Getting Strut Tower Braces For Your Street Racer
Published by Justina Mathews in Cars and Trucks, 3 months 1 week 6 days 4 hours 44 minutes 38 seconds ago
If you have ever used up any time pushing your car hard through the corners, then you know that the hardness of the suspension really makes a difference in how well it holds the road. To begin with, any kind of lean in a corner can cause your car to loose traction as the tires struggle to keep their contact patch on the ground. Not only that, but lean can also put a fair amount of strain on the suspension components bearing the brunt of the force.
You have probably changed out your stock factory springs for sport springs with a more aggressive rate that keeps your car from diving too much under braking, creating an overall stiffer ride. You might have also matched them with heavy-duty shock absorbers which help to keep the car feeling tight over elevation changes and through rapid direction changes. Even with these kinds of mods, you might still be frustrated with the amount of body roll you feel on the track or even on the street. What other options are left for you to explore?
One of the best decisions you can make would be to install front and rear strut-tower brace. What is a strut-tower brace? Simply put, a strut-tower brace is a solid piece of metal (or carbon fiber, if you are into that exotic, ultra-expensive range of parts), which is used to horizontally brace the frame of the car. The strut tower is the mounting point for the top of the shock absorber, and it is directly connected to the vehicles chassis. By using the brace to attach the left and right strut towers together, it's like you are adding on to the frame, except you are doing it from the top, instead of the bottom as you would with a sway bar.
The strut tower at the front of the car is found in your engine bay. This means that you need to make sure that any strut tower brace you are considering has enough clearance to make it over the top of your valve cover. Oh, and keep in mind that once you are done admiring your installation work, you will need to be able to close the hood as well so it cannot be too tall either. The rear strut tower is a little trickier. On some cars, it can be found in the trunk, or cargo area if you have a hatchback. There is usually enough space to easily get hands and tools in and lock the bar down. However, many sedans have the strut towers hidden under the rear deck or seat meaning that the seat has to come out before they can be accessed. This extra step can be a pain if space in your car is tight.
One thing is certain about strut tower braces: once you have one in your car, you will wonder how you ever got along without one. With the tightened chassis, you will feel like your import is on rails, and corners that used to have your passengers holding onto the door handle will feel a lot calmer and more controlled which is exactly how your car should feel.
You have probably changed out your stock factory springs for sport springs with a more aggressive rate that keeps your car from diving too much under braking, creating an overall stiffer ride. You might have also matched them with heavy-duty shock absorbers which help to keep the car feeling tight over elevation changes and through rapid direction changes. Even with these kinds of mods, you might still be frustrated with the amount of body roll you feel on the track or even on the street. What other options are left for you to explore?
One of the best decisions you can make would be to install front and rear strut-tower brace. What is a strut-tower brace? Simply put, a strut-tower brace is a solid piece of metal (or carbon fiber, if you are into that exotic, ultra-expensive range of parts), which is used to horizontally brace the frame of the car. The strut tower is the mounting point for the top of the shock absorber, and it is directly connected to the vehicles chassis. By using the brace to attach the left and right strut towers together, it's like you are adding on to the frame, except you are doing it from the top, instead of the bottom as you would with a sway bar.
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The strut tower at the front of the car is found in your engine bay. This means that you need to make sure that any strut tower brace you are considering has enough clearance to make it over the top of your valve cover. Oh, and keep in mind that once you are done admiring your installation work, you will need to be able to close the hood as well so it cannot be too tall either. The rear strut tower is a little trickier. On some cars, it can be found in the trunk, or cargo area if you have a hatchback. There is usually enough space to easily get hands and tools in and lock the bar down. However, many sedans have the strut towers hidden under the rear deck or seat meaning that the seat has to come out before they can be accessed. This extra step can be a pain if space in your car is tight.
One thing is certain about strut tower braces: once you have one in your car, you will wonder how you ever got along without one. With the tightened chassis, you will feel like your import is on rails, and corners that used to have your passengers holding onto the door handle will feel a lot calmer and more controlled which is exactly how your car should feel.
About Justina Mathews
Justina Mathews writes issues that currently affect the performance car enthusiast. She also writes about issues that affect the street tuner industry, as well as import scene lifestyle. She's a staff writer for cooling systems.
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