Stiffin' up the chassis

[Chucknut32]

Hey everyone,
I want to stiffen up my chassis by either installing a rear strut brace and/or a c-pillar bar. However, with the c-pillar, i want to be able to replace the interior panel so my car keeps a good clean look to it. Has anyone done this or should i just stay with the rear strut brace? Mainly, i want to rid my car of the tweaking noises when the chassis is flexed (coming out of driveways, hard cornering). Thanks.

[Chucknut32]

so i want to go with a megan racing c-pillar bar, but i have an airbag within that back interior panel. Can i remove the airbag or leave it in when i install the bar? or can the bar even be installed in the first place?

[THansenite]

Explain the airbag behind the rear panel? I have never heard of a bag back there other than for suspension components.

[Hotrod]

idk where you are but in texas if you take out airbags thats like a $10,000 fine and a couple years in jail. so if you do do this keep it on the DL major

[_Keith_]

so i want to go with a megan racing c-pillar bar, but i have an airbag within that back interior panel. Can i remove the airbag or leave it in when i install the bar? or can the bar even be installed in the first place?


Explain the airbag behind the rear panel? I have never heard of a bag back there other than for suspension components.


idk where you are but in texas if you take out airbags thats like a $10,000 fine and a couple years in jail. so if you do do this keep it on the DL major

He asked..... wheres the airbag... because we dont know of any REAR airbag in the car.

[Chucknut32]

Theres a "SRS airbag" imprinted on the panel i need to remove in the back. it's just past the rear quarter window and runs from half of that back past the rear seats. I figured it having an airbag notification on it, it would have an airbag behind that panel. I dont want to remove it, just be able to take the panel off, install the bar, and probably mod the panel to allow for the bar to pass through it so i can remount it again to keep a clean stock look.

[Krdshrk]

Screw the rear c-pillar bar, go with the TRD rear sway. It'll stiffen the frame that much more. That combined with a front strut bar and you'll feel a huge difference.

[07Azuresciontc]

yea stick with strut tower bars and sway bars, they sell an upper for the front and the back, also a lower one for the back, plus the strut tower bar looks nice, im going to get the dc sports bar it has a good clean look to it, but you can go on ebay and get them pretty cheap, plus you can still use your rear seats

[Chucknut32]

Screw the rear c-pillar bar, go with the TRD rear sway. It'll stiffen the frame that much more. That combined with a front strut bar and you'll feel a huge difference.


yea stick with strut tower bars and sway bars, they sell an upper for the front and the back, also a lower one for the back, plus the strut tower bar looks nice, im going to get the dc sports bar it has a good clean look to it, but you can go on ebay and get them pretty cheap, plus you can still use your rear seats


I just bought a hotchkis front/rear sway combo and already have a front strut brace. Most likely i'll buy a rear one as well b/c like you guys said.....it wont affect functionality of my car loading ppl up and making it look like crap. I found a Weapon R rear strut brace that looks clean.....any other suggestions or opinions about this?

[07Azuresciontc]

well if you gonna do like auto cross or something like that full coilovers are a good addition kind of pricey though just for daily driving, im getting the thein techs with the edfc cause i want to auto cross with my car

[Chucknut32]

not to get off topic but definitely related.....i've been having this rattling sound coming from the back ever since i installed the coilovers. I've checked to make sure the sway bar is tight and there is no slack in my springs. It's always rattling over normal driving. And i'm sure that my coilovers are tight to the body too. Any clues?? It's starting to really worry me.

[Hieu]

what kind of rattling?

[Chucknut32]

it just sounds like something to moving around in the rear....like something wasn't tightened down and now its moving in its mounting holes. I've made sure to secure all the emergency crap in the back, but that didn't do it. I was wondering.....can you drive without a sway bar? not like around town, but to just remove it, drive up and back a street to eliminate that being my problem?

[Krdshrk]

Check the coilover strut bolts and the center nut itself too.

[firstkingofbeer]

it just sounds like something to moving around in the rear....like something wasn't tightened down and now its moving in its mounting holes. I've made sure to secure all the emergency crap in the back, but that didn't do it. I was wondering.....can you drive without a sway bar? not like around town, but to just remove it, drive up and back a street to eliminate that being my problem?


you probably couldnt, i dont think i would try it out. lol. put your car up on jacks or a lift and try wiggling things around. you will probably find it faster and easier that way. but anything you have added or taken off then back on definately check those first cause thats probably what it will be.

[Chucknut32]

i believe i might have found it. i went to tahoe yesterday and i had to put my seats down......and the rattling stopped!! I think i might have something loose in the seat mounts when i had to remove them to install the coilovers. i'm gonna check that today and i hope i find something.

[_Keith_]

well if you gonna do like auto cross or something like that full coilovers are a good addition kind of pricey though just for daily driving, im getting the thein techs with the edfc cause i want to auto cross with my car

Tein Techs? Um only tein suspension that runst he edfc is the SS-P Coilovers... and I know somone that wants to sell a set.. with the edfc...

[_Keith_]

i believe i might have found it. i went to tahoe yesterday and i had to put my seats down......and the rattling stopped!! I think i might have something loose in the seat mounts when i had to remove them to install the coilovers. i'm gonna check that today and i hope i find something.

Chuck if you wanna come by I can look at it...

[JoshCrane1]

I just bought a hotchkis front/rear sway combo and already have a front strut brace. Most likely i'll buy a rear one as well b/c like you guys said.....it wont affect functionality of my car loading ppl up and making it look like crap. I found a Weapon R rear strut brace that looks clean.....any other suggestions or opinions about this?
ive seen the weapon r brace, only thing i dont like is that its hidden(supposed to be) unlike the greddy rear strut bar which is shiny and functional.

p.s. the more you stiffen up your chassis, the more creaking and flex noise you get in the cab. somethin has to flex on angles, and since your preventing the suspension from doing so by adding parts, the body absorbs it.

[Chucknut32]

Chuck if you wanna come by I can look at it...

That sounds great. What do you have in find in order to find this rattling noise??

[Chucknut32]

ive seen the weapon r brace, only thing i dont like is that its hidden(supposed to be) unlike the greddy rear strut bar which is shiny and functional.

p.s. the more you stiffen up your chassis, the more creaking and flex noise you get in the cab. somethin has to flex on angles, and since your preventing the suspension from doing so by adding parts, the body absorbs it.

i thought it was the other way around. I need to stiffin up the chassis so the suspension can do its job more efficient without the body absorbing anything. And how can i be that making my body rigid would make it creak more??

[JoshCrane1]

i thought the same as you at one time,and i was a lil disappointed too. adding my strut bars did add creaking. the opposite of flexing is rigidity, so the force that was flexing your unibody and chassis when going over uneven surfaces gets transfered to your rigid parts(suspension bars). just remember, energy doesnt dissipate, just transfers. so if energy cant be dissipated by flexing flexible parts, it will be dissipated by flexing the weakest point in the car, and that being the unibody and cab and thus getting the creaking noises. hard to explain, hoped i helped.

but the swing side is your stability is greatly improved.

[Chucknut32]

thanks for the info.

[_Keith_]

You dont need a rear strut bar... have you ever taken apart your rear? You have the brace tack welded behind the seat...

[JoshCrane1]

You dont need a rear strut bar... have you ever taken apart your rear? You have the brace tack welded behind the seat...
maybe true, but the rear upper strut bar does help a bit, i know i test every part i put on my car, track for engine parts, and 50ft s-curve for suspension parts. and i will tell you my ass end was more solid with the addition of the strut bar, cuz i felt it gettin loose before. but keep in mind without springs and front strut bar, you cant tell the improvement of a rear bar,(due to the understeer).

[Krdshrk]

You know what helps more first?

TIRES.

[JoshCrane1]

You know what helps more first?

TIRES.
YEAH, forgot bout that.

[Chucknut32]

I did take apart my rear before when i installed my coilovers. I think i'm just going to wait till i need new tires and then upgrade from there. I just got my hotchkis sway bars and cant wait to put them on!!

[_Keith_]

maybe true, but the rear upper strut bar does help a bit, i know i test every part i put on my car, track for engine parts, and 50ft s-curve for suspension parts. and i will tell you my ass end was more solid with the addition of the strut bar, cuz i felt it gettin loose before. but keep in mind without springs and front strut bar, you cant tell the improvement of a rear bar,(due to the understeer).

Strut bars dont fix understeer.... Sway bars compensate for that...

And testing parts on the street is to many variances. If you wanna talk about testing has to be a standard testing procedure...

[JoshCrane1]

Strut bars dont fix understeer.... Sway bars compensate for that...

And testing parts on the street is to many variances. If you wanna talk about testing has to be a standard testing procedure...
i didnt say strut bars fix understeer, i said the effects of the rear strut bar cant be felt until you have tires,springs,and front strut bar because the car understeers before the benefits can be used from the rear bar.

[Chucknut32]

well....i think i've found the answers i've been looking for. Thanks to everyone for all the advice and info. I really do appreciate it.