Strut Bar Effectiveness - Page 3

AaronGTR · 05-09-2010, 08:54 AM

1/4" flat stock is HUGE! You don't need anything near that thick... in fact I don't think you'll be able to bolt up the strut mounts with something that thick. There won't be enough thread on the studs on the strut mount for you to get the nuts on. The strength comes from having a wider plate surface mounted to the sheet metal and the kind of bracket you weld up for it, not from how thick the plate is. I'd go with something less than 1/8". It will be much easier to cut, drill, and weld as well.

Eventually I want to make one with a ring that goes all the way around the top and uses all three attachment points for the strut mount. That would really be the strongest design.

Laser57 · 05-09-2010, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronGTR

1/4" flat stock is HUGE! You don't need anything near that thick... in fact I don't think you'll be able to bolt up the strut mounts with something that thick. There won't be enough thread on the studs on the strut mount for you to get the nuts on. The strength comes from having a wider plate surface mounted to the sheet metal and the kind of bracket you weld up for it, not from how thick the plate is. I'd go with something less than 1/8". It will be much easier to cut, drill, and weld as well.

Eventually I want to make one with a ring that goes all the way around the top and uses all three attachment points for the strut mount. That would really be the strongest design.

Yea I think I would be worried about that 1/4" stock because with my 1/8" stock the nuts just barely got all the threads covered before I tightened it down. I got a picture attached on page two that shows this really well.

Pauljp · 05-09-2010, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laser57

Yea I think I would be worried about that 1/4" stock because with my 1/8" stock the nuts just barely got all the threads covered before I tightened it down. I got a picture attached on page two that shows this really well.

Yeah, I saw your pics on the other page and it looked thicker than 1/8" and your threading appeared to stop at the top of the nut.
I used my calipers and measured the threading from the top of the bolt to the top of the nut and it was .25" so that's why I figured yours was 1/4".

Since everyone agrees that 1/8" is sufficient, then I guess I will use that.
Also, what Aaron said about going all the way around the tower being the ultimate, then I may as well change my pattern and do that as well.
I mean, if we are customizing, then we may as well do it the best we can.
I never thought about going all the way around, but it makes sense.
Ok, back to the drawing board... 1/8" flat stock all the way around the tower it is.
I am going to do it all in a one piece cut out for maximum strength.
Unless I can't get metal that wide.
Thanks guys...
I will keep you posted.

Laser57 · 05-09-2010, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pauljp

Yeah, I saw your pics on the other page and it looked thicker than 1/8" and your threading appeared to stop at the top of the nut.
I used my calipers and measured the threading from the top of the bolt to the top of the nut and it was .25" so that's why I figured yours was 1/4".

Since everyone agrees that 1/8" is sufficient, then I guess I will use that.
Also, what Aaron said about going all the way around the tower being the ultimate, then I may as well change my pattern and do that as well.
I mean, if we are customizing, then we may as well do it the best we can.
I never thought about going all the way around, but it makes sense.
Ok, back to the drawing board... 1/8" flat stock all all the way around the tower it is.
I am going to do it all in a one piece cut out for maximum strength.
Unless I can't get metal that wide.
Thanks guys...
I will keep you posted.

If you have all the equipment and materials you should deffinatly go all the way arround. I didn't with mine because that was the widest stock i could get easily and the mill I was using wasn't very good and kept jumping arround so I ended up using a jig saw with a metal blade and grinding it into a perfect arch.

Pauljp · 05-13-2010, 05:11 PM

Well I'm finally all done with my custom fabricated strut tower brace.
I want to thank Laser and Aaron for pointing me in the right direction as I never would have come up with the idea by myself.
I've attached pics below of the following:
- paper pattern cutouts and the traced pattern on some scrap metal that I picked up.
- the pieces cutout.
- welded onto the bar.
- painted
- and finally installed on the car.

Before welding, I test fitted the bar on top and on bottom of the brackets trying to figure out which looked best. I finally decided to cut notches in both brackets and weld the bar so half is above and half is below the brackets.
I think it looks better that way.
I haven't driven it yet so I'm not sure how it is going to handle.

Laser57 · 05-14-2010, 09:01 AM

wow, that turned out pretty good, nice job! Right now I'm building another one for a 97 Lumina.

AaronGTR · 05-14-2010, 01:21 PM

Not bad man. Nice job on the mounting plates! That's exactly what I was talking about, and very similar to what I plan on making. Only thing I'm doing different is I want to weld a couple brackets on the plates parallel to each other so I can bolt the bar between them. That way if I need to remove the bar to work on the engine I can take it out without removing the plates and the strut mounting bolts so there's no chance of changing the alignment.

05-09-2010, 08:54 AM	#41
AaronGTR BlingWithBallz AKA: Aaron Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Detroit area, MI Age: 43 Posts: 12,254 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT1 2dr	1/4" flat stock is HUGE! You don't need anything near that thick... in fact I don't think you'll be able to bolt up the strut mounts with something that thick. There won't be enough thread on the studs on the strut mount for you to get the nuts on. The strength comes from having a wider plate surface mounted to the sheet metal and the kind of bracket you weld up for it, not from how thick the plate is. I'd go with something less than 1/8". It will be much easier to cut, drill, and weld as well. Eventually I want to make one with a ring that goes all the way around the top and uses all three attachment points for the strut mount. That would really be the strongest design. __________________ The few, the proud, the boosted! 13.788 @ 103.73 mph (3/2011) 320 whp and 300 ft/lbs torque. (3/2011) See it here. the total package.

05-13-2010, 05:11 PM	#45
Pauljp GAGT - Member AKA: Paul Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 214 Vehicle: 2003 Grand Am GT	Well I'm finally all done with my custom fabricated strut tower brace. I want to thank Laser and Aaron for pointing me in the right direction as I never would have come up with the idea by myself. I've attached pics below of the following: - paper pattern cutouts and the traced pattern on some scrap metal that I picked up. - the pieces cutout. - welded onto the bar. - painted - and finally installed on the car. Before welding, I test fitted the bar on top and on bottom of the brackets trying to figure out which looked best. I finally decided to cut notches in both brackets and weld the bar so half is above and half is below the brackets. I think it looks better that way. I haven't driven it yet so I'm not sure how it is going to handle. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Pauljp; 05-14-2010 at 10:20 AM.

05-14-2010, 01:21 PM	#47
AaronGTR BlingWithBallz AKA: Aaron Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Detroit area, MI Age: 43 Posts: 12,254 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT1 2dr	Not bad man. Nice job on the mounting plates! That's exactly what I was talking about, and very similar to what I plan on making. Only thing I'm doing different is I want to weld a couple brackets on the plates parallel to each other so I can bolt the bar between them. That way if I need to remove the bar to work on the engine I can take it out without removing the plates and the strut mounting bolts so there's no chance of changing the alignment. __________________ The few, the proud, the boosted! 13.788 @ 103.73 mph (3/2011) 320 whp and 300 ft/lbs torque. (3/2011) See it here. the total package.

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05-14-2010, 09:01 AM	#46
Laser57 Its Epic AKA: Mike Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sullivan County Pennsylvania Age: 29 Posts: 143 Vehicle: 2001 Grand Am GT Coupe	wow, that turned out pretty good, nice job! Right now I'm building another one for a 97 Lumina.