noticable difference in steering because of that. Other rear strut bars i've seen attache more towards the top and run about 4-6" above the carpet. i guess you could cut the carpet with this and still run it across the floor so you cold at least see its there.
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Rep Power: 0 Grey: From the pic you posted, the AC rear strut bar looks like it fits on from the top and not the bottom as you indicated Bartkat saying. Are AC parts less expensive that the highly more known DC?
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Rep Power: 0 << Is it just me or does AC sports look alot like a DC sports knock off?
similar billeted aluminum look and the logo even looks very similar[IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG] >>I don't know, as I 've never seen a DC rear upper bar. I've got the AC and it installed and works just fine. As far as I could find out it was the only one available when I got mine.
Got it here. Autodynamic
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Rep Power: 0 The AC bar fits just like a front bar. The easiest way is to flip down the rear seat backs and work from inside the car.
Irf you want to lay the carpet over it, it's invisible. Iff you cut a slit on each side you could slip the carpet underneath and the bar will show. Either way the carpet will tuck nicely behind the seat backs just like it did before.
If you think your front bar was good, get the rear bar and you will notice more improvement.
Irf you want to lay the carpet over it, it's invisible. Iff you cut a slit on each side you could slip the carpet underneath and the bar will show. Either way the carpet will tuck nicely behind the seat backs just like it did before.
If you think your front bar was good, get the rear bar and you will notice more improvement.
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Rep Power: 0 << Grey: From the pic you posted, the AC rear strut bar looks like it fits on from the top and not the bottom as you indicated Bartkat saying. Are AC parts less expensive that the highly more known DC? >>
No, the AC rear tower bar fits inside the trunk on the above the floor on the bolts that hold the rear shocks.
AC is lower priced than DC as far as I know. Mine was $109.95. It is a true billet aluminum bar.
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Rep Power: 0 It's pretty easy. Two of the nuts ar just a little close to the seat frame. A deep well socket works well, but a box end wrench will do. Just takes longer as there isn't much room to turn it.
Wnen you go around a tight corner and notice the outside rear corner of the car droop. Well, the rear upper bar takes most of that away. The rear unibody is stiffened and the shocks stay lined up.
I don't know about the lower bar yet, but thinking about getting one. From some of the installation horror stories, I think I'll have it put on at the shop when they put on my springs.
Wnen you go around a tight corner and notice the outside rear corner of the car droop. Well, the rear upper bar takes most of that away. The rear unibody is stiffened and the shocks stay lined up.
I don't know about the lower bar yet, but thinking about getting one. From some of the installation horror stories, I think I'll have it put on at the shop when they put on my springs.
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Rep Power: 0 I agree Bartkat, the lower tie bar doesn't look like a Do-It-At-Home.
So when installing the front and rear strut bars, did you have to lift it or anything, or just parked it and got right into removing the nuts and screwing them right back on.
So when installing the front and rear strut bars, did you have to lift it or anything, or just parked it and got right into removing the nuts and screwing them right back on.
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Rep Power: 0 Just parked. Better that way anyhow.
Just take off the nuts, install the bar. I leave the nuts a bit loose until I get the bar adjusted. You can adjust the length. Get it so it's a good fit, then tighten the nuts. There are hinge bolts between the bar and the attachment rings. I tighten them last.
It's also a good idea to check the bolts after you drive a little too.
Just take off the nuts, install the bar. I leave the nuts a bit loose until I get the bar adjusted. You can adjust the length. Get it so it's a good fit, then tighten the nuts. There are hinge bolts between the bar and the attachment rings. I tighten them last.
It's also a good idea to check the bolts after you drive a little too.
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[IMG]/forums/themes/orbitz/paperclip.gif[/IMG] Bar_location_behind_rear_seat_C.JPG (30 Kb)
[IMG]/forums/themes/orbitz/paperclip.gif[/IMG] Shock_attachment_left_side.JPG_C.JPG (37 Kb)
[IMG]/forums/themes/orbitz/paperclip.gif[/IMG] Shock_attatchment_right.JPG_C.JPG (24 Kb)
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Rep Power: 0 OK, now all I need to do is find a decent rear bar for cheap. The parts section has a few, but no $CDN. With the exchange rates these days, I'll end up paying $300+ by the time it gets here. Anybody know of other brands? Please post in Parts section.
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Rep Power: 0 Grey: So you said something about another type of bar that goes on the top part of the struts...Is it in development right now, and who is making it? Actually, from the looks of it, it doesn't look like a top mounted one is possible, though I haven't actually taken out the side liners.
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Rep Power: 420 I think it should be possible. It looks like there is a bolt on top in the second pic that bartkat posted. I think that the DC Sports one might be like that. They're probably having trouble making one that works and is a simple bolt on though. I.E. that you don't need to cut the carpet. It might hook up the the top of the strut tower and then bend down to flow along the floor. I'm not sure of any others?
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Rep Power: 0 Actually I think what we are trying to do here is to ad stifness to the unibody frame. It just happens that the strut and shock mounts are a convenient place and a good location to do this. When you consider that the under hood area and the trunk area are the biggest, more or less supported open spaces in the unibody it makes sense to brace those areas.
I don't think you really want to tie the actual struts or shocks together since there must be a little movement allowed there. If you look you will see that there is a rubber on the central rod for the struts and I think the same is true for the shocks. Those wouldn't be there if you wanted to totally tie the struts or shocks together.
Possibly the word "tie" or "strut bar" is a misnomer. It's just that those strut and shock mounting bolts are in a really good location to put in a "unibody brace".
I don't think you really want to tie the actual struts or shocks together since there must be a little movement allowed there. If you look you will see that there is a rubber on the central rod for the struts and I think the same is true for the shocks. Those wouldn't be there if you wanted to totally tie the struts or shocks together.
Possibly the word "tie" or "strut bar" is a misnomer. It's just that those strut and shock mounting bolts are in a really good location to put in a "unibody brace".
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Rep Power: 0 Well put Barkat, some of the less knowledgable ppl dont understand that it is just a bar to stiffen the chassis by using the shock bolts themselves, not the shock towers, if that makes any sense to anyone??
