okay.. ive been looking around for some strut bars for the front and rear... the front is a no brainer, but how do you install the rear strut bar if the tower has no holes or openings for the bar to attach to the top of the strut.... ive seen some people cut some holes with a plasma torch but im not trying to do that... i just need some insight and some brands that actually fit with no modification needed.. unless you really need to cut some openings???

and bear with my im new to the fc scene.. just got mine a few months back... still learning haha

 

people usually cut holes through the rear speaker towers so the bar can be mounted from one shock tower to the other. so say "bye-bye" to some metal and some carpet.

 

The mazdaspeed bar bolts to the rear shock tops and uses two factory holes to mount to a bracket that hold the rear bar. Mazdatrix has a similar model under the TCSportline name. Allows you to keep the stock speaker covers and requires only 2 slits in the carpet. http://www.mazdatrix.com/h7.htm

 

This. ^

 

I've seen the TC Sportline and I own a Mazdaspeed and both are ideal for what you are looking for. Install should take you no more then an hour at most. A side note, I did have to notch my speaker covers to accomdate the top bolt but other then that nothing major.

 

hmm.... thanks guys... good info...

any difference between the cheap ebay crap and the TC or Mspeed??? other than the cost, look and materiel??? performance wise and suspension difference?

 

OK, so here's the deal. I got a MazdaSpeed front bar, and initialy was gonna go with a MazdaSpeed rear tower bar aswell, but when I studied the MazdaSpeed design, I decided I don't like the way it squeezes around the upper portion of the tower, the speaker/rear seat mount. I then decided to go for the Cusco rear bar, since it mounts flatter and uses the same type of tube for the brace as the MazdaSpeed front one uses. MazdaSpeed front has anodized alloy strut mounts though, and my Cusco rear one uses painted steel for the mounts. For these typed of braces you need to cut a hole in the speaker plating, or just remove it completely. I decided to save a few grams of weight by removing it:





You can drill out most spot welds with a special bit, but some need a bit of agression.

Riz.

 

I'm sorry, I just re-read the tread more carefully, and saw you didn't want to make any changes to stock parts... My previous post is useless for you.

Riz.

 

tofuman, good stuff. i debate if i want to keep the rear speaker towers because of it's use just for the speakers... but not sure if i'll get some fresh sounds later down the road. oh well. thanks for sharing though.

 

no problem man!!! thanks for showing another option but im with finishline, i need the towers for the speakers haha..

but good input =D

 

hey will a FD TCSportline front strut bar fit our fc's???

 

of course not. neither will one from a honda or nissan. the suspension is completely different.

 

ford.

 

Cut it. Don't ask about the struts >.>

 

Nice, you got the same ebay POS I did. 30$ shipped right? The front bar hits the alt and I bent the rear over my knee playing around. Flimsy pos.

I just cut holes at the bottom of the metal for the speaker so the bar could go through it and the carpet. No bigger. Looks pretty close to stock.

And I replaced that flimsy *** front and rear bars with a 1/4in thick 1in ID steel bar I found at a junkyard. Welded right in.

I'll try to take pics when I get off work.

 

Here's mine, cut the metal larger, but then just marked the carpet to the bar, and presto, clean strut bar... not car! Man I need to vacuum!

 

I would do that ^^^ if I wanted interiour pieces, looks clean...

Riz.

 

Best bang for your buck?

 

Yeah, don't get me wrong, their cheap. But thats exactly it. If you know any friends that can weld, go find yourself a nice piece of thick pipe to replace the crap they sent it with.

Bam! Your 30$ strut bars just turned into 100$ strut bars because their actually sturdy and do their purpose and not just look good.

 

hmmm you just gave me a good idea!!!! thanks novak thumbs up!!