http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=6767

Follow the link on ebay. I want to know if anyone has this kind of bar and if it is any good. Is it worth it to spend 200 bux on the ones seen on rotary websites or will this do the trick?

 

Well, I'm not sure about the bar, but if Autobacs is the manufacture, they do sponsor some top cars in the JGTC championship, namely a successful MR-S, and former livery for an NSX. It's actually the sponsor of the whole series last time I checked.

So, that won't automatically vouch for their quality, but it is a brand name so to speak. E-mail the guy and get some more info out of him. He's probably an importer or something and bought a huge quantity of them at a good price. Maybe a good find.

 

looks like the usual generic low-quality ebay strut tower bar. you could probably make one like that for less than 30 bucks. ive heard there are fitment problems too.

save up, get a cusco.

 

yeah dude i have that one. I had to get a shortwer altinator belt (1 inch shorter) so it wouldent hit the altinator. but it does its jop, it holds them together nice and stiff, i got it in like a week. its bare, has no logos and stuff so you might like that.

 

cool

 

it says autobacs on it...but i have no reason to believe they sell autobacs parts...they just have the ebay user name autobacs and put it in their pictures to sell more stuff to unsuspecting people.

i believe i emailed them to ask about that and was told their parts were generic.

 

i use a strut tower brace made for a toyota corrolla

 

I bought a Ractive strut tower bar for $60 Cdn this past fall. Why the hell would anyone pay $200US?

 

Generally with strut bars, brand is not very important.
Same categorization (sp?) of air filters, silicon hoses, manual boost controllers, injectors, and stuff like that.

Unless you are in some serious competitive racing, or you car is VERY HEAVILY modified, you won't notice much (if any) of a difference between your $50 strut bar and your $250 strut bar.
Also remember though, you DO get what you pay for with most things.

 

I use that same one on my 'vert and agree completely with Bridgeported... until you get into the heavy modified car, it will work fine.

BTW: the people that have to change belts or other things had the wrong belts or a bent body on in the first place. Properly installed on a straight car that bar fits just fine.

The only other thing that I have found is that you might want to not use the bolt and nut that come with the bar (that hold the bar to the side supports) as they tend to be of poor quality and snap if torqued down above 40 ft/lbs. A nice set of replacements from the local hardware store with lock nuts will be a good improvement.

 

My question while ths thread still has people's attention:

What is the best way to set up the bar? Is it best to have sitting 'neutral' or to have it 'pushing' outwards a little or what?

 

To Pre load it, jack the front of the car up, put the bar on and tighten it down all around, lower car.

 

I have it and the black parts that bolt to the struts are not actually black they are a ugly brown color. And its not hard to install, there isnt a wrong way to do it. it does hit the altinator, and you will have to put a different belt on it. i did install it right an my car is "strait"

 

Perhaps you didn't install the bar at the correct angle.

On every car that I have used that bar on, there is about a 1/4" between the bar and a stock alt.

and I have not seen one with a brown base, only black as in the picture.

perhaps that is the difference in fitments

 

Icemark........correct ange? as it should seem to me that there are only 2 ways to install it, one so the bar sits over the altinator, or the other way where it would hit the intake manifold part (which wouldent work at all) my old altinator belt was streched out all the way to the max so that could have been it. the 1 inch shorter one barely fit, but it did, im sure if i got a stock replacement it probably would have made it fit aswell. oh well, the 1 inch works for me and like I said before, it does its job

 

The wide part of the bar must be at an angle to the engine/alt.

The bar sits parrallel, to the hood angle there.

 

here:

 

see how the top wide scetion of the bar is following the same line as the top of the fender?

 

Who knows.... I was thinking of getting one of these bars too. Its made of aluminum, so even if it hits the alt its nothing a small bend & a new belt wont fix. My friend called me a cheap bastard for not going w/ a big brand name and all that. Just another opening to call him a ricer, I guess See above. How does a 30$ ebay strut bar made from aluminum differ from a 200$ from mazdatrix, also made of aluminum??

 

I have wondered what bars will fit our cars. Does anyone have a list of what will fit correctly?

P.S. did the Corolla one fit perfect and what year Corolla was it from?

John

 

I got a Ractive Strut Bar that was sitting beside my buddies tint shop. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a Rear Strut Bar though...Who makes the rear bars besides Cusco?

 

Top wide section?

You've lost me.

Perhaps the Ractive bar is shaped slightly differently...

 

Just bought the Cusco front and rear
Hopefully I get my car back soon to put them on...

Nick

 

i have the ractive front strut bar! in the order form from ractive it states.

must get new belt for strut bar instalation!

so i supose its ment to do that

as for the rear im orderinganother ractive for the back cutting off the strut loops and fabricating new ones for the back. rewelding the bar into place and cut some holes in the speaker towers!!

the space between the front struts and the back are the sam so the bar will fit just needs a bit of modding!! no biggy!

as i can get the bars for only 35cnd might as well wrecka few

 

I believe cp racing (pm guru) makes 3 bar front and rear strut bars.