Front Upper Strut Brace

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Front Upper Strut Brace

Postby kalvin_uk » Wed Oct 11, 2006 6:51 pm

Anyone got any good or bad comments on front upper strut braces? I was thinking of getting one to sharpen things up a bit - but thought I'd ask the experts first.

Are they simple to fit?
MY01 Liberty GT BH5 - FMIC, blisteins, Blitz Nur Spec-R, Blitz SBC-II & Power meter ID.
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Postby Mo_GT » Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:03 pm

They are very easy to fit - just remove the nuts that hold the top of the shocks, slide the strut brace on (depending on what brace it is you might have to loosen some nits/bolts on the brace first), put the nuts back on.

With strut braces, the improvements won't be obvious when you put it on but if you drive for a few months with one (a decent one that is) on and then remove it, you will feel it then.

Hope this helps :)
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Postby Skwish » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:48 pm

I found the strut brace to be a good but not as noticable as a set of sway bars. You should be able to feel the difference though and if you cant then ur not driving it right. :wink:
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Postby RooB4 » Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:09 am

I would recommend sway bars before strut brace, I did my strut brace first and found it increased the understeer.
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Postby AndrewCowley » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:00 am

RooB4 wrote:I would recommend sway bars before strut brace, I did my strut brace first and found it increased the understeer.

More understeer! Oh dear. I took my 04 GT onto the track for the first time last week (Wakefield) and was a tad dissapointed with the amount of understeer.

I was thinking that before I do that again I'll get a strut brace and sway bars fitted. Anyone know how much they would help on the track? If a strut brace only adds understeer then why would I bother?
MY04 GT Sedan: HKS Panel Filter. AVO TMIC. PHAT Dump Pipe. STi Quads. Pulse Racing ECU Tune. DBA 4000 Slotted Rotors. Dixcel M Pads. Spec B Bilsteins. Swift Sport Springs. Whiteline F&R Swaybars. Whiteline FSB. J Speed LCA Bushes.
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Postby et » Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:47 pm

AndrewCowley wrote:
RooB4 wrote:I would recommend sway bars before strut brace, I did my strut brace first and found it increased the understeer.

More understeer! Oh dear. I took my 04 GT onto the track for the first time last week (Wakefield) and was a tad dissapointed with the amount of understeer.

I was thinking that before I do that again I'll get a strut brace and sway bars fitted. Anyone know how much they would help on the track? If a strut brace only adds understeer then why would I bother?


Swaybars will help great deal, you can tune out a fair bit of oversteer by simply fitting a rear sway bar but that can have side effects as well :oops: :) Fitting both front and rear bars seems to be the way to go, I would recomend get the adjustable bars so you can play with a setup and find your ideal setting.
through which corner(s) did you car understeer?
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Postby AndrewCowley » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:15 pm

et wrote:
AndrewCowley wrote:
RooB4 wrote:I would recommend sway bars before strut brace, I did my strut brace first and found it increased the understeer.

More understeer! Oh dear. I took my 04 GT onto the track for the first time last week (Wakefield) and was a tad dissapointed with the amount of understeer.

I was thinking that before I do that again I'll get a strut brace and sway bars fitted. Anyone know how much they would help on the track? If a strut brace only adds understeer then why would I bother?


Swaybars will help great deal, you can tune out a fair bit of oversteer by simply fitting a rear sway bar but that can have side effects as well :oops: :) Fitting both front and rear bars seems to be the way to go, I would recomend get the adjustable bars so you can play with a setup and find your ideal setting.
through which corner(s) did you car understeer?

Most of the understeer was probably my crap driving, not braking hard enough before the corner and going in too quick. I'm not at all experienced at the track! I had understeer everywhere, most notably on the wierd almost off camber left hander about 1/2 way through the lap. My lap times were probably in the mid 1:20's so that's an idea of how crap I was. Had lots of fun though and will go back.

The other thing I didn't know about was what tyre pressures to run. Worst case perhaps wrong pressures didn't help.

I was planning on doing both front and rear sway bars and the strut brace all at once. Hey with the adjustable sway bars how to you actually adjust them? Can you do it yourself?

I really should get myself up to speed with what Whiteline offer and then take advantage of the group buy thing that now exists in this forum too.
Last edited by AndrewCowley on Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
MY04 GT Sedan: HKS Panel Filter. AVO TMIC. PHAT Dump Pipe. STi Quads. Pulse Racing ECU Tune. DBA 4000 Slotted Rotors. Dixcel M Pads. Spec B Bilsteins. Swift Sport Springs. Whiteline F&R Swaybars. Whiteline FSB. J Speed LCA Bushes.
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Postby PHAT GT » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:59 pm

yes you can adjust the sway bars your self

most people who have bought them have fitted them them selfs

Adjustable just means you can adjust the roll of the car to a stifer setting ie; less body roll
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Postby et » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:51 pm

I think that "wierd almost off camber turn" you are reffering to is turn 8.
From what I've seen quite a few people get cought out there, you can get up to some decent speeds on the short and relatively straight downhill bit just before it and carry to much speed into the turn which happens to be the slowest turn at Wakefield. I had few sideways moments there myself :oops:

If it's of any help I have my tyre pressures set to 38 rear and 40 front (cold) all the time and it seemed to work OK at the track.

Whitline gear is pretty good value for money, you will not regret buying it IMHO, especially if you are planning to attend few more track days.

Phat GT can get you WL gear at a good price, installing (and adjusting) swaybars is relatively easy and straighforward.
You adjust them by connecting the end links to a different hole on the swaybar, shorter swaybar length=harder setting or less body roll. It will all make sense when you see WL installation diagram. :)
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Postby GT-SUBY » Sat Oct 14, 2006 1:18 am

I originaly had front and rear sways on the softest setting,just received enlinks from mike this week and put them on with the sways now on the hardest setting front and rear.Went on quite a long cruise with Grant the other night,i found quite a noticeable difference with them on the hardest setting,im convinced the end links have made a world of diference also,as the oem ones would flex im sure cause there quite thin.All in all tho ,the whiteline swaybars would have to be the best bang for buck handling package around especialy if you get them from Phat Gt.
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Postby kalvin_uk » Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:09 am

Yep just a shame I can't get them from PhatGT as I'm not in Sydney :cry:
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Postby XRC15T » Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:49 am

The effects of understeer can be reduced by any of the following:
Rear sway bar
Softer springs/shocks up front
More suspension travel up front
Front neg camber
Rear more pos camber
Front toe out
Rear toe in
More front caster
Higher front tyre pressure
More weight at rear
Lower Front
Raise rear

The opposite for oversteer problems.

You can also muck around with tyre sizes, compounds but thats yuck.
Also driving line will have effect on oversteer/understeer.

You'd want the car with slight understeer as its bit more safe than oversteer unless u are D.K.
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