Thinking Of Getting A Strutbrace

[allye 530 3 Cars]

I purchased this from ebay a couple of months ago, it made a slight difference, worth the £27 posted!

 

 

Missing half your air filter!

 

I have the same strut brase (budget one) I can tell you back to back it made a noticable difference. I would recoment it to anyone.

 

Ali

[Cameron 16]

See the problem with those cheapo ones is, they're just designed as engine bay bling, nothing functional. Yeah you've got a nice steel bar to limit movement, but what's it attached to? A pissy little 2mm steel bracket that's going to flex and flop around all over the place!

 

Look at the ring around the strut, particularly next to the bolt nearest the camera, it's about 15mm wide. I bet you could get a fair amount of flex out of that with just your hands!

Edited January 14, 2010 by Cameron

[tdr_1976 41 1 Cars]

Yes, I did away with the rest of the filter, it's now got a steel mesh filter jubilee clipped onto where the drum was, it's done the job nicely.

 

Cameron - It works for me.

[Guest RESTELL]

I brought one from www.strutbracer.co.uk last week for £60 delivered and its perfect. i recommend them.

[harryskid 193]

A proper one should be thicker and be adjustable, also be prepared to cut away some of the bonnet ribs for it to fit.

[liamd205 0]

Missing half your air filter!

 

I have the same strut brase (budget one) I can tell you back to back it made a noticable difference. I would recoment it to anyone.

 

Ali

Hi. I have an OMP one on my rally car. Good sturdy job and its adjustable! Wasn't badly priced either. Never had any problems with the bonnet closing. Think they do lower ones as well. Liam

[Rupertfinch 6]

I've a new OMP steel upper strut brace and the only difference I can honestly notice (in the extensive 7 miles of testing its had) is that the flipping bonnet doesn't close right anymore. Everything tightened down and torqued well, but still a rise at the back rear of the bonnet that wasnt there before.

 

1. Is there a right way round for these i.e the adjuster to the left or right of the engine bay? Mine is what I've pereiced to be the correct way round, so that the OMP logo is the right way up.

2. Those with a good fit are you still running with sound deadening under the bonnet?

[harryskid 193]

I had to dump the sound deadening and also as i said cut some of the bonnet ribs out. Bonnet now fit perfectly but i might add i do not have a standard bonnet catch. I have comp bonnet pins, so there is a bit more adjustment. I know its a lot of phaffing about but the struts worth having. By the way the sound deadening is apperantly worth money as a new

item is aprox £70.

Harryskid

[mr_exe 1]

I've a new OMP steel upper strut brace and the only difference I can honestly notice (in the extensive 7 miles of testing its had) is that the flipping bonnet doesn't close right anymore. Everything tightened down and torqued well, but still a rise at the back rear of the bonnet that wasnt there before.

 

1. Is there a right way round for these i.e the adjuster to the left or right of the engine bay? Mine is what I've pereiced to be the correct way round, so that the OMP logo is the right way up.

2. Those with a good fit are you still running with sound deadening under the bonnet?

 

We had this problem when fitting an OMP one to a friends GTi, it actually touched the bonnet. The solution in this case was to flatten it to make it less curved, which we did with a forklift truck

[liamd205 0]

I've a new OMP steel upper strut brace and the only difference I can honestly notice (in the extensive 7 miles of testing its had) is that the flipping bonnet doesn't close right anymore. Everything tightened down and torqued well, but still a rise at the back rear of the bonnet that wasnt there before.

 

1. Is there a right way round for these i.e the adjuster to the left or right of the engine bay? Mine is what I've pereiced to be the correct way round, so that the OMP logo is the right way up.

2. Those with a good fit are you still running with sound deadening under the bonnet?

My OMP had the adjuster just above the coil. But then I was also using comp bonnet pins and the sound deadening was also removed!

Edited January 16, 2010 by liamd205

[harryskid 193]

We had this problem when fitting an OMP one to a friends GTi, it actually touched the bonnet. The solution in this case was to flatten it to make it less curved, which we did with a forklift truck

 

Lend him your forklift.

Harryskid

[Rupertfinch 6]

In the absence of a forkie, I have decided to say balls to the strutbrace!

[allye 530 3 Cars]

See the problem with those cheapo ones is, they're just designed as engine bay bling, nothing functional. Yeah you've got a nice steel bar to limit movement, but what's it attached to? A pissy little 2mm steel bracket that's going to flex and flop around all over the place!

 

Look at the ring around the strut, particularly next to the bolt nearest the camera, it's about 15mm wide. I bet you could get a fair amount of flex out of that with just your hands!

 

I just have to disagree, it is held on securely with 6 m7 bolts and I have tried to move it about and it is solid. It can't not be offering any support as it a physical attachment between the struts! It tightened my front end. oi oi

[m@ttc 30]

so long as they stop those cracks appearing above the rear windows ill fit one.

do they?

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

I drive a CTI, which has a lot more flex than a GTI for obvious reasons. My car came with a strut bar fitted. I removed it once to see how it felt, and the difference was noticeable. With the bar on the CTI is sure on the corners and there is very little scuttle shake. With the bar off the front end feels loose and scuttle shake is noticeable. Yes, the bar is functional.

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

 

 

 

Another one here, it makes the cti much better on the handling to the point where its overbearing the rear end (since the rear hasn't got one)

 

and yes its adjustable cant go wrong for the price

[Mac Crash 78 1 Cars]

definitely works.... have non-adjustable one fitted (origin unknown, bought from Miles)

as said by others, the 6 little bolts are plenty for a road car which at times is under far more load than a rally car due to the amount of grip from the tyre exiting corners, what produces more load? a sticky tyre on tarmac or a gravel tyre on earth? the strengthening plates are for rally cars taking yumps, not tarmac cars... my view only

 

what I despair at mostly in topics like these is the amount of folk going on and on about strengthening yet they weld with mig welders.... real men use oxy/accetelane, guess those skills have been lost too... just putting on the fire proof survival suit now

[acox99 74 1 Cars]

Technology has changed. Tig welding is what most people use for building chassis'/space framesthese days. Unless your talking to people who weld alloy bodies in which case a lot gas weld and a lot use tig. It's down to preference. Gas welding steel with steel or brass is still done. Old British bike frames are brazed. Gas welding puts a lot of heat into the material, and you have to know what your doing otherwise it can move all over the place. I'm no professional but I can make a descent job with oxy. But il weld with a mig over gas most days.

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

I bought a Sparco one for my 1.9 but it the bonnet doesn't close flush with it on. It'll be in the for sale section at some point!

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

You'll need a bfoh

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

I bought a Sparco one for my 1.9 but it the bonnet doesn't close flush with it on. It'll be in the for sale section at some point!

Who's gonna buy it now you've said that???

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

Who's gonna buy it now you've said that???

Someone who is willing to remove the sound insulation or cut the bonnet? I've read a number of times on here people have Sparco ones fit no problem but maybe i'm unlucky. Or i'll just put it on eBay?

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Who's gonna buy it now you've said that???

 

Helmets with bonnet lifters?