Strut Brace Effects

I really need to stiffen out my sideways sway. I notice it particularly in the rear.
I would like to get the front done as well, but the rear seems to be a fair bit more anoying at the moment.

Is she gonna become overly slippery in the rear end if I stick in on?
Would she be unbalanced if I were running with only a brace in the rear?
Anyone tried it?
What's the price difference 'tween the back and the front?

It sounds to me like you need a stiffer rear sway-bar, rather than a strut brace. A strut brace will only increase rigidity, not decrease body roll. However, a stiffer car is not a bad thing, so get everything you can. First suspension mod that I would suggest to any FWD car is a stiffer rear sway-bar. It drastically reduces understeer and body roll and can actually make the rear step out on some occasions.

[r53silver91s]

I would also go w/ sway bars, stb's don't get rid of the body roll.

[jabartram]

I run front and rear STB's and my car handles very well on stock sways, my rearend has never tried to get away from me and I drive HARD! for the money I'm impressed with them!

personally, I want my rear to come around before my front slides out, as understeer is no fun at all.

[Redog]

Yeah it sounds like you want sway bars not tower braces

I have to tower braces on my car and I notice less body roll but sways would greatly reduce body roll

This could be the dumbest question any of you have heard but:
Can you get front and rear aftermarket sway bars and front and rear aftermarket strut braces put on the alero at the same time?

[BLK03GXS]

If you mean all 4 devices as a package i dont beleave so.. but i know you can get a front and rear swaybar kit, and then buy the strut tower braces seperate :thumbsup:

If I instead wanted to just buy one kit (either strut brace or swaybar), which one would increase handling the most and which one do ya'll think is better?

Originally posted by Pacho@May 1 2004, 10:18 PM
If I instead wanted to just buy one kit (either strut brace or swaybar), which one would increase handling the most and which one do ya'll think is better?

With out a doubt, if you are looking at sway bars (front and back), and strut tower brakces (front and back)... I'd get them in this order:

1) Rear Sway Bar
2) Front strut tower brace
3) Rear strut tower brace
4) Front Sway Bar (and I actually wouldn't and haven't done this one)

I actually played around with the install of all of these items. I ran my car with just the rear sway bar, just the front brace, just the rear brace, the rear sway bar & the front strut brace, and then all three.

I made my list based on what I saw performance wise. Understand that will all of these on I had my Intrax springs at the time... but at least I tested all three individually under the same setup.

[BLK03GXS]

i would go with a front and rear sway bar kit, could make the car a bit twitchy to you at first.. while your not usto it... but responce will emprove

[Rubered00]

If your not someone with extensive experience working on car would the sway bars be something that i would need to have a professional install??? And are they visible on the car from ne angle without getting underneath the car (that might be a dumb question)?????

[FormulaNERD]

no, they arent visible without getting underneath the car... well maybe 6" in front or behind the car, at ground level, but that's practically underneath the car.... i think that's what you're asking.

[Naich]

Strut tower braces are worth it IMO, and the installation couldn't be any easier. Sway bars help a lot more, but the isntallation is a lot harder.

if you can screw a screw you can install a sway bar..
just got to unbolt a few bolts and bolt a few back on.


might have to pry the links apart though .. never messed with it on a ho






that was the voice of the official aleromod mechanic in training.
please stay tuned for more news and updates.

Strut tower braces are designed to reduce body flex, not body roll. As stated many times already, sway bars will give you the biggest handling improvement, right after lowering the car with good springs and struts.

Strut tower braces do make a noticeably better driving experience when cornering near the limits of the car. I noticed the car is much more predictable with them installed; the chassis can't flex as much and thus will hold a more consistent line with a given steering input. I can definately throw it into corners with more quickly and with more confidence than what I could before, and that's the only handling modification I've done to the car, no swaybars yet.

[jeremythebear]

Front swaybar 3-4 hours - should be knowledgeable - not an easy boltin
Rear swaybar 1-2 hours - much much easier
Front and rear strut bars - piece of cake

[Vtolds]

I have both front and rear braces and I have noticed a small amount of reduced body roll or atleast the whole car rolls as one big piece instead of the front tipping in or the rear tipping down. Atleast that is what it feels like to me when I corner hard.

[AGT]

Originally posted by VTOLDS@Nov 16 2004, 07:34 PM
I have both front and rear braces and I have noticed a small amount of reduced body roll or atleast the whole car rolls as one big piece instead of the front tipping in or the rear tipping down. Atleast that is what it feels like to me when I corner hard.

I agree with VTOLDS...I mean they are worth buying to me.