Aftermarket strut braces available?

[TTVR4]

can you buy after market front strut braces for our babies?
i want to get one that matches the brushed stainless intercooler piping in my car.

 

[bradc]

Cusco make them and I think they might have a slight brushed finish to them. At the absolute least they are smooth and not lumpy like the stock ones!

 

[qball]

Yahoo Japan have the Cusco ones

 

[Guest]

You can pick them up from Yahoo Japan for under 5k yen for a used one + shipping and fees though the last one I bought made by Dolphin only cost me 1k + fees, bargain

 

[cittris]

yeha i have a cusco one coming - should be here next week.
ill post a pic once i get it

 

[snickells]

Make one?

 

[ygoslo]

I don't understand why people would replace the stock one...

 

[gorgath]

I don't understand why people would replace the stock one...

I have to agree with you Tim, I don't see the point hence I didn't get one.

 

[Guest]

They are considerably lighter for one thing

 

[gorgath]

I do understand that they are lighter than the stock but then having a 12kgs rims does not make any difference. (well atleast for me)

 

[Rasi]

I understand that you may be wanting a different asthetic for your engine bay, but if it weight you are trying to save, the stock one is fairly light anyway... the 2 kg saving (guess) isn't really worth it unless the interior is stripped etc...

The best way to reduce weight is go on a diet... well for us overweight fellas. (not having a go at anyone)

 

[SiliconAngel]

I don't recon you'd shave as much as 2kg between braces unless you had one made of CF - the stock one can't weigh much more than that in the first place!

 

[ygoslo]

Yeah the stock one is pretty light! And chunky as hell too - most aftermarket ones would surely struggle to match it for rigidity, which, after all, is what it is for...

 

[Guest]

also the after market ones only bolt to the strut tower (3 bolts),

the stock item also bolts at a lower (4th) point that supports the upper a-arm.

i see no reason to change unless its...

1)cosmetic (what ttvr4 wants)
2)a true track beast being stripped of all excess weight

 

[cittris]

just thought i would post this up.
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n84712666

 

[Guest]

thats a rear strut brace

 

[cittris]

apologies. it looked like a front as the rear i got was different althought it was a greddy one.

thanks Gly

 

[OVR444]

I have to agree that the stock brace is very good IMO. It certainly makes a difference.

For #$%^ and giggles I took my front strut brace off (when I was mucking around fitting the rear brace), and went for a drive; it makes a very big improvement over the handling without it. From what I can see Mitsubishi did the R&D on the stock item and it serves its purpose very well considering. Unlike those cheap "after market" ebay specials you see hardly making a change to the body during cornering.

As it has been said; I don't really see the point to change it unless you are building a race car, where every gram counts; or building autosalon's next winning show car... even then I would probably just paint it at the most.

I actually quite like the way it has cut-outs and the rise over the top of the throttle body, looks a damn side more attractive then a plain flat bar in your engine bay.

But just my 2c ...

 

[Hank Scorpio]

What difference would a rear strut brace make?

 

[Guest]

It stiffens up the rear end and you will notice a difference