# Strut bars-performance value?



## jharris1 (Mar 13, 2004)

Well, I just ordered a Ractive strut bar, and I wanted to know whether or not I've really wasted $35. Right now, my Sentra E sucks in the handling department; bad body roll, follows all pavement grooves, etc. I want to get F/R sway bars also but the funds are...... low. So, I wanted to know exactly how much of a difference a strut bar will make on an E with lousy handling riding on 13" steelies?


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## NotAnotherHonda (Aug 7, 2003)

for $35, you cant really go wrong man!

it wont have any negative effects, and it can only get better.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

strut bar topic doesn't belong in Cosmetics..


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## ronaldo (Feb 23, 2004)

if your gonna buy em for 35 they are prolly kinda bad, you might as well try makin some, youll prolly get better quality out of it


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

jharris1 said:


> Well, I just ordered a Ractive strut bar, and I wanted to know whether or not I've really wasted $35. Right now, my Sentra E sucks in the handling department; bad body roll, follows all pavement grooves, etc. I want to get F/R sway bars also but the funds are...... low. So, I wanted to know exactly how much of a difference a strut bar will make on an E with lousy handling riding on 13" steelies?


You wouldn't believe the difference front and rear strut tower bars make. They should be the first thing on everyone's suspension upgrade shopping list (for the obvious reason that all of your future suspension mods will be able to work much better with them installed). Don't be put off by the price either. Ractive bars aren't the absolute best, and sometimes they have fitment issues that you need to work out, but they will still do the job.


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## maxpower559 (Sep 6, 2002)

i thought it was funny it was put on da cosmetics section.

dude....heres the thing. you like i....have an E model. you have no suspension upgrades from the factory. this is what you do. go get some new rear struts for an se-r or se with the hole for the rear undercarriage roll bar. and get the rear anti roll bar of an nx2000. same with the fronts, but your a-arms should already have holes in em so you dont have to replace the struts. that stb you got is kool too. you can notice the difference. but better grip with tires is better results with the strut bars. hehe...pm me or yahoo or aim me if you need help


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## xt_out (Jun 23, 2003)

i heard strut bars weren't even noticable and with the sentra handling seemed allright stock suspension but the SER is wobbly handling...i dunno how to describe it, kind of like the first poster's sentra E so maybe a strut bar would help.
my dad said something about possible bad balljoints i think. any comments as to why the suspensions so much looser in my ser than my gxe?


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## maxpower559 (Sep 6, 2002)

suspension parts got through alot of stress, moving up and down and huggin twisting etc. im guessing the se-r suspension is just old. bushing crack, struts loose gas....creates a bad ride?

i feel sturt bars make a big difference.i had no strut bars or say bars when i got my falken azenis sports 15's. the car would hug the road but handle for shit...body roll everywhere. i put the front and rear anti-roll bars on, and BAMN....huge difference. rear of the car wasnt 10inchs higher on one side than the other and left and right salom style turns seem easy and controlled. ones i added the stb it noticed that the tires up front would break @ a different mph. yet still had a stiffer stabler ride when turning.

im bored...i usually dont respond to post like this


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## jharris1 (Mar 13, 2004)

*Thanks*

Shelling out $35 was not a real issue, I was just a little skeptical about how much of a difference in performance I would get out of a strut bar. A few friends of mine are into the drifting "Initital D" craze, kind of got me into all the suspension mods stuff (even though I wont attempt to drift and wont pull the e-brake). I just want to increase my cornering capabilities and overall stability (Baltimore City and County streets suck a$$) Hopefully I'll have my sport rims within the next year, and some sway bars too. I'll keep whoever cares posted.


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## apachewoolf (Mar 7, 2004)

i have the same issue. I installed some 205 40 17's and the handling is omg better but will the front sway bar actually work? What does it do that makes a difference? I know it is supposed to stiffen up the front end but how does it do that? I know stupid question but hey I want to know. :dumbass:


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## ronaldo (Feb 23, 2004)

i figured it just keeps the chassi of the car from flexing, since stiffening from left to right it allows for less body roll,... this is just outa my head


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## Flounder (Sep 4, 2003)

apachewoolf said:


> i have the same issue. I installed some 205 40 17's and the handling is omg better but will the front sway bar actually work? What does it do that makes a difference? I know it is supposed to stiffen up the front end but how does it do that? I know stupid question but hey I want to know. :dumbass:


you mean strut brace? I know that in unibody cars like ours, the body Is the frame, so to speak. When cornering hard, the front end of the car will flex, sometimes a lot. The strut towers are at the top of all the stress. They move side to side and up and down a little. The strut brace bar, if good quality, will minimize this movement. When the wheels are pressed hard, the bar will restrict the flexing and keep the wheels planted firmly on the ground. I'm getting one for the front of my car for sure, but i don't see the need as much for the rear, considering we don't have rear independent suspension. Not that it hurts to put one there.


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## sentrapower93 (May 11, 2002)

*front/rear strut bars*

I heard that the B13 chassis suffers from alot of body flex, both front & rear. I have f&r strut bars on my car and they do help alot. Add some stiffer springs,struts and larger wheels/tires to the mix, and you'll see a big improvement in your cars handing.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

ronaldo said:


> if your gonna buy em for 35 they are prolly kinda bad, you might as well try makin some, youll prolly get better quality out of it


^^^Some of the worst information in this thread. Having a strut bar vs. not having one is DEFINITELY better. Just because it's $35 doesn't mean it's a strong metal. It's not a moving part, it's a brace. Doesn't have to be $100 to be good. Oh, and making your own is a dumb, bad idea if you ask me.

I got a megan racing STB off ebay for $5! Works better than a stock unit from what I felt.


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## JAMESZ (Mar 12, 2004)

ReVerm said:


> You wouldn't believe the difference front and rear strut tower bars make. They should be the first thing on everyone's suspension upgrade shopping list (for the obvious reason that all of your future suspension mods will be able to work much better with them installed). Don't be put off by the price either. Ractive bars aren't the absolute best, and sometimes they have fitment issues that you need to work out, but they will still do the job.


 Actually better shocks, struts, springs, sway bars, bushings, and a few other things should be done before you do a strut brace. You can do the strut brace first hell I did the front strut brace on my Z in the middle of my suspension upgrades. But the truth is the strut brace isn't going to make a difference until you upgrade everything else. Also remember you might want to upgrade your brakes. The reason a strut bar isn't going to be much help right now is because of what its designed to do. The strut brace really won't be of much use until you upgrade everything else and you need that extra rigidity.


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## jharris1 (Mar 13, 2004)

*True or False??*



JAMESZ said:


> Actually better shocks, struts, springs, sway bars, bushings, and a few other things should be done before you do a strut brace. You can do the strut brace first hell I did the front strut brace on my Z in the middle of my suspension upgrades. But the truth is the strut brace isn't going to make a difference until you upgrade everything else. Also remember you might want to upgrade your brakes. The reason a strut bar isn't going to be much help right now is because of what its designed to do. The strut brace really won't be of much use until you upgrade everything else and you need that extra rigidity.



I mean, I had someone tell me I should actually LOWER my car before putting on a strut brace. If it's like that, why spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on other mods just to feel the effects of a basic bolt-on? I dont think everything needs to be upgraded in order for there to be a need for the "extra rigidity." A strut bar should handle the flexing of my stock struts just fine, and according to everyone else it is the best bolt-on suspension part to put on first. Hey, I'm not trying to have crazy handling (because I can't afford it). I just want something to reduce the bad body roll, maybe help in the cornering dept, and offer a better (if possible) ride.


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## 95 SentraB13 (Jun 14, 2002)

I think with the installation of my generic FSTB, steering became slightly more controlled and the front felt a little more tight, hence slight. On bad roads and fast tight turns it probably does serve some purpose.

The biggest difference you will feel, with cost being a factor, may be with an ActiveTuning RSTB. I talked to an owner of a 90/91 BMW 325, prior to the initial product release of the AT bars, and he said a rear bar dramatically stiffened up the rear-end in his car, eliminated rattles, reduced chassis road noise, especially over rough surface and bumps, along with improving overall handling/steering.

When I finally did install mine last fall everything I listed was influenced in some way or another. Steering/turning feels more responsive and quick, more sure footed. Rattles and loud bangs that were common over major road imperfections and large bumps was eliminated. The ride is more smooth and quiet. Overall, the car feels more tossable.

With that said, I would still buy the SE-R front and rear sway bars or if the budget allows, a Progress Technology rear sway bar. 195/50/15 tires will certainly help as well.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

jharris1 said:


> I mean, I had someone tell me I should actually LOWER my car before putting on a strut brace. If it's like that, why spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on other mods just to feel the effects of a basic bolt-on? I dont think everything needs to be upgraded in order for there to be a need for the "extra rigidity." A strut bar should handle the flexing of my stock struts just fine, and according to everyone else it is the best bolt-on suspension part to put on first. Hey, I'm not trying to have crazy handling (because I can't afford it). I just want something to reduce the bad body roll, maybe help in the cornering dept, and offer a better (if possible) ride.


The main effects you will feel with the front strut tower bar are:
1. The suspension system will work better because it has a more rigid base to work on (as the chassis is being stiffened).
2. The car will tend to seem better aligned, or to understeer less because the tops of the struts are being tied to eachother (hence making it more difficult for them to move out of alignment under cornering forces).

If you plan to do anything else to your suspension, you should actually do the strut bars _first_. The reason for this is that with stiffer springs and damper rates, the body flex is going to affect how the car behaves a lot more, and the driver will really feel it (try riding around in a small car with 300lbs/200lbs spring rates without strut tower bars. The ride is jarring yet sloppy.). Same goes with antisway bars too. The car will have a very low traction limit until you put the strut bar on there. 

It all comes down to this: If you think you want to upgrade your suspension system, get a pair of STBs first. Then decide what you want to do.


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## sentrapower93 (May 11, 2002)

Well since his goal seems to be reducing body roll or sway, strut bars alone wont do much. I did the f/r strut bars first while still on the stock softer xe springs/struts, and they helped a little. However after installing the stiffer stock se-r springs & sway bars plus the kyb gr-2 struts, everything came together. Much better handling reduced body roll and improved ride. All these mods were within my budget, the se-r springs/sway bars were purchased used and the kyb gr-2 struts were about $240. I really like the way my car handles now...


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