Ultra Racing RSB / Strut Brace Questions

[Hilton_K]

Evening all,

Was wondering if I could get some feedback on the Ultra Racing RSB and Strut Brace. Currently running stock suspension and was looking into the these parts. Car is a daily driver for work with the odd spirited drive on the weekends. Are these parts worth it, after a bit better turn in. No intentions of upgrading anything other suspension parts until it is worn out or broken

Reason for the Ultra Racing RSB is it's a little softer than Whiteline (18mm vs 20mm) and believe the way it is mounted seems a little better, rather than utilising u-bolts and bushes.

Appreciate the advice / experience.

[sambb]

Yeah the way the UR rear anti roll bar fits has its pro's and cons. If you have to fiddle with dampers or springs it won't have to be unbolted every time like the whiteline - possibly better that way for track guys. But changing hardness settings on the whiteline is dead easy. Also you can't just say that the whiteline is stiffer overall as its 20mm versus 18mm for the UR. The UR has shorter lever arms and no drop links(which usually makes bars stiffer) but doesn't have the part of the bar that actually twist torsionally solid mounted like the whiteline, which I would have thought would tend it toward being softer in that respect. Also are they the same steel quality? You could only really tell which is stiffer by driving them back to back.
But yes, rear bars are very worth it. Probably the single biggest bang for buck suspension item you could fit. It will turn in better but lift off oversteer can creep in at the other end. I don't think the latter is much of a biggy though, its pretty hard to get out of shape even when you're trying. A big emergency swerve in the wet when you're already cornering might be more of a prob.

[Hilton_K]

Thanks for the feedback sambb!

DO you have any experience with the front strut brace?

[sambb]

no 'fraid not. There's an upper strut brace and a lower subframe brace. Which are you after?

[Hilton_K]

After the top front strut brace.

[sambb]

I haven't fitted one because to my eyes the strut towers are welded in against the firewall and fenders and it all looks pretty stiff. From a foggy memory, the UR brace fits over the stock air box making it hard to do the filter? could be wrong there - have a look at some pics.
As far as it helping handling/turn-in in a softly sprung road car - I think you'd be better spending your money on a set of federal 595rsr's

[seangti]

Sam's correct re the fitment of the UR brace. It's amongst the most structurally rigid of the braces on the market, but yeah makes access to airbox impossible - which is a non-event to me. I ran the front strut brace and rear lower brace on my silver car, in combination it did make the car more rigid, it was evident on the driveway with less flex noises. On the track, it makes no tangible difference to lap times, though did have incremental improvement in feel through the corners. Slight increase in stable feel. And I was running semi slicks, so a street tyre just won't make the same grip levels. Probably get more noticeable improvements on undulating back roads which put more torsional loads into the chassis.

I've taken the strut brace off the my track polo when I did the turbo swap 6months back and haven't bothered to put it back on it. I agree with Sam that the front end is quite structurally sound as it is. I will put the brace back on over the xmas break.

I wouldn't say it's money wasted, but you'll get better return on tyres like Sam said.

[Stuwey]

I had the lower, and not the upper - I wanted the engine bay to look as stock as possible.

The chassis felt stiffer, which in turn made the suspension work instead of the body wobbling all over the place.

I'd definitely do it again.

[Eddy]

I haven't fitted one because to my eyes the strut towers are welded in against the firewall and fenders and it all looks pretty stiff. From a foggy memory, the UR brace fits over the stock air box making it hard to do the filter? could be wrong there - have a look at some pics.
As far as it helping handling/turn-in in a softly sprung road car - I think you'd be better spending your money on a set of federal 595rsr's

Hoyhoy.

Excuse me but, your eyes don't work too well, sorry.
I fitted a Forge front strut brace years ago & within two weeks I stripped the heavy thread on the adjusting knuckle just doing hard round abouts, because of the flex in the front of the body, it is now a solid one piece.
Another thing is the firewall, it's not too solid either, it flexes by @ least 5mm. when braking hard.
Get new glasses bud, sorry for being rude, but when I see these sort of statements, it chills me.
BTW I go along with ya on the Federal 595rsr's for the street & medium track work.

[sambb]

Its fair enough to say what you said Eddy - you tried the brace out and found out that there was lots of flex that the bar could help with. Come on though, did you cast your eye over it and just know that it was crying out for the brace or did you find out by testing.
I know the chassis has flex in it. If I opened the hatch in my driveway I could barely get it shut again until I fitted the rear shock tower brace. But for the sake of the questioner who wants pretty basic advice on how to get a standard suspension work/daily/spirited weekender to turn in better, you have to keep a bit of perspective. My mind turns to a good wheel alignment, tyres, bushes well ahead of things like chassis bracing in the pecking order for that kind of brief.

[seangti]

In the context of a softly sprung car I can't see flex being great as it'll be absorbed within suspension movement (IMO). Obviously, as the car is firmed up, bracing becomes more relevant.

If your budget was say $100 a tyre and a strut bar ($200) or $150 a tyre, I'd go the $150 a tyre.

[Hilton_K]

thanks for the feedback guys.

Sent from my SM-P550 using Tapatalk

[Paazuzu]

In the context of a softly sprung car I can't see flex being great as it'll be absorbed within suspension movement (IMO). Obviously, as the car is firmed up, bracing becomes more relevant.

I'd have to agree with Sean. After moving to coilovers the chassis flex is very noticeable. I'm interested to test top and bottom bracing to see how it helps.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sambb]

couple of questions about the forge front strut brace. Are you meant to tighten it to pull the strut towers together or does it expand? Can you get to the airbox with this brace or is it a remove job like the UR?

[seangti]

couple of questions about the forge front strut brace. Are you meant to tighten it to pull the strut towers together or does it expand?

Neither, a strut tower bar is to be unloaded like a sway bar. You should simply be able to undo the strut bolts and remove with minimal hassle. You're otherwise loading the strut top bolts diagonally which they aren't designed for. The stiffness comes once tightened.

Can you get to the airbox with this brace or is it a remove job like the UR?

Its a remove bar job to access factory air box. 6 bolts and she's off.