Strut Braces - Can anyone help

[Cord-172]

I have noticed that K-Tec are now selling strut braces for a variety of renaults. They are chrome effect front (and possibly rear) application.

Can anyone tell me what they do, and if they are worth getting? I understand that they prevent chassis flex but is any change noticeable when they are fitted?

 

[Steveold]

Only get them if you corner hard and know what your doing.... the car will handle better but will take away some of the "warning" you get if your going into it toooo fast.... its like running really hard suspension, you can corner faster but it will just "let go" if you take it too fast!

 

[BenR]

in teh new clios a strut wont take any feeling away as they are pretty damn ridgid as std. but under really hard cornering with say slicks or something where chassis flex may occur it is beneficial.

But they are very nice and do lok up to the job at hand, and there not expansive at all so you can do much worse.......i wouldnt mind a set.

 

[Steveold]

So ben in your experience strut braces on clios dont make them handle any better??

 

[BenR]

on teh new clios....you would really need to push the car super dooper hard to get any realy flex in the chassis since the tyres will slip before any real flexing ocurs...but on the track, yeah, i would have one deffo.

but since they are so cheap, i would get one anyway........

but i didnt say that they dont handle any better.......but you would need to be goin pretty fast to really feel the benefit of it......most cases you would be in a wall already haha.

 

[Steveold]

hehehe best get some slicks then.... oh sh*t me fronts are almost slick anyway lol

 

[chris172]

I know its got nothing to do with cornering but......having jacked up my car to remove a wheel to clean the inside (really dirty!) I had tried to open the bonnet to show a neighbour the Viper. It was as though it was twisted, so is the shell as rigid as they say?? or do you think a strut may stiffen the front?

 

[Nick Read]

I found my strut brace good, but the old Clios are pretty bendy. In fact mines got a crease in the roof now because the front end is so stiff and theres nowhere else for it to bend. But it does seem to tidy up the handling and if nothing else gives you a place to lean on when youre working on a hot engine bay!

 

[Steveold]

Does look the part though eh!

 

[BenR]

true, the old clios are pants, opening a door whenits jacked up is a quite an afair. but never had probs with the new clios.....where did u jack it?

 

[Steveold]

I normally jack mine on that tank shaped thing under the rear seats

 

[chris172]

Jacked it up at the correct point, and yes the door was as though it had dropped too.

 

[172rob]

OMP are now doing front and rear strut braces for the 172...front steel 46 quid and rear steel 26 quid part no ma1836...ma1838 from demon tweeks

 

[Steveold]

Does that on a lot of cars..... trouble with the new clios there is on jacking points... well there is but where the f**k you put a axle stand???

 

[BenR]

on the axle....well, TCA

 

[Steveold]

what about the front? what im saying you can see no chassie

 

[Cord-172]

OMP are well cheap arent they? Might consider that, god knows if one strut brace can be better than another. The K-Tec ones looked appealing because they were silver/chrome with a K-Tec badge one them. I am so shallow!!

Might get a set then. I dont like going to fast round corners anyway but I am going rally look on my 172 so will neccessitate (!) a pair!!

 

[chris172]

It is at the seem under the sill....there is a hole through the seem at the point you place the jack.

Polished chrome strut brace....now thats going to look the dangly bits.

 

[Steveold]

or the cheap steel one..... hmmmmmm

 

[BenR]

which will rust ergh.

on teh front, put teh axle stand under the TCA! where you are meant to.

 

[Steveold]

You dont like cornering fast??? thats the whole point in driving!!! you cant beat corning to the limits of the car and pulling it off! might as well have a robin reliant with a cossie engine then

 

[Steveold]

its painted ben! lol ...

 

[Steveold]

erm.... hang on i feel a fick moment coming on... whats a TCA?

 

[Cord-172]

Oh dont get me wrong, I like whipping it around twisties etc but pushing it to its limits on tight corners has never been my thing. I lost control of my arse end doing that in my Rover 25 (though its a bit of a dog in comparison I must admit!!)

 

[BenR]

i know its painted!!! but so are cars!!!!

TCA is trasck control arm, or teh thing which hold teh hub to the chassis.......ok, the wishbone.....although it aint one.

 

[Cord-172]

And I dont mean the arse end of the car either hehehe!!!

 

[Steveold]

Ahh TCA get ya now.... Im glad you do cord... I think I must be a little mad though as I really push cars round corners

 

[BenR]

cant be very fast pushing...why dont you use the engine?...sometimes the tyres squeek!

 

[Steveold]

lol @ ben

ya know pushing and steering is hard to do together!

 

[BenR]

tell me about it!

when my clio obverheated on the motorway in traffic, i had t push from teh fast lane to teh hard shoulder...anyhow, getting it there was hardwork and i almost clipped the door off as pushing, steering (with no power) a and trying to brake so not to hit the other cars was hard!!

anyhow, waited for it to cool and asked people passing if theu had any water.........one guy tried to help

"oh, here you go, its all i got"...thanks note: bottle label.......sparkling spring water DOH

but a decent bunch of lads in a white van gave me 5 gallons of the stuff!!!!!