StrUt Bar ???'s

[softeee]

whats better between tanabe, trd, dc sports, greddy, and hotchkiss strut bars and sway bars
can i please have some feedback and opinions please
sorry newbie here

[Xetronic]

From what I've been told about tC's opinions....

1. Hotchkis best w/ adjustability
2. Progress was next
3. not sure from here on out.

I drove my friends tC with Tein SS coilovers with EDFC and hotckis front and rear sway bars, it was an awesome setup!!!

[softeee]

siiiick

[softeee]

any one have tanabe strut bars

[softeee]

i need feeback on trd vs tanabe

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

I've had the DC tower bar on for over a year. I like it. I don't think there's much of a difference in different brands of strut bars. I've heard most people giving higher reviews to the Hotchkis rear sway bar. Progress is supossed to be good, but they dont make a front sway.

[softeee]

nice dc
ill loook into that

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

I would also look at the Greddy front strut bar. I'm planning on getting the Hotchkis sway kit after my wallet recovers from my turbo purchase.

[softeee]

nice what kind of turbo kit
greddys or zpi?

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

Turbonetics. I got it from turbo-kits.com They hooked me up. Now I'm trying to find somewhere to get it installed and tuned. I'll probably stop in Houston for a few days to get it done.

[Binder86]

nice what kind of turbo kit
greddys or zpi?

Get the GReddy its a more complete kit for less, and its an easy turbo to tune. stay away from the zpi theres not much in it..


But on the suspension case. Every good setup is gonna be expensive, so when its coming to handling higher amounts of horsepower with a loose suspension is worth the investment.

[softeee]

ahh koo
right guys for the advice
im learning tons of new information
:mrgreen:

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

Get the GReddy its a more complete kit for less, and its an easy turbo to tune. stay away from the zpi theres not much in it..


But on the suspension case. Every good setup is gonna be expensive, so when its coming to handling higher amounts of horsepower with a loose suspension is worth the investment.

I don't know too much about either one, but I've heard A LOT of good things about ZPI's kit.

[softeee]

alright heres a newbie question about turbo in general
will having a turbo kit
like decrease my engines life
iono if i said it right but like will it wear out faster

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

That's a hard question considering I'm a noob too. If it's installed, tuned, and maintained properly you shouldn't have to worry too much about your engine life. Of course there could always be unexpected problems that pop up out of nowhere.

[softeee]

ahh true dat

[pacific17]

from experience.. the DC or TRD strut bar is the best.. the make is rigid and sturdy..

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t190/pacific17/DSC00503.jpg

[softeee]

nice does dc make rear sway for tc

[pacific17]

nice does dc make rear sway for tc

hmm.. as for sway bar.. i do not know.. but progress or hotchkiss.. but i heard progress is better.. just get a rear strut bar..

[softeee]

siick

[pacific17]

damn dude.. you must be hella bored.. you wanna chill?

[softeee]

right now ? naw dude im low on gas
what area of dc are you from owie
u can pm it if u want

[pacific17]

right now ? naw dude im low on gas
what area of dc are you from owie
u can pm it if u want

yeah dude.. just a place near by.. lol.. where you located tho?

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

nice does dc make rear sway for tc

DC doesn't make sway bars. They don't make a rear tower bar though. Greddy makes one.


damn dude.. you must be hella bored.. you wanna chill?

I am hella bored. I'm at work. This is what I do. LOL

[softeee]

sick
im guessin greddy is the way to go
or drop $ for trd

[pacific17]

sick
im guessin greddy is the way to go
or drop $ for trd

try ultra racing.. you have pics of the greddy?

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

I didn't know TRD made a rear strut bar. I would say go Greddy anyway. Of course it's up to you.

[pacific17]

TRD has a rear sway bar.. but no strut bar..

here's a link for a front trd strut..
http://www.trdsparks.com/displayparts.php?Mdl_dtl=474&Part_cat=11&parts_id=714

the greddy looks okay.. took out the pics.. scared of copyright laws.. lol..

[softeee]

nice owie
right on

[pacific17]

is ur tc dropped already?

[softeee]

naw no funds

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

I still like the DC better.

[pacific17]

I still like the DC better.

x2.. like dc better..

[softeee]

looks more aggressive too
u ever think about getting a intake
weapon r secret weapon intake SRI is pretty koo
i have it
hella nice sound

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

Yeah I got the weapon r. I just took that pic off another site. I like it, but it's not shiney anymore.

[softeee]

mine either
i got a heatshield for it as well from my friend
makes a slight but noticable difference

[pacific17]

looks more aggressive too
u ever think about getting a intake
weapon r secret weapon intake SRI is pretty koo
i have it
hella nice sound

nope.. lol..

[The_Dalai_Lloyd]

Cool. I thought about gettin one, but I decided not to because I didn't have any money.

[Binder86]

alright heres a newbie question about turbo in general
will having a turbo kit
like decrease my engines life
iono if i said it right but like will it wear out faster

A turbo can decrease the life of your engine, but with the right tuning and fuel management the enginge should be fine. As for strut bars I recommend either the DC Sports or GReddy because the tubular design is light and strong

[Stryker Trailwood]

I like the DC sport front strut bar. its the most unique out of all of them, IMO. and one of my most favorite mods in my engine bay after i went and had it powdercoated some random color that matches Nautical blue about as perfectly as you could get i think.
also need to see if i can get petter pictures of the damn bar installed! :lol:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/gjpjr84/strutbar2.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/gjpjr84/HPIM4959.jpg

and i have the TRD rear sway on the race setting and TRD drop, no complaints here at all, car handles very well.

[Krdshrk]

DC Sports strut bar is friggin huge compared to others - it tends to get in the way of things IMO.

I like my Hotchkis - it's relatively unobtrusive.

[Stryker Trailwood]

really only with taking off the engine cover but if you have a CAI/SRI its easy to slide it over and out. notice though i dont have mine on anymore :lol:

[gattzzz]

I have the Tanabe front strut, I felt somewhat of a difference when I put it on. The strut bars are all pretty much the same, just depends how much you wnat to spend or the color you like.

[2dot4]

All strut bars are the same - guaranteed 100%. Buy one that looks good - because no one brand is going to do anymore than any other brand. I bought the TRD one because it's simple and looks badass. I paid $165 for it, but it makes my engine bay look so much better IMO. Isn't the DC one like $130? I don't think the prices varies that much, so just pick one that looks good.

As far as rear strut bars, I believe GReddy is the only brand that makes them, but it wouldn't matter who made it, because they all do the same thing.

Now sway bars are where you want to spend the money - they will do more benefit than any other suspension component when it comes to handling. I would honestly suggest buying the Hotchkis set - both front and rear - the front is a bitch to install, but you can't buy the front by itself later on (I bought the TRD rear sway and kicked myself for not buying the hotchkis set because I ended up wanting to embark on the miserable installation process of the front sway) - I think the hotckis set is like $230 - well worth it. It has the stiffest setting for full race, a street competition setting, and a "slightly stiffer than stock" daily driver setting. The front only has two settings, but its better than stock. TRD rear sway only has 2 settings, but the difference over stock was amazing. I loved my TRD rear sway, but if I had to do it again, I'd buy the hotchkis set - more bang for your buck, and you have the option of a front sway if you ever grow so bold.

IMO, what to buy first..
1. sway set
2. front strut for looks
3. rear strut for that added rigidity once you adjust to the sway bars.

This is coming from experience, not just opinion. Strut bars do very little when it comes to stiffening the suspension - they stiffen the body, but the body doesn't control the car. You want to tie all the suspension together with a stiffer sway bar - that will keep all your shit held tight for those serious corners.

Minor NOTE** The stiffer you make everything, the more your interior will rattle. Just a heads up.

Does anyone here have a full setup? f&r sway, f&r strut bars, lowering springs and struts?

[gattzzz]

My Tanabe was $83 :)

[softeee]

All strut bars are the same - guaranteed 100%. Buy one that looks good - because no one brand is going to do anymore than any other brand. I bought the TRD one because it's simple and looks badass. I paid $165 for it, but it makes my engine bay look so much better IMO. Isn't the DC one like $130? I don't think the prices varies that much, so just pick one that looks good.

As far as rear strut bars, I believe GReddy is the only brand that makes them, but it wouldn't matter who made it, because they all do the same thing.

Now sway bars are where you want to spend the money - they will do more benefit than any other suspension component when it comes to handling. I would honestly suggest buying the Hotchkis set - both front and rear - the front is a bitch to install, but you can't buy the front by itself later on (I bought the TRD rear sway and kicked myself for not buying the hotchkis set because I ended up wanting to embark on the miserable installation process of the front sway) - I think the hotckis set is like $230 - well worth it. It has the stiffest setting for full race, a street competition setting, and a "slightly stiffer than stock" daily driver setting. The front only has two settings, but its better than stock. TRD rear sway only has 2 settings, but the difference over stock was amazing. I loved my TRD rear sway, but if I had to do it again, I'd buy the hotchkis set - more bang for your buck, and you have the option of a front sway if you ever grow so bold.

IMO, what to buy first..
1. sway set
2. front strut for looks
3. rear strut for that added rigidity once you adjust to the sway bars.

This is coming from experience, not just opinion. Strut bars do very little when it comes to stiffening the suspension - they stiffen the body, but the body doesn't control the car. You want to tie all the suspension together with a stiffer sway bar - that will keep all your shit held tight for those serious corners.

Minor NOTE** The stiffer you make everything, the more your interior will rattle. Just a heads up.

Does anyone here have a full setup? f&r sway, f&r strut bars, lowering springs and struts?

right on for the advice man hella learned alot

[_Keith_]

Myself Id go All hotckis

Sways they are the best hands down. Might as well go with the strut too

[softeee]

hotchkisss koo

[softeee]

My Tanabe was $83 :)

how do you like your tanabe

[Krdshrk]

If you're going with sway bars - just get the TRD rear sway. changing out the front sway bar requires a lift and you have to drop the entire front assembly.... it's very labor intensive.

Get any front strut bar, trd rear sway, and springs and the ride will be 200% better than stock

[Binder86]

The TRD rear sway bar is way better than it gets credit for. Its relatively inexpensive and it holds tight

[Binder86]

Most rear sway bars are the same because thay all do the same things. The TRD on race setting I hear is a good setup and is realatively inexpensive

[Stryker Trailwood]

there is a thing as being too stiff, I would just do rear sway and keep the front sway as it is, but my info on not putting one up there isnt accepted universally aparently from what i have read on various forums, so i dont want a back and forth to cloud this thread.

all i have is the DC front strut ($75 on sale!) and the TRD rear sway on the race setting ($80 with a coupon) and the TRD drop springs ($100 new w/installation)

the difference is like night and day, too much more would be overkill unless you were really serious into autoX, i think.

[Krdshrk]

there is a thing as being too stiff, I would just do rear sway and keep the front sway as it is, but my info on not putting one up there isnt accepted universally aparently from what i have read on various forums, so i dont want a back and forth to cloud this thread.

all i have is the DC front strut ($75 on sale!) and the TRD rear sway on the race setting ($80 with a coupon) and the TRD drop springs ($100 new w/installation)

the difference is like night and day, too much more would be overkill unless you were really serious into autoX, i think.

Almost the same exact setup i have, except i have the Hotchkis strut bar instead of the dc.

[mylnnor]

there is a thing as being too stiff, I would just do rear sway and keep the front sway as it is, but my info on not putting one up there isnt accepted universally aparently from what i have read on various forums, so i dont want a back and forth to cloud this thread.

all i have is the DC front strut ($75 on sale!) and the TRD rear sway on the race setting ($80 with a coupon) and the TRD drop springs ($100 new w/installation)

the difference is like night and day, too much more would be overkill unless you were really serious into autoX, i think.


where did you get the trd drop springs from and did you install them? sounds like a good price with installation. im looking to either do it for that cheap or buy it and do it myself. let me know thanks!

[Stryker Trailwood]

well i got REALLY lucky. i was only ever going to drop my car if i could get it done for about $100 total. amazingly enough that situation presented itself.
got them from SL, dude was selling his brand new for $100 shipped and i jumped.
then a friend of mine who works at a toyota dealership and another friend for support. we went over to the dealership on sunday while they were closed and the 3 of us (mostly them :lol:) and installed them and after a test drive, did an alignment on the fancy inground machine that makes it look like im getting a hover conversion done.
then we went and had hooters for lunch.

[toeveryhour]

I have a DC strut bar. Love it. Had it in my old tC when I rolled it. Perfoect condition!

lol

[2dot4]

another option for the front sway is the powergrid front sway bar end-link pre-tensioners.

They're adjustable sway bar end links that can put a pre-load on the front sway, increasing rigidity.

buy them here...
http://www.newedgeperformance.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=463 they're cheaper than a sway, with the same basic effect, and a much shorter install time. When I get my turbo running correctly, I'm going to finish my work on the suspension, and those along with a rear sway will be my first purchase. If you end up getting a front sway, these will almost double the rigidity.

[softeee]

The TRD rear sway bar is way better than it gets credit for. Its relatively inexpensive and it holds tight

sick

[thekevin]

I would have to agree, front strut bars are pretty much all the same, performance wise. I went with the DC Sports FSB.

Rear strut bars dont really do much in tCs. From what I know, GReddy and MMW make rear strut bars. I'd go with the MMW rear strut bar since its beefy.
Also, you could go with the Ingalls rear strut brace. It's more expensive but one of my SCTCC members has it and says its worth it.

[2dot4]

strut brace and strut bars are the same thing - you might be referring to a lower rear strut brace that goes under the car.

I found out that Megan Racing makes a rear strut bar for the tC now. It would be the last suspension component I'd buy, but there's plenty of options available.

My other complaint about the rear strut bars is when you have to fold down the seats to load in luggage or a dresser or whatever...like when moving. They get in the way like a bitch.

[Binder86]

strut brace and strut bars are the same thing - you might be referring to a lower rear strut brace that goes under the car.

I found out that Megan Racing makes a rear strut bar for the tC now. It would be the last suspension component I'd buy, but there's plenty of options available.

My other complaint about the rear strut bars is when you have to fold down the seats to load in luggage or a dresser or whatever...like when moving. They get in the way like a bitch.

I think you talking about a c pillar bar that gets in the way

[Krdshrk]

No, rear strut bars connect and put a big bar in the trunk. Not something I'd do. It's so not worth it - rear sway does way more.

[Binder86]

No, rear strut bars connect and put a big bar in the trunk. Not something I'd do. It's so not worth it - rear sway does way more.

Very true. If anything it would help with upper body support seeing almost the whole roof is a window, but it seems useless

[Krdshrk]

The only thing that would help with the upper body support would be a bar welded between the b-pillars. EddNog did this.