W88951

Ok, this is an offshoot from another Thread where it was claimed that a Strut Tower Brace I completely disagree with that statement. While if he had said, A Strut Tower Brace doesn't help handling in any way on a Strett Car being driven on the street. Then I would sorta agree. But the Price of the KLA bar makes it the Cheapest and Easiest suspension mod you can do to your car.

Now on a full race car a STB is certainly a requirment to try and decrease tower flex and help maintain camber settings.

Now it is up to you, the Rennlist community. What is your vote? Yeah or Nay on the STB and Why?

hacker-pschorr

I would have to say it depends on the car. Have an old car with bad suspension, brakes, and tires, worn out bushings etc.... you probably won't notice the addition of a strut brace.

I've never put one on my 944 yet. So I cannot say there. On the 928 the factory brace is a must, just not sure if that is really a strut brace since it doesn't attach directly to the struts.

My Scirocco has one. It seamed tighter, that car is in very good condition with good components all around. Then again, the flex in a Scirocco is so bad stock, anything is an improvement.

SamGrant951

I put one on the 951 and didnt notice, We also put one on our autox prepped miata and it made a very noticeable difference.

Z-man

Yes, I said that. W88951, is would have been helpful if you would have ALSO quoted my explanation:
Talk about not showing the whole picture.... Next time you quote me, I prefer that you'd at least give the complete story.

-Zoltan.

tifosiman

I voted. But if you do a search, there was an extensive thread somewhere where someone took the time to do some quantitative testing on this last year.

Lousailor

I'd have to agree with Z-man. If you're adding an STB and haven't tuned your suspension or 'God Forbid' haven't even upgraded/replaced all your suspension bushing. you probably won't even know it's there, or it could even attenuate problems you haven't rectified (like my big words?). Of course if you're serious about handling, and you've upgraded your sway bars, shocks, springs and bushings, gotten a real good alignment, then the KLA is an inexpensive addition to keep everything square at the edge.

Damian in NJ

I think I can add something of use to this discussion. I put on a Cargraphic brace on my old 968 coupe, and didn't really notice much of a difference in fast road driving. I put on a KLA brace on my 968 cabriolet, and noticed an improvement in the same conditions. Ergo, it will help a cab, and maybe a coupe too if pushed hard (autox, DE, etc). Just my 2 cents.

Mike Buck

I don't think I agree with EITHER of those statements.

The cheapest and easiest suspension mod you can do is maintain your tire pressures. A lot people don't do this as well as they should and it makes the car handle like crap.


My 951 certainly qualifies as "full race" but I am yet to add a STB. I feel replacing my stock rubber upper strut mounts with Racer's Edge Camberplates does more than enough to help maintain my camber settings. These combined with nice Bilsteins, Hypercoils, solid bushings and M030 sways are doing fine for me now. There are so many parts in a suspension and a STB plays a very very small role, IMHO.

Adding a STB would definitely not make any noticable difference at this point for me, IMHO. If I did add one, it would only be stop others from asking me why I don't have one. That, and everybody knows they look cool. Racers always wanna look cool

Dave

I can't even vote on this one, the poll question is flawed enough to be invalid in my eyes.
I wouldn't "sorta" agree, I would completely agree. a strut bar is useless for even hard street driving (I have not driven a cab, so I'll trust Damian on that one).
And I think you meant street, I won't go into the creative capitalization...
On a street driven car, "doing nothing at all" is even cheaper and easier and is just as effective.
Yes, and every other part of the suspension is in top condition and properly set up. There is a world of difference between this "race car" and a street driven car, and there are numerous steps in between. On most of these "steps," an STB would be wasted.

How about specifying in the poll how the car in question is used, what condition the rest of the suspension is in, what mods the car has and what tires/wheels are in use?

FTR, I have a KLA strut brace on my car. The car is set up for street/autox/DE with fresh stock bushings, Koni yellows, 951S sways and somewhat agressive alignment (2.25 deg. neg. camber, etc.), R-compounds are used for autox. I haven't done a DE since the bar was installed so I can't say anything about it's value on the track. I DID run a handful of autox with it and for the most part I doubt my driving this past (shortened, for me!) season was good enough to get any use out of the STB, maybe I'll get my rhythm back this season.

M758

I have experineced something similar. Installed STB with car on ground and weight on wheels. Tried to remove after having the car on jack stands and that sucker was tight. It came off fine with car on the ground again. So there is some tower flex due to the weight of the car.

Now. I also run 350 lbs springs with camber plates, delrin control arm bushings and R-tires with 3.5 deg of negative camber. I also race the car and really work the chassis hard. Even so I cannot be sure of an improvement from the brace. I theory it would help preserve some of the -3.5 static camber I have. In practice? I don't know, but I do not see any reason to remove it.

Now for a 100% stock car with street tires I am not sure if it will make difference. If you have soft tires (sidewalls), softer suspension, stock bushings (strut top and control arm), relativly slick street tires and are not beating the snot out of the car it probably has little impact.

Like Z-man said use them for fine tuning.

Bhj0887

I had one on my previous cars, it made slight difference, but it was noticeable, I haven't yet put or even thought about putting on on the 944.

It all depends on the car itself and the other suspension mods. I have a feeling it will have maybe a .5% increase in stability, body roll, and control of a street driven 944, on a race appliation percentages maybe higher.

Techno Duck

Surpsingly one of the biggest differences in handling i noticed was changing the sway bar bushings, took alot of the slop out of the steering. The strut brace was only supposed to be an additon to a rear sway bar that i was going to buy...but that fell through and i ended up getting the brace for 10% off. I have yet to upgrade or replace any of the other suspension components (all this summer probably) as id rather save for a 944 or 951. With the addition off the tower brace, i did notice the front end seemed a little tighter when doing my less than scientific method of turning left to right quickly in an open parking lot. Or maybe that was just in my head.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, this is coming from someone who has never tracked a car before.

Lizard928

change the vote options please, but if it was needed from the factory Porsche would have added it, look at the 928, but the strut tower brace will only help if there have been other modifications, and everything has been made alot stiffer in the car,
imo it isnt going to make a difference unless you are running say (purely as an example) Polyeurathane bushings for everything, or solid aluminum, sepherical bushing camber plates, 250# or greater springs up front, at least a 235 tire width w/ a AA traction rating and a low porfile, larger rims 17" probably 18" rims, and also have lowered the car an inch or 2, then I can see it making a difference but with all those mods that car probably would not be on the streets.

EZRider

Tifo, I like your new logo

tifosiman

Opinions from people that have one should carry more weight than the armchair guys.

It does make a difference on my car. I can't, of course, quantify it, but the turn in is much crisper, and the front feels more "unified".

Before somone makes a comment, my front set up is:

400lb Koni coilovers
Welt Poly bushings
968 M030 front sway bar
968 caster blocks

I've tried it by off and on, there is a difference.