Hey guys just wanted to find info out about the Mazdaspeed Strut Tower Bar - Front. I obviously like it for the sake of dressing up the engine but does anyone who owns this believe that it is worth the money for performance/cornering. Anybody know any great finds for prices?

Hey guys just wanted to find info out about the Mazdaspeed Strut Tower Bar - Front. I obviously like it for the sake of dressing up the engine but does anyone who owns this believe that it is worth the money for performance/cornering. Anybody know any great finds for prices?

I have it, I like it, but not really sure how much it really adds to cornering effects or performance.
Best prices are probably:

www.rosenthalmazda.com

or

www.trussvillemazda.com

Depending on who is running free shipping at the moment and I think that's Trussville.

well, In all honesty it does help a little, but You will not notice it unless you have a real use for it. For example, you prolly won't notice any difference just daily street driving, and Even the occasional speed fix down an old curvy backroad will not reall net u a difference unless you like to abuse your car and do it ALL the time. The onyl way you will notice much a difference is if you actualy bring your car to a road coarse or auto-x event on a regular basis.

hope that helps.

The greatest performance value of this part comes from the brake master cylinder support. The RX-8 has one of the stiffest chassis available.

the most performance u'll notice is the Brake stopper.

does the brake support make the brakes feel firmer or something?

How does it actually help? (technically speaking)

The brake master cylinder support is worth the money alone, which is good since it probably doesn't offer much of anything else. However, after installing it there's a very noticeable difference in brake pedal stiffness.

does the brake support make the brakes feel firmer or something?

How does it actually help? (technically speaking)
basically it prevents the cylinder from moving forward when you push the pedal, which is pretty normal in every car without one. it therefore gives a more positive feel and slightly more braking response (probably not noticeable to the average person).

It's worth it for two reasons:

1. stiffer brakes
2. makes you get rid of the engine cover

the mazdaspeed strut bar works with the cover

The greatest performance value of this part comes from the brake master cylinder support. The RX-8 has one of the stiffest chassis available.

but I think missing the *b-pillar* weaken the whole thing.

Autoexe has something to counter that problem tho. Its coming to me soon. :)

Spend a little time studying the chassis design and save your money.

Spend a little time studying the chassis design and save your money.

I did study it for a bit. I have kinda the same conclusion, they added a lot of shit to support the *missing* of the B pillar. but is still not *there*. so ... anything to support it a bit more sounds good to me.

the bars wasnt expensive. compare to other garbage that I've spent ... :)

Hey, where is my Clutch Bracket support !!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

The greatest performance value of this part comes from the brake master cylinder support. The RX-8 has one of the stiffest chassis available.

Ding ding ding... that's the winner. Also the #1 reason I went with the MS version.

The ingress/egress area has been reinforced with a rollcage-type hoop that renders the use of a "B" pillar unnecessary. You can lift the car up from one corner until three of the 4 wheels are off the ground and the doors STILL open and close smoothly. Is that stiff enough?

but I think missing the *b-pillar* weaken the whole thing.

No, they have a very intelligent design with how the suicide doors, roof, and rocker panel all lock together

seriously, the RX-8 made a lot of other traditional vehicle chassis look like beer cans when it came out, it was an evolution in chassis stiffness

Yeah, what Team said.......:)

However, the rear doors have locking pins not for chassis stiffness but for side impact/safety purposes.

The RX8 was designed from the ground up as a sports car.

Its suspension, chassis stiffness and weighting were all carefully balanced and designed as a sports car (not a saloon "sported up" like a lot of competitors).

Obviously as costs and emmissions were also in the balance (for any sensible company) certain things could be better, but I've always thought the car handles amazingly and any improvements made should be about power and its delivery rather than chassis/brakes/suspension which are all carefully balanced and interplay with each other.

The ingress/egress area has been reinforced with a rollcage-type hoop that renders the use of a "B" pillar unnecessary. You can lift the car up from one corner until three of the 4 wheels are off the ground and the doors STILL open and close smoothly. Is that stiff enough?

Im not saying is not stiff enough. and I know what they did to the body to make up for the *missing* of the B pillar. :)

but like I said, its not there, you dont really *need* it. but its good to even make it stronger isnt it :) ?

Hey, I love the handling :D

We're getting into the same dyanic of argument as the " aftermarket intake" discussion.

We're getting into the same dyanic of argument as the " aftermarket intake" discussion.

lol :P

Doesnt matter, I got it cheap. hohohohoo ~~~~ actually, free :D Its a gift but I have to pay some shipping. no biggy haha :)

Clutch Bracket ~~~~~ :lol: :lol:

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying the MazdaSpeed bar isn't worth it. I have one on my car and it's cool. However, I just wouldn't want to see people making fools of themselves with erroneous information(I have done enough of that for myself!). The MS bar is mostly aesthetic, except for the brake cylinder support, and the factory one otherwise performs well.

Ya know J, that bracket is soon gonna be all done and ready to ship so you better get your next issue to harrass me about!:)

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying the MazdaSpeed bar isn't worth it. I have one on my car and it's cool. However, I just wouldn't want to see people making fools of themselves with erroneous information(I have done enough of that for myself!). The MS bar is mostly aesthetic, except for the brake cylinder support, and the factory one otherwise performs well.

Ya know J, that bracket is soon gonna be all done and ready to ship so you better get your next issue to harrass me about!:)

lol, but its still not done ~~~ Im just gonna keep harrassing u till you ship that sucker to me :)

I'll give ya a hint over what im gonna harrass u next : something to do with cooling.

hohohohohohohoho ~~~

The bar ... well, it might not do much alone, but it adds up. Mazda did a fine job on rx8 already I know. but some people just want perfection :)

J; oil or water? I have two rads available right now, ready to ship.

J; oil or water? I have two rads available right now, ready to ship.

O really ?

Pm :)

J; oil or water? I have two rads available right now, ready to ship.

oil???????


beers :beer:

They're on the list.

ok so if the MS bar is mostly for aesthetics, are any of the other numerous tower bars any better. i mean, if the MS bar is mostly for show, wouldnt that mean that all the others are too since they are all pretty much of similar design

It's not that the different designs don't have different effectiveness, it's that we really don't need any of them in order to have a stiffer chassis. We have one of the best in the world, regardless of price. That's according to people whose careers are in evaluating such things. Same for our braking system(except for the pads).

so are you saying that thers no need for any brake upgrades because the system is great as it is? is that true?

The brakes are good up to certain hp. which almost none of the 8 *got up to* that lv yet.

For street and track use, using better pads is about all that is required to deliver the performance needed in both contexts.

Might as well ask here ~

Anyone know the reason Mazda went to a 4 point strut bar in the 09 rx8? After sways I was thinking about throwing some money away on the front + rear autoexe bars because ~if~ any bars change/add anything it seems like those would be the ones to do so...

Also, anyone know if the autoexe bars will kick you out of STU? haha

TeamRX8 may have that class-rule answer for you.

Might as well ask here ~

Anyone know the reason Mazda went to a 4 point strut bar in the 09 rx8? After sways I was thinking about throwing some money away on the front + rear autoexe bars because ~if~ any bars change/add anything it seems like those would be the ones to do so...

Also, anyone know if the autoexe bars will kick you out of STU? haha

the autoexec 4 point strut bar is part of my *gift*

it should be here by the end of the month (hopefully)

Mazdaspeed has their own version of 4 point Strut bar as well. it has a different 4 point than Autoexe.

Mazdaspeed wants to stiffin' the turning ability. Autoexe's version is to stiff it more plus make up for the lost of B pillar

and for the rear autoexe strut, they got the 4 point idea from their Le Mans experience.

I was thinking of Mazdaspeed for my *free gift*, but I was like nah. I went with Autoexe.

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=114003&stc=1&d=1201027635
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=114004&stc=1&d=1201027908
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=114005&stc=1&d=1201027908
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=114006&stc=1&d=1201027908

if it comes as a standard part or standard option from the factory it's allowed "for those models that it comes on" i.e. no backdating to earlier models. If it's part of an option package you can add it on to same model year versions of the same car but you have to convert to the entire option package in it's entirety i.e. no mixing and matching.

aftermarket strut tower bars cannot be triangulated, can only go from one suspension point across to the other

The ingress/egress area has been reinforced with a rollcage-type hoop that renders the use of a "B" pillar unnecessary. You can lift the car up from one corner until three of the 4 wheels are off the ground and the doors STILL open and close smoothly. Is that stiff enough?

I'm still amazed every time I jack up the car at that. For a sub 50K car, Mazda did one hell of a job with the chassis. That alone coupled with its relatively light weight makes it the best buy, imo, but I could be slightly biased...no, I'm completely biased.

I'm still amazed every time I jack up the car at that. For a sub 50K car, Mazda did one hell of a job with the chassis. That alone coupled with its relatively light weight makes it the best buy, imo, but I could be slightly biased...no, I'm completely biased.

The Rustang and Civic guys said their Chassis are good too :lol: :lol: :lol:

The Rustang

Good for the drag strip!


and Civic guys said their Chassis are good too :lol: :lol: :lol:

Good for groceries!

Good for the drag strip!
Good for groceries!

:lol2:

Good for the drag strip!




Good for groceries!

I heard the exact opposite

the rustang guys saids they're good at corners :lol: :lol:

and the Civic guys saids they're good at drag strip ! :rant: :rant:

good for bling only bling

if you get adjustable shocks then you could use the excuse you can't get to the adjuster with the stock bar... which brings me to my next point, its a shock tower brace cause we aint got no stinky struts

the rustang guys saids they're good at corners

Well, in all fairness I've seen some very fast Mustangs at the race track - especially the previous gen twin screw Cobras - that were fantastic in the corners...but they all had setups like these and were on hoosiers and such:

http://www.griggsracing.com/

Completely reworked subframes and axles, etc...

The factory Mustangs I've driven around, very fast in a straight line, not so impressive braking, even less impressive cornering.

does anyone know if its at all possible to get the rear Autoexe brace without getting the front. Ive only seen them come as a package and i was wondering if theres any way to just but one and not the other.

the mazdaspeed strut bar works with the cover

does it really? I thought it sat a bit higher and was a bit thicker then the OEM bar :confused:

You have to trim the cover to fit it over the MS strut bar.