Originally Posted by monkey
i'm still of the opinion that strut tower bars are cosmetic. think about the location of a STB. right in front of the firewall. the most rigid part of the car's frame...
on top of that it's a unibody frame, AND it's a double wishbone suspension. i could see STB's maybe helping a little more with Macpherson Struts.
whatever the case, they're never worth the price that people pay for them.
1. - strut towers are on the top of the wheel well, not the firewall, yes the firewall provides a lot of chassis rigidity. but the roof plays a bigger role in preventing chassis twist.
2. - strut tower bars may not make a huge difference, but lower braces for front and rear do make a big difference. i can swing my car whenever i want and recover with a flick of the wheel. kinda like RWD. the 4G prelude doesnt have ANY weight over the rear wheels because they are located so far aft. anyway, the front lower brace is the most effective brace on most hondas/acuras
3. - the thin strut bars on ebay dont count because they are thin, obviously the thinner a pipe is the more it will twist when 3000 lbs of momentum changes direction at 70 MPH taking an on ramp (inertia). and thats the point of strut bars, to prevent twisting and keep the tires on a good contact patch.
~boom