I will start of by saying I am new this site. I just picked up a 98 Z24 for dirt track racing and was wonder if I was to install strut tower brace on the front and rear will it help me get through the corners better. Is there a noticeable difference between having them and not?
it makes a difference. but im not sure how it would handle on a dirt track. is a strut bar even allowed?
Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!
I have seen them out there before, do they stabilize the car more in the corner
I noticed a difference in cornering when i installed my front and rear braces. It wasnt a huge difference, but i noticed it.
eh, you'll barely notice it. most of the time people will say they noticed it because they know its on the car. ive had them on my previous car and it wasnt that noticable. sway bars would help more
StrippedCav98 (Now Quotable) wrote:eh, you'll barely notice it. most of the time people will say they noticed it because they know its on the car. ive had them on my previous car and it wasnt that noticable. sway bars would help more
Agreed, all strut bars do is prevent chassi flex, alowing the suspension to do its job more eficiantly.
Caution: Redneck Posting
MMMM, HIDs
Strut braces alone will not do much of anything to help your car. And cheaper units that have moving joints and flex points will do nothing for your car. While the J-body cars do tend to have a fair amount of chassis flex, the amount between the actual shock towers is not incredibly significant. For the price, replacing your old rubber bushings with some better polyurethane pieces will probably help you more. However, if you do want a strut brace still, get one that bolts to the chassis/firewall, or a 4-pt that bolts to the lower portion of the chassis as well.
Like previously mentioned, sway bars WILL create a noticeable difference in the handling characteristics. But it all really comes down to what the local rules are at your track. Some sanctioning bodies do not allow for modification of the original sway bar mounting points. So, if your car didn't come with a rear bar, adding one is technically a violation. However, if I remember correctly, all Z24's came factory with a rear sway bar, so you should be OK on that aspect.
-Scott
2003 VW Passat Turbo (20 psi Daily Driver)
1988 BMW 325i (Spec E30 Race Car Project)
Long Gone: 1997 Cavalier RS, 1966 Ford Mustang, 2002 Honda S2000, and so on...
on my 96 z24( no strut bar yet) i have taken corners pritty hard and noticed a big diffrence when i took my g/f's convertable out on the same corner the steering feels alot tighter and more responsive. just my .02
No rear sway bars on Z24s or any other Cavy from the factory that im aware of
Front sway bars not rears
Did 3rd gens seriously never come with fatory rear bars? that SUCKS for you guys lol
My FE1 91 'bird had one, as well as my FE2 92 'bird. Which doesnt matter b/c it now has an addco
Strut bars will help. Poly bushings and stuff will help a lot, too, though.....
14.84 @ 92.04mph
Outdated sig pic FTW!
matt roloff wrote:I will start of by saying I am new this site. I just picked up a 98 Z24 for dirt track racing and was wonder if I was to install strut tower brace on the front and rear will it help me get through the corners better. Is there a noticeable difference between having them and not?
I noticed it myself but I have also added every other mod to the suspension as well accept for a front sway bar, I got a rear eibach sway bar with a gm tie bar, front sub frame brace, front and back strut bars, koni reds, ground control coil overs, eibach springs, and all polyurethane bushings.
BTW are you the same matt roloff from big people little world?
no i am not that guy, people always ask me if I am related to him also
i beg to differ, when i installed my front strut brace on my 97z with absolutely NO other suspension mods it made the car feel A LOT better, especially taking hard corners. it also improved traction feel at the strip.
mine was $26.00 shipped. i can honestly say that without a shadow of a doubt it was one of the best bang for your buck mods ive ever done to any of my cars.
some of you guys having issues with them not doing their jobs as thought... maybe you should try adjusting them?
