http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/lmahuna/ftb.jpgi`m looking to maybe getting a front tower brace and in my search i found that they can cost from $500ish to just over $100. So my question is ....... other then some name brand labeling, will they all do the same job or are some $400 better then others?

I gotta say most of them are better than stock, the stock bar kinda suck.

The only thing I will get is the Mazdaspeed 4 point one.

If you're serious about handling, you need the rear one as well (me me me me me !)

I recently bought the TCSsportline front and rear bars off of e-bay for about 150 bucks. There is a definite improvement over the stock bar. I think that it is worth the money. Hope this helps.

Keep in mind that Strut tower bars are much more beneficial on cars that have struts. If you are looking for a mod that is going to make a more substantial improvement on handling, then anti-sway bars are the way to go. Just something to think about.

I personally have MazdaSpeed front and rear tower bars. The really nice part of the MazdaSpeed front is that it has an integrated brace for your master brake cylinder.

I can't recommend any brands, but different thickness of material, different material, and number of mounting points all contribute to the handling of the individual bar. My understanding is that typically (I stress typically) the more mounting points and the more solid the material the more stability it will offer.

However strut bars are considered (in some cases) the poor man's mod in that they're typically cheaper than other components. Changing sways will result in a much more noticeable handling change than changing just strut bars.

There are two differing view points to consider: Those who say a good suspension starts with sway bars and ends with strut tower bars and those who believe stiffening the chassis first sets a better "foundation" of sorts, for the rest of the suspension.

So short version STBs not all created equal, less money, smaller results. Sways: more money better results.

But in the end the best suspension has good stuff all around.

Suspension gurus feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

There are two differing view points to consider: Those who say a good suspension starts with sway bars and ends with strut tower bars and those who believe stiffening the chassis first sets a better "foundation" of sorts, for the rest of the suspension.

So short version STBs not all created equal, less money, smaller results. Sways: more money better results.

But in the end the best suspension has good stuff all around.

Suspension gurus feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

as my 8 is a daily driver i didnt want to start with sway bars due to the fact that i`m worried that it will cause me to feel every inperfection on the road (i dont know if it will....just my consern). which is why i was gonna start with the tower bars and if i feel that it doesnt satisfy me then i would add more things from that point.

I personally have MazdaSpeed front and rear tower bars. The really nice part of the MazdaSpeed front is that it has an integrated brace for your master brake cylinder.

i`ll have to keep that in mind.........i didnt know that

also.....if i go this route........are there any cons in useing two diferent brands as far as the front and back bars.
i like the way the tc rear sits more flush so i ccan still use what little trunk i have and i like the idea that the mazdaspeed front one has an intergraded brace for the master brake cylinder as emezmer stated

no there's really no cons to using 2 different strut braces, on my old car (98 sunfire) i had a freedom design STB on the front (one of the crappier ones but it was 20bucks :p) and an RK sport adjustable rear STB which was pretty good, as long as they're both of comparable quality it shouldn't matter

no Cons using 2 diff struts (Front & back)

Suspension, on the other hand, are diff.

and Mazdaspeed US Strut bar is one of the few that supports MBC for LHD RX8 (most JDM spec strut bar supports MBC, but for RHD)

but for me, I think SS brake lines are giving me enough firm feel already. so Im still going for 4 point strut bar.

Those solid bars above will be better than those with hinges: all the red ones and the four pointer in the middle. They will be more expensive though and you'd probably never notice.

Interestingly the 4 point mazdaspeed bar pictured in the center of your collage appears to be available through mazdaspeed motorsports.

"S STRUT BRACE,MAZDASPEED Part No: QSE1-56-48Z $519"

I've seen people say that isn't available, or is only available if you get it from Japan. MS motorsports only says $20 shipping, so I don't think its shipping from Japan.

the stock front bar doesn't suck. The main reason people get different ones is because they have adjustable shocks.coilovers and want easy access to the adjuster. With the stock bar you have to remove it in order to adjust.

And a rear bar isn't really nessasary with the awesoem chassis ridgity of the RX8. I'll put one because it's cheap (the GReddy GREX unit is $130 shipped) and it looks good. It may improve my handling slightly, but I'm not holding my breathe. My shocks/springs and sway bars improved the handling 1 million times more than a strut brace.

The AutoEXE braces are really trick, but they cost around $650 or so and I'm not even sure if they can bolt to left-hand drive cars.

I've done the following suspension upgrades, on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the most noticeable at the track):
Whiteline adjustable sways - 2
Tein Flex - 4
18x9.5 RPF1/Kumho MX - 4
JIC front and rear strut bars - 0

^thank you

the 8 doesn't really need strut tower braces- mostly just looks.

The Greddy rear bar gets my thumbs up because it sits flat on the trunk floor consuming no trunk space. All the others sit 3-4" above and kill space. Oh, but I didn't notice a difference either. :)

BTW, wrong forum. Should be in "Wheels, Tires, Brakes, Suspension"

Stock car on stock tires doesnt really show benefit.

But if your running 265+ sticky tires and have already upgaded everything else for handling then a lot of stress is going to be put on the whole chassis. Can't hurt.

I have the top autoexe. Its really solid as it has no joints, pipe cross sections, and triangulation. A top quality bar.

As with any suspension, you can mix and match depending on how you want your car to feel for balanced handling, induced oversteer, or induced understeer.

the stock front bar doesn't suck. The main reason people get different ones is because they have adjustable shocks.coilovers and want easy access to the adjuster. With the stock bar you have to remove it in order to adjust.

interesting, does this mean the motors on the tein edfc wont work with the stock strut bar? can anyone suggest strut bars that will? and will be able to fit the engine cover?

The AutoEXE braces are really trick, but they cost around $650 or so and I'm not even sure if they can bolt to left-hand drive cars.

I had the AutoEXE brace set on my -8. They bolted to my LHD car just fine.

as my 8 is a daily driver i didnt want to start with sway bars due to the fact that i`m worried that it will cause me to feel every inperfection on the road (i dont know if it will....just my consern)unjustified concern! I upgraded swaybars and felt no difference in comfort level. Sway bars only work when you're cornering or going sideways over bumps... straight-line comfort level was identical for me and I didn't notice any real degradation in a curve either. If you did only one suspension mod (for cheap), swaybars is the one to do.

If the aftermarket bars work better than the stock bar, then I don't really buy the idea that you can mix and match and its fine. If the stock bar is inferior, then it must be because of rigidity differences. If that's true, then the different aftermarket bars will all be different too, and making "unmatched" changes to front and rear chassis stiffness can't have a neutral impact on handling, given that there is any signficant difference from stock.

That's probably about as clear as mud, but my point boils down to this: I seriously doubt very many people could pick the car with the upgraded strut tower brace if they drove it back to back with one with stock, and didn't know which was which.

jds

no there's really no cons to using 2 different strut braces, on my old car (98 sunfire) i had a freedom design STB on the front (one of the crappier ones but it was 20bucks :p) and an RK sport adjustable rear STB which was pretty good, as long as they're both of comparable quality it shouldn't matter

My RX7 1st Gen had a strut suspension and I could feel the difference when I added a strut bar to that car. The handling was so much crisper.
The RX8, on the other hand, has a unequal a-arm suspension. It takes a lot more force to move anything around. I think the stock strut bar is sufficient and this is way down on my to-do list.
I believe Cusco has a master cylinder bracket that can be added to any bar. They call it a Brake Cylinder Stopper. http://www.cusco.co.jp/english/e_cont.html

If the aftermarket bars work better than the stock bar, then I don't really buy the idea that you can mix and match and its fine. If the stock bar is inferior, then it must be because of rigidity differences. If that's true, then the different aftermarket bars will all be different too, and making "unmatched" changes to front and rear chassis stiffness can't have a neutral impact on handling, given that there is any signficant difference from stock.

That's probably about as clear as mud, but my point boils down to this: I seriously doubt very many people could pick the car with the upgraded strut tower brace if they drove it back to back with one with stock, and didn't know which was which.

jds

Yep, rigidity differences.

If mixing and matching wasn't fine, then why are some bars adjustable? Thats a lot of mixing and matching between front and back.

grr... we have shock tower braces, not strut braces since we have no stinkin struts