Hi
I just installed a TCS Strut bar, at 60 dollars for the front, I thought it was a good purchase. But when I installed it, the bar is only about 1cm away from the alternator and dangerously close to the moving belt! I am scared under cornering stress or when the engine torques that it will actually contact the strut bar!

How much clearance does everyone else have between the front strut bar and the alternator?

Thanks for your help!!

 

i just installed a corksport front strut bar today and mine clears the altenator with plenty of room, oh and thats with the altenator maxed out on the tensioner

tcs, is that the bar that mazdatrix sells?

 

these aren't the greatest of pictures, but you can see that my mazdatrix brace has about an inch of clearance

 

thanks for the quick replies! Banzai racing sells the tcs strut bar. For the mazdatrix bar, are there any modifications needed to the firewall to mount those extra points?

 

I had a Megan racing strut bar that had the same clearance as yours, if not less, and would actually rub up against the alternator. obviously i took it off after a short while of having it

 

yes. 4 holes have to be drilled into the fire wall. they are placed on the pinch weld (right term?)

here's a closer up of the area

 

i kno its off topic what rad is that 3vil .. i thought about gettin the mazdatrix brce and the racing beat torque brace ..

 

My alternator has worn a 1/2 inch hole into my tanabe bar over the past three years. I'll post a pic when I'm with my car.

 

My alternator has rubbed against the bar a tiny bit. It's honestly not even noticeable.

 

I have a Tein bar comes no where close to the Alternator

 

^ same with the cusco =)

 

Just get a 1/2" smaller belt?

 

I had an ebay strut bar for about a month. It rubbed the top of the alternator and the coolant cap. It actually took the coolant cap off while I was driving :-( Needless to say I took it off and threw it out.

 

change your altenator belt, make sure you got the correct length one on there. You should be able to look at the tensioner and see if it is maxed out.

 

On a random note... 3vil you should level your AFM.. It wont read correctly like that.

Anyway! I have some no name brand [the label's completely worn off by now] that clears just fine except for the coolant cap - I have to use a cap with no tabs sticking out. Also I broke a filler neck nipple by jacking the engine a while ago [something to keep in mind..]

 

those bars weren't intended for s4 in mind hence why breaking the coolant nipple, also might want to consider changing motor mounts if that happens, engine bouncing around and that hits it.

 

lol... I was more or less changing the passenger engine mount [we'd forgotten the cups when putting the new engine in recently]
Its got plenty of clearance from the nipple normally.

 

 

Old CP Racing strut bar fits fine and clears everything...

Plus unlike many cheap designs, it's not bolt together so there are no weak pivots, which essentially make the bar pointless. The downside is that the flange holes need to be file fitted to the car, because each individual car is bent in a slightly different way...

 

always nothing but the best for you, Aaron :P

 

agreed

 

I had an ebay one that rubbed all the time I finally switched to a Tanabe one and it fits perfectly fine. I don't think any rubbing will hurt it though. That is if you're rubbing the alternator itself.

 

sorry to resurrect this thread but i have been searching for the tri bar front and rear strut bar but can't find them anywhere. i know mazdatrix used to carry the mazdaspeed tri bar but now they only list the tcs sportline strut bar. i really want a tri bar if anyone knows a site lemme know please

 

make one?

 

all these bars work best with stock alternators, my mazdatrix bar does not clear my alternator