Strut Braces & Bars – Do You Need Them? [Car Handling Tips] Pros & Cons: Strut Bars vs no Strut Bar
Do you really need a strut tower brace? What are strut braces or strut bars? How do they enhance handling and performance? Do you need one on older cars and will they offer improvements to handling on newer models? You may also hear them referred to as strut tower braces or shock tower braces and in this video we will look at what they are, why you would want to fit one to your performance car tuning project and pass on some tips for fitting one.
What about the strut bar vs no strut bar – does it make much difference to a cars handling, the ubiquitous strut bar explained with no sales talk advertising or sponsorship as we explore the merits of fitting a strut tower brace or strut brace to your car and in which conditions these are most effective.
They are very easy mods and can make a big difference especially if you have an older car and the suspension alignment has started to sag.
A strut brace is a sturdy metal bar which connects the top of the strut towers (suspension pillars) together. This reduces the flexing and twisting of the body, under heavy cornering, and on roads with steep cambers. Strut braces will reduce body flexing allowing better cornering and enhanced driver feedback.
The benefits of fitting strut braces are that they reduce body flexing allowing better cornering and enhanced driver feedback.
They also redistribute tension between the left and right strut towers. All the force and pressure that is generated while driving gets shared evenly across your chassis.
Because of this, the wear and tear associated with this pressure also get redistributed. Even wear is always a good thing and this will ensure your suspension alignment stays true and can prolong your tire or tyre lifespan.
Legal Notice: Unless we have inspected your car we can only provide generic theory. All information is provided without warranty, please check any recommendations made with a mechanic locally to verify it would be legal in your area or region and that it would be suitable for your car and your needs.
Is strut brace suitable for Indian manufactured car named Maruti Suzuki wagon r ?
My DODGE CHARGER RT RWD 2007 feels like a boat when driving. Since I cant swap the chassis, I’m considering the strut bar along the anti-roll bars. Shall I get both options ? Or is it one or the other ? Front and rear ? What do you suggest for my car sir ? Any brand ? Later, I will get better suspensions too. But dunno what type. Any brand ? Are air suspension reliable ? Thank you
I have a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze and have installed front and rear braces in the car. The handling has changed so much from factory that had a lot of body roll and the solid rear axle was very soft. I also installed a underbody chassis brace and a sway bar for the rear as well to stiffen up the solid rear axle. Car has almost no body roll now and feels confident through hard cornering.
Great video 👍
I installed a rear strut tower brace onto my former AW11 (a front strut brace was included from the factory). I immediately felt a positive difference.
Instead of the rear of the car being less than reactive around turns, it felt nearly like I had a 2nd steering wheel for the rear of the car. Every bit of cornering was more consistent and predictable – the rear of the car was more reactive.
I’ve also installed front strut tower braces on other cars that I’ve owned, and it locks the front of the vehicle together, which improved steering feel and response. This all lead to the car feeling far more predictable when cornering.
Some drawbacks do exist. Sometimes the bar will get in the way of working on the engine – this was especially true with the rear brace on the AW11, but as the chassis is more rigid, you will feel more of the road imperfections.
For anyone that enjoys more spirited driving, I would absolutely recommend installing a front and rear strut tower brace. The consistency and predictability that you gain will raise your confidence in your car and driving, which then will likely lead to increased speeds.
I assume it’s not so necessary for cars that don’t produce that much power to begin with also, great video 🙂
Shouldn’t a strut tower brace be trianguled?
THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO. I’VE INSTALLED ONE ON MY CAR LASTNIGHT. I DID NOTICED BETTER CORNERING, BUT FOR SOME REASON THE CAR IS PULL SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT.
My car, a Nissan 370z, has front and rear strut tower braces, along with front and rear anti-sway bars. It is a car that has a very rigid chassis and that handles well. I installed stiffer anti-roll bars and a stiffer and lighter replacement triangular front strut tower brace. The car’s handling improved significantly with nearly no body roll and a sharper and more precise turn in at speed. The car’s tendency toward slight understeer when stock has been changed to neutral, with the rear more willing to rotate and keep up with the front. I do have to be more attentive as to how the car handles now, as it’s more responsive, but I like it this way.