95Vet wrote:Funky Bottoms (Event) wrote:
you should also specify OLDER 2.2, as the 2200sfi is still a 2.2L
What's your take on the whole strut bar deal.
Do you think the ones on ebay just as good as buying say an RKsport 3x the amount?
I had this discussion with a friend of mine saying he would rather pay for the name and be certain it's a good product ,than pay way less and get the exact same results from a no name company or even someone that makes them and sells them.
in all honesty, saying one is better than the other usually ends up being about the same amount of back and forth as two people in the appearance forum saying their car is better than the others... example....some people swear by rksport, others swear by tein, or gravana when it comes to suspension.
basically all do the same thing, even from testing on a skidpad.... that is, if you install them the same. meaning all bolted down, not loose for the 2 or 3 piece bars, etc. side note, at the 2004 bash, i tightened at least 3 strut braces that were installed tight on the tower, but the bolt and nuts on the end pieces were loose, and 2 owners complained about knocking noises when they hit bumps....
multipiece bars are equipped with jam nuts to make them JUST as rigid as a solid one piece. its the same way tie rods attach to the steering arm with a threaded rod and jam nut. theres no slop, etc.
as for material of the bar itself, some like the vibrant are H-beam, others are hollow tube in aluminum.
the only direction they require resisting is in and out (lateral) movement... the firewalls are welded to the strut towers and the strut towers are welded to the fender walls, matter of fact if you take a close look, they are like encased in a plate that connects there.
as for ebay vs whatever.... if you can get a gm bar for 10$ vs an ebay one for 20 + shipping, then by all means go for it. its gonna do the same thing.
but just because something is on ebay doesnt mean its better or worse... you can buy greddy products on ebay (not for cavaliers exactly) but you pay less than most online places and or local dealers. rksport i still believe STILL sells freedom design. i did the test fitting for the rear over on eisenhower ave, in alexandria va, near my high school..... if you can find the same on ebay for less, then why not?
i mean think about it.... lets say you were gonna buy a radio online, like the pioneer dvd flip up screens.... locally sold for around 12-1500..... crutchfield might have it for 12-1300.... on ebay its like 999$....
nothing wrong with buying literally the same thing from an authorized online dealer... you just saved 2-500$ overall. more to spend elsewhere ya know?
everyone seems to have this stigma, if its on ebay, then its BAD..... with some things, that DOES hold true, such as the cheap coils, springs, or struts....and you hear people "saying their ride bounces, but not much"..... bounce in ANY degree is bad unless you are hoppin a car in a hydraulic show...
but in reality, some of the same products you guys buy from the name companies on here, you can sometimes find on ebay... in that case i personally would usually buy from those companies on here pay around the same or slightly more just to support your own specific resources.... but megan racing, vibrant, etc can be found on ebay and get the job done just as effectively as anywhere else.
as it stands most people here dont race hard, truthfully, like on a track like summit point of SCCA, there are a few, but out of all of the posts you will read where something is pro this anti that, the majority of em....they dont race. not that our strut towers move a great deal to begin with. our cars are built cheap, and not super strong, but you arent gonna be driving in a car that flexes that much as many on here over exaggerate it to be.
small trick.... take a grease pen, and bolt it, you'll prob need to make a small bracket, to your strut tower and have the tip of it touching the firewall....
go strut brace-LESS, and drive hard.... at most you'll only notice a couple MILLIMETERS of movement like 1-3 which is virtually nill in terms of flex. older cars have more flex. i'm at 140K + a newer car in less rear end accidents will have less flex.
