are they worth it?

 

I bought one of those for $42 total. You have to mess with the ends so they will screw into the strut tower. I bent mines just a little bit (cant even notice). The bar rubs the alternator when the engine moves. Other than that I noticed a big difference in the cars handling. Theyre are good for under 50 bux but anything higher its not because you have to mess with it like i did. I liked the way it made my car feel and it doesnt look too crappy.

 

I bid on one at $25.

 

Check to see if you installed the bar itself backward. It is a tight fit to the alternator pully, but it shouldn't rub. BIG no no, unless you enjoy replacing fan belts all the time.

 

If you are referring to the "RACTIVE" bars, they fit great and are easy to install. If you have trouble, you are doing something wrong.

 

the one i got wasnt a ractive. Its a noname brand. The bar rubs on the top of the alternator housing not on the pullie or anything that moves. The bar was installed correctly.

 

Yeah, same deal here. Mine is against the alternator, too, but not the pulley. Very little vibes coming off that guy, so I don't worry about it too much. Actually, there's about half a milimeter there, not actual contact unless you do something sudden, then there's a rub. Worst thing that I think can happen: What's the big deal if your strut bar is magnitized?

 

yeah i got ractive also, i got it pretty cheap also...around $45 shipped

and it rubs the alternator a bit, other than that, it's pretty good, i mean for $40bucks..it's definitley worth it, and it looks good too

i dunno if it's true or not, but i did feel a little stiffer in chassis, or maybe it's just me tend to feel like the chassis is stiffer

overall i don't know how much performance in handeling i gained by adding the bar, because i put on some new tires at the same day i installed the strut bar, and of course the tires made a whole world of difference

anyone here with a ractive front bar and also add a aftermarket sway bar? just wondering...because that's what i want to do next

 

I just ordered one . Should get it in the mail today or tommorow. If it is rubbing the alt, why not just try to find a lil shorter belt, and loosen the adjustment bracket for the alt and drop it down a cm or two?

 

Is a strut bar worth it?

It depends. If it's a high quality bar yes it is with out a doubt worth it, if the bar is shitty quality then forget about it.

 

ractive bar on my whip. u gotta make the bump in the bar face up and angled foreward to clear the alternator well.. otherwise u get an annoying buzz when the engine shakes and hits it..

scott

 

Heres a pic of my generic ebay strut bar. Notice how I rotated the bar so it barely clears the alternator. When the engine moves it rubs against the bar for a slight second.

pic 1

pic 2

 

Looks JUST like the bar I got, only diff is, mine clears the alternator by about 2-3cm. At first it hit the alt, then I noticed I had the bar rotated upside down. Turned it around and got that clearance I needed. Feels great btw, I went sliding around a few turns and it seems crisper. Course it could be that I am just convincing myself, but it seems good.

 

Nice oil cap
Personally, I don't think the bar should touch anything at all in the engine bay. If it does, it's probably not designed rite.

I wanted to get one for a long time. I waited until I found a cusco one for sale on thepartstrader. The one with blue anodoized ends. It was 80 shipped. Looks good, very happy with. Drifting is so much better with it.

 

I noticed that last night

 

Well the other reason is that the car could have been in an accident at some point and the body is slightly tweaked or motor mounts bent.