Bracing Investigation

jasv11 · 12-19-2006, 03:15 PM

I recently was reading up on the Car Lab X brace and was surprised to read their post which read

"quote"

The CARLAB tested many different brace designs including: straight front and rear strut bars (no result), v-brace (no result), multiple under frame braces (no result), the X-brace you see today was 8th design tested.

From reading this I am thinking that spending money on any aditional bracing under the car would be a waste of money.

Here is the complete post
Have you seen the X-Brace by The Car Lab? Do you have one?

I was looking at the GT-spec subfame brace but have to re-think that purchase.

comments...opinions?

Blaiser · 12-19-2006, 04:13 PM

i'd buy it if i had the money

DC9 · 12-19-2006, 10:17 PM

i thought the gt spec subframe was more to take some wait off the front of the car to get better wait distriubution.

jasv11 · 12-20-2006, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC9

i thought the gt spec subframe was more to take some wait off the front of the car to get better wait distriubution.

Thats allot of money just to save 14 lbs from the car. I think you'd be better off putting it toward better/lighter seats.

I cant believe no one else has chimed in on this....basically what Car lab is saying from their tests is that all other aftermarket bracing when tested scientifically(with there machine) does absolutely nothing. eg strut braces, frame braces,fender braces all do nothing???

Boxer · 12-20-2006, 01:12 PM

Hard to know exactly what strut bars/ braces CL tested. It's been widely known that strut bars for the STi are a low value item. I do not think CL tested cowl stays. Considering Subaru moved to beefier stays on the '07 there has to be something to justify doing so.

**2blue4usti** · 12-20-2006, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxer

Hard to know exactly what strut bars/ braces CL tested. It's been widely known that strut bars for the STi are a low value item. I do not think CL tested cowl stays. Considering Subaru moved to beefier stays on the '07 there has to be something to justify doing so.

I'm with you on this one.

***wdb*** · 12-20-2006, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxer

It's been widely known that strut bars for the STi are a low value item.

Low value for ultimate lap times, maybe. But there are other value measures.

The addition of a front strut tower brace completely eliminated my windshield creak. There are tales of windshields cracking and the crack growing more quickly, slowly, or not at all, depending on the presence of a front strut tower brace. In other words a front strut tower brace appears -- to me at least -- to replace the the windshield as a stressed member of the chassis. If it saves me one windshield it pays for itself twice over.

The rear strut tower brace definitely stiffened the rear of my car, most noticeably when doing steep inclines at an angle such as driveway entrances and turns onto steep side streets. I can't give you a lap time reduction value but it is certainly not doing nothing.

neal0124 · 12-20-2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC9

i thought the gt spec subframe was more to take some wait off the front of the car to get better wait distriubution.

what he said. plus it ties more points of the chassis together.

AnorexicSTI · 12-20-2006, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasv11

Thats allot of money just to save 14 lbs from the car. I think you'd be better off putting it toward better/lighter seats.

I cant believe no one else has chimed in on this....basically what Car lab is saying from their tests is that all other aftermarket bracing when tested scientifically(with there machine) does absolutely nothing. eg strut braces, frame braces,fender braces all do nothing???

That's why I removed my U-brace... and replaced it with... nothing... only brace I will have on my car is the X brace. Not sure what I'll do for the front yet, but when I think about it, the firewall acts like a huge brace... all u have to do is weld up that gap between the firewall and the strut towers...

technica · 12-21-2006, 06:08 AM

What's a U-brace?

DC9 · 12-21-2006, 10:31 AM

do you mean u took off ure subframe??

technica · 12-21-2006, 11:54 AM

You can take off the OEM subframe and replace it with a light subframe. Will take a good amount of weight off the front.

12-19-2006, 03:15 PM	#1
jasv11 HowTo Contributor Car: 06 STi Fav Mod: 11.26 at 125.63 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 857 Join Date: Mar 2006 Trader Rating: (6)	Bracing Investigation I recently was reading up on the Car Lab X brace and was surprised to read their post which read "quote" The CARLAB tested many different brace designs including: straight front and rear strut bars (no result), v-brace (no result), multiple under frame braces (no result), the X-brace you see today was 8th design tested. From reading this I am thinking that spending money on any aditional bracing under the car would be a waste of money. Here is the complete post Have you seen the X-Brace by The Car Lab? Do you have one? I was looking at the GT-spec subfame brace but have to re-think that purchase. comments...opinions? This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

12-21-2006, 11:54 AM	#12
technica Grassroots STI Racer Posts: 519 Join Date: Feb 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	You can take off the OEM subframe and replace it with a light subframe. Will take a good amount of weight off the front. This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

12-19-2006, 04:13 PM	#2
Blaiser Spec C Club Car: 06 white w/gold STi Fav Mod: gt40r Location: Orange, CA Posts: 1,226 Join Date: Apr 2005 Trader Rating: (6)	i'd buy it if i had the money

12-19-2006, 10:17 PM	#3
DC9 Junior STI Driver Car: 06 Impreza Sti Location: Skokie, IL Posts: 106 Join Date: Aug 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	i thought the gt spec subframe was more to take some wait off the front of the car to get better wait distriubution.

12-20-2006, 01:12 PM	#5
Boxer Spec C Club Location: FL Posts: 1,506 Join Date: Jan 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	Hard to know exactly what strut bars/ braces CL tested. It's been widely known that strut bars for the STi are a low value item. I do not think CL tested cowl stays. Considering Subaru moved to beefier stays on the '07 there has to be something to justify doing so.

12-21-2006, 06:08 AM	#10
technica Grassroots STI Racer Posts: 519 Join Date: Feb 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	What's a U-brace?

12-21-2006, 10:31 AM	#11
DC9 Junior STI Driver Car: 06 Impreza Sti Location: Skokie, IL Posts: 106 Join Date: Aug 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	do you mean u took off ure subframe??