Well I purchased the cheap bar from EBay for 16 total. I won it for 4 bucks, but shipping was 12 bucks. I figure, anything under 20 would be alright. I wasn't sure what to except since it was such a cheap bar, but it turned out pretty good.
I installed the bar this morning and it took me a while because the passenger's side has a lot of wires and stuff in the way. I was forced to bend a small peice of metal that held a wire. I bent it out of the way while I bolted on the bar, and I bent it back.
Well the only other fitment problem was that I was kinda stupid and tightened all the bolts as I was putting them on one by one. It's easier if you just put the bar on, put the bolts on, screw it on lightly, and then make sure everythings ok, then bolt down tightly.
I took my car out for a drive and it definitely felt stiffer in the front. My car is all stock and I've been driving it for a while, so any difference in my car, I should be able to notice. I noticed that the car felt "whole" in the front and stiffer. It felt like it gripped the ground better when I turned. I think it's a great buy if it's under 20. I'm gonna go with the rear bar soon. I mean Spoon and Neuspeed is a great choice if you have the money, but I think the EBay bar will do just fine. And by the way, there's no way you can bend this bar. Maybe with extreme driving and over time you could, but the bar is pretty hard and strong.
Nah, to put the bar on, there's the main strut bushing at the top in the picture. Around the main bushing, there's three smaller bolts that you attach the strut bar onto. Basically, its unbolt, put the bar on, bolt on. It definitely feels better in my opinion.
i bought a bar from e-bay but got the "round bar" instead of the "flat" like yours... mine did not fit at all because the bar was too long... glad it worked out for ya
LOL. That's EXACTLY how I felt when I first got my bar. First of all, our main downtown street is kinda crapy, so without a bar it jerks the steering wheel from side to side 'cause the speed limit is only 25. After I put the bar on, it really really helped this problem. 2 months later, I can't even tell the bar is on there anymore, not because I'm used to it, but because it weakened!
You think the Neuspeed one is a waste of money? Have you ever looked at it? There are NO JOINS! There is nowhere for the bar to get weak like yours soon will. $100 for a solid, high-quality bar is worth it in my opinion. I really wish people would stop waiting their money on these cheap eBay one...
I never said Neuspeed was a waste of money. I said if you have the money great, if not, the EBay one is a decent alternative for the price. I'll let you guys know how the bar keeps up over time.
Originally posted by Cookout LOL. That's EXACTLY how I felt when I first got my bar. First of all, our main downtown street is kinda crapy, so without a bar it jerks the steering wheel from side to side 'cause the speed limit is only 25. After I put the bar on, it really really helped this problem. 2 months later, I can't even tell the bar is on there anymore, not because I'm used to it, but because it weakened!
how the hell do you know that it has "weakened"??? is it all based on feel? unless the bar actually broke, then i dont see any way to tell that its "weakened"...please explain
marsh
As far as the bar weakening, check the metal utilizing a powerful magnifying glass, you might be able to see beach marks developing.
All metal fatigues over a period time, it just depends on how long it will last. Take for instance a paper clip, you bend it 10-15 times & it's fine, and then on the 16th time it will snap. All metal will deform (flex) and come back to it's original shape as long as it hasn't exceeded it's limitations. Even with normal usage, it will eventually weaken and fail.
Just my 2 cents and a lot of failure analysis training on boat motors....
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Im looking into getting a bar, my dad has a kick-ass welder and I was thinking about making one from square stock steel. It wouldn't weigh that much more then aluminum, and you would never be able to bend it. Kinda like the ITR bar.
There were some posts a while back where people were discussing what design of a strut bar was best, yadda yadda. Basically it was a comparison between the Neuspeed, Spoon, and generic (DC) front strut bars. It got really complicated (to me anyway) with math and structural analysis etc. Basically the strength of the bar comes from welds and how the bar is loaded.
Try to ask the seller for an actual picture and let me know if you got it and send it to me. I got the famous Ebay rear bar and I had to grind it good in order to fit. I think I still need to grind it more cuz the mounts are kinda bent. Just trying to give you a heads up. I can show you mine sometime if you wanna meet up. Its not a bad bar but I think the rear had the problems w/fitment.
Hey I have the same e-bay bar and I love it, I just got the rear one 3 days ago and should be in pretty soon. I had the same problem as Preludeguy27 with the passenger side wires but I just unbolted the clip that held them and then bolted it back on once everything was finished (do not try and work around it, it will drive you crazy, just unbolt it or bend it)...
Originally posted by Cookout You think the Neuspeed one is a waste of money? Have you ever looked at it? There are NO JOINS! There is nowhere for the bar to get weak like yours soon will. $100 for a solid, high-quality bar is worth it in my opinion. I really wish people would stop waiting their money on these cheap eBay one...
And additionally, the neuspeed bar doesnt bolt onto the strut tower studs, It actually bolts onto the upper control arm studs, which makes for a more "stable" mounting.
I got the ebay rear and had to grind that thing ALOT to make it fit, but i did notice i could take this one turn a little faster than before.
As for the Neuspeed, i brought a used one off someone on this board. When i tried to install it, the bolts just wouln't match up... The guy was selling for someone else so he never had it on his car but swore it was for the 4th gen. Anyways, i returend it back to him and he sold to someone else who didnt test fit it but never complained to him that it didn't fit...
Oh yea, i tried fitting that bar on 2 other 4th gens that i know and the the bolts both didn't match up, and they didn't match in the exact same way. So at first i thought it was my frame was really bent but after seeing it not fit the same way as the others i've come to think that it is not that......
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[img][/img] DC Strut bar for sale
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