For the longest time now I've been considering buying a strut tower bar, but I can't really find any evidence that they really work. Seems to me if one side is gonna lean, all the strut bar is gonna do is make the other side lean as well. I've heard some people say stuff like, 'yea, it kinda corners a little better'.
Is there any real evidence this things really work and that it's not just extra weight? Also, are those $18 eBay strut bars any different from the more expensive ones? Thanks.

the answer is...yes, in a way....They help greatly to quiet the rattling in the hatch area and the dash area...This is because it stiffens those areas....Does it improve handling? Not a noticble amount...If you want to improve handling, buy better shocks and a set of high quality anti-roll bars......and springs if you want although they arent always good to have....

to answer you 2nd question...Id say go ahead and pick up the ebay bars....I had a greddy bar on the front of my car that i wasted 120 bucks for but i sold it after i machined my own front bar....I have cheap pilot bars on the rear upper and lower and they work fine....The greddy was a waste of money...put your money elsewhere instead of expensive strut bars....

Strut bars do work. If you have driven your car for a while, you would notice the difference. I have always said my favorite bars are the Sprint front and RRE rear. You could go with a cheap bar from ebay for the front without much effect in the performance. The only thing you get into there is the build quality. The rear is a different story though. That is the weakest of the two due to the hatchback design of the car. I hate to compare them but, here it goes. The Pilot rear strut tower brace is a poorly designed bar. No matter how you tighten it down, if you grab the middle of the bar and pull towards the strut tower, you have a lot of movement from the bar. Where as if you use the RRE rear bar and do the same, there is almost no movement except from the whole back of the car moving on the struts.

You don't get the same results as strut and springs or swaybars but, there not a bad first mod. Plus they look good on the car.

my pilot rear lower and upper bars are pretty stiff...they dont move whatsoever...my front is custom, but still... all they really do is stiffen the chassis....the handling still feels the same...just maybe not as "gooey". Also, if you have a stiffer suspension, strut bars have more of an effect because stiffer springs will cause the chassis to flex more....IMO, dont spend more than like 60 bucks on a bar.

<my pilot rear lower and upper bars are pretty stiff...they don't move whatsoever...my front is custom, but still... all they really do is stiffen the chassis....the handling still feels the same...just maybe not as "gooey". Also, if you have a stiffer suspension, strut bars have more of an effect because stiffer springs will cause the chassis to flex more....IMO, don't spend more than like 60 bucks on a bar.>

Exactly what they do, stiffen the chassis! You go from they don't make any difference to all of the above. If you took out...the handling still feels the same....it would be a awesome statement. You say the bars stiffen the chassis and the handling is not as gooey. You contradict what you are trying to say. You even say they are even more effective with stiffer springs. It's like you tell the guy to buy them in one sentence and not to in the other. What gives! I even agree with you that $60 is enough for a front bar. Maybe even the back. Just as long as it isn't the Pilot rear upper. I'm not bashing any of the other Pilot bars, just the rear upper strut tower brace. It is the worst designed bar i have ever seen. Others on this board have also agreed with me on that in the past. Maybe that is why you haven't noticed much of a difference with your bars.

Point is, you will notice a difference unless you drive like a grandmother.

hmm, well after this discussion i am sold on strutbars. id appreciate even just a nice reduction in shakes on the car. where do i get the Sprint front and RRE rear. and those are the upper bars right? cant i get a lower front and lower rear too? where can i get those and which are best for those.

I bought the bars to get rid of the rattle....and in my opinion...they make almost no noticible difference in my handling...I was saying that instead of buying expensive bars, he would be better off spending the money on other handling related things.....My statements are all accurate....and i told him to go ahead with the ebay bars.....I said i wouldnt get the Greddy....I had it and it wasnt worth the money.

Thanks guys, I'm gonna look for a cheap set of front and rear bars and see what happens. Hmmm... I'm gonna have to put the CD changer elsewhere to install that rear bar though. Haha, I've got to be the only idiot that has it hanging from the trunk cover. :D

I got my ebay sturtbars and I could tell a difference. My front upper was only like $18 and it doesnt cover the oil cap which is a plus. It works real well imo and I got my rear for about $33. I also got the Neuspeed front upper and felt even more improvement. I am still waiting on Hurricanegs's lower bars so i dont know much about them but yeah get you a cheap bar off ebay they work fine. Mine is the no name polished bar and the side brackets are a dark blue so if you see one like that on ebay it shouldnt cover the oilcap. :thumbsup

ok heres what i noticed. go to an empty parking lot an night, give your car hell turn till it feels like itll roll over. remeber this and how you get tossed around. now go get the strut bars... now you notice how your car wont felx as much and will keep its stance, and if you have cheap tires youl notice how that is a key factor with keeping your car on the road.

i have pilot front and rear strut tower bars, and they work perfectly fine. I have no problems what so ever.


96 Talon ESi Mods
apex' dunk exhaust
injen short ram
magnecore 8.5mm wires
front/rear strut tower bars
custom painted interior
carbon fiber hood

I just got my strut bars from ebay. Front and rear for $38. Good quality too. Go to Ebay and type in "95-99 Eclipse strut bundle", and it should pop up, they normally have 2 or 3 for auction at any given time.


Black '98 GS auto
I-vers intake
Custom (home made!) ram air conversion
OBX fog lights
RSR rear section
JVC cd player
Kenwood components
Sony XM-250 amp
10" Polk DX sub

they do help. before i could take a complete left turn at about 30 or so and be sliding all over the place, now i take that same turn at 40 and i don't slide near as much as before, it's very stiff and mmmmmm i can't think of the word........it's more exact. like it goes where you want it to.

worth the 40 bucks definatly



WTB----- Dodge Omni: condigion i don't care, clean title needed

mods:
star stage III clutch
gutted cat-cherry bomb-banzi muffler(thanks kris)
cai(thanks kris)
f/r upper tie bars
hotter NGK plugs
platnum plus window tint
all black interior
5 color indiglo gauges (thanks kyle)
stock RS rims painted black w/neon green calipers and drums (thanks kris)
altezas

stereo equipment:
old sony X'PLOD head unit
300 watt amp kit
120 watt sks power pro cheapo amp
12" kenwood wave in a custom wrapped box

future mods(in no particular order):
engine rebuild/2.4 swap
turbo.....
lower it
wheels
seats
exhaust
piant job
turbo wing
hood
body kit
neons all around
projectors
custom tail lights
better stereo equipment

yes they do work not as much as shox and sway bars like they said. Basically you stiffening you chassis. So you get more responce because out chassis are shaped like a tub if you put a bar over the shock tower it prevents it from flexing. So you will get added steering response. Trust me when Installed the awesome NEUSPEED strut tower bar man did I noticed the different in stiffness. If they ever have a group buy on those bad boys GET ONE! The front is where you will noticed the most difference because thats where all our weight is. Haha also you will noticed it's easier to break traction cuz of the response, get ready to understeer if you yank the wheel :)

I'll just throw in my two sense and say that on normal daily driving you probably won't notice a whole lot of difference. If your doing backyard roadralley racing I bet you will. What difference they make that hasn't really been mentioned is the reduced wear on your suspension and tires. By reducing the flex the car's weight isn't shifting as much thus reducing wear over time - so it kinda helps in the pocket-book a little bit. Now if your carrying a pocket-book that's a whole other issue!


AEM CIA|SpiralMax|NGK Plugs|Magnecor Wires|GST Exhaust|Mirror Tint|Grillcraft grill|EBC brakes|Brembo Crossdrill/slotted rotors|Front/Rear strut bars|
Coming:55mmTB

Check out www.procarparts.com thats where I got my front/rear upper strut bars. They are good build quality and it only cost me like $60 for both.

Hmmm, yeah those look pretty nice. $55... how much did they charge for shipping? The eBay dude charges $20 which I think is excessive...

i had my front and rear custom made from saber sports you can definately tell a difference when they are on/off and tight/loose i have actually cut a grade 6 bolt in half by taking a turn to hard just imagine what would have happen with out them