Strut Braces..

[Retro_Boy_G]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to stiffen up the car a bit so I thought I'd try fitting some braces.. I can seem to find some OEM front ones on eBay for a reasonable price but I can't seem to find anything for the rear! I seen a Cusco one for sale but it said it was specifically for the SC models. I've thought about trying to fabricate my own but there just doesn't seem to be much room to fit a bar to run across the engine bay without hitting something.

Are there any custom ones kicking about?

Thanks!
Gianni

[tonigmr2]

TBH get some Whiteline ARBs, that'll do all the stiffening you need!

[elbon50]

I have an OEM front brace Retro

Dont notice any ddfference in handling whether it's fitted or not

Am interested in the Whiteline ARBs though

Peter

[Retro_Boy_G]

The ARB is a bit out of my price range at the moment unfortunately but thanks for telling me about them, I'll add them to my wish list!

Is the strut for sale elbon?

[LimeyMk1]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to stiffen up the car a bit so I thought I'd try fitting some braces.. I can seem to find some OEM front ones on eBay for a reasonable price but I can't seem to find anything for the rear! I seen a Cusco one for sale but it said it was specifically for the SC models. I've thought about trying to fabricate my own but there just doesn't seem to be much room to fit a bar to run across the engine bay without hitting something.

Are there any custom ones kicking about?

Thanks!
Gianni

They're pretty unusual to find and won't make a massive difference in a coupe or hard top, although I did notice a slight improvement and reduction in T-bar creaking in my T-bar, so probably worth it for them.

John Light used to make a fairly basic but effective version but I don't think he still is in business, however all they are is a piece of square tube with half moon end pieces for the strut tops. Can you weld?

[Retro_Boy_G]

I've got a welder.. It's just never been used! haha..

I think I'm going to give it a bash.. should hopefully cost me a lot less..

[elbon50]

Will hang on to the brace just now Retro

Will bear you in mind if I change my mind

Peter

[Jim-SR]

Ive got a Paul Woods rear strut brace sat around somewhere. Had it fitted to my old car for a few years, never bothered to fit it to my new one. Would part with it if you're interested. Drop me a PM if you are.

Its just fabricated brackets that bolt to the strut towers (using the top mount nuts), and then a solid aluminium bar that runs across the bay and bolts to the brackets on either side. Amazingly it doesn't foul on anything at all if my memory serves me correctly. The only drawback I think is that you can't clip the engine lid prop back in to its normal place, I think I had a cable tie around the brace that I'd slide it into.

[SuperRedMR2]

I looked at making one last week, but im pretty sure it would foul on the reservoir coolant bottle?

[Jim-SR]

Fitted to my old AW11. I can't remember 100%, but I don't remember it fouling on the underside of the engine lid. Where the gaffa tape is stuck I think it rubbed the engine lid ever so slightly. And the engine lid prop could no longer be clipped back in its normal place, so I had a cable tie around the brace to secure it.

[elbon50]

Have read somewhere recently that the T-bar was factory fitted with the front strut brace as standard

Seems that Toyota thought it needed the extra stiffness

Now that my car is 22 years old, going a bit rusty above the windscreen & with a crack in the glass to boot, I think I'd better keep the strut brace after all

Peter

[Jaspa]

Its just fabricated brackets that bolt to the strut towers (using the top mount nuts), and then a solid aluminium bar that runs across the bay and bolts to the brackets on either side. Amazingly it doesn't foul on anything at all if my memory serves me correctly. The only drawback I think is that you can't clip the engine lid prop back in to its normal place, I think I had a cable tie around the brace that I'd slide it into.

If it's similar to what Limey mentioned above, you also can't check your oil without removing the coolant expansion tank but that's not too bad in the great scheme of things.

Stuart

[Jim-SR]

Its just fabricated brackets that bolt to the strut towers (using the top mount nuts), and then a solid aluminium bar that runs across the bay and bolts to the brackets on either side. Amazingly it doesn't foul on anything at all if my memory serves me correctly. The only drawback I think is that you can't clip the engine lid prop back in to its normal place, I think I had a cable tie around the brace that I'd slide it into.

If it's similar to what Limey mentioned above, you also can't check your oil without removing the coolant expansion tank but that's not too bad in the great scheme of things.

Stuart

Not the same as what Limey mentioned, and with these ones you could check the oil absolutely fine. It didn't impact on any operation of the engine bay, or cause any inconvenience whatsoever, aside from the engine lid prop could no longer be clipped back into place.

They were made by Paul Woods years ago, very basic in design, but they just worked. As with most things Paul does, the apparently difficult becomes very simple. All these fancy designs with bars twisting around engine bay components, and you can literally get away with a dead straight 2" wide aluminium solid bar running across the back of the engine bay.

For whatever reason my picture doesn't show up, but if you copy and paste the link you can see the strut brace fitted to my old MR2. I had a Jimi throttle bracket fitted, but it fits equally as well with the standard throttle assembly in place.

I've now sold my strut braces to another member though.

[aw11rally]

I've got them now.

Here is a pic, very simple and very functional. I like them but they need to lose weight before they go on the rally car.



The bar will be replaced with tube or box section alloy or stainless. We might even get the plates CNC cut from 5mm alloy if we can get it done on the cheap I.e. Free.

[PW@Woodsport]

Bloody hell they're a blast from the past! It was sometime in 2000-2003 i was making those if i remember right.

A bit "clonky" by todays standards, i might do a modern version sometime.

[SuperRedMR2]

Are they solid bar????

[monkeymax]

A bit "clonky" by todays standards, i might do a modern version sometime.

Please do. (At least a rear one!)

[aw11rally]

Are they solid bar????

Yep, solid aluminium!

[PW@Woodsport]

I maybe over did the bar a tad....

[aw11rally]

I maybe over did the bar a tad....

Just a little!

I'm sure I'll find plenty of uses for the bar though, it's a good chunk of metal.