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spare tire adds structural rigidity?

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Old 04-19-2005, 11:17 AM
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spare tire adds structural rigidity?

I have a spare tire option with my 8. It mounts to a big thick bar across the trunk. Do 8's without a spare tire have this bar?

What does the bar connect to? I was just wondering if it is connected to the shock towers and acting like a rear strut tower brace, thereby increasing the rigidity of the car.
Old 04-19-2005, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Machan
I have a spare tire option with my 8. It mounts to a big thick bar across the trunk. Do 8's without a spare tire have this bar?
No, they do not.

Originally Posted by Machan
What does the bar connect to? I was just wondering if it is connected to the shock towers and acting like a rear strut tower brace, thereby increasing the rigidity of the car.
It is attached to the shock towers but I doubt is povides any extra support. It has multiple bends and is hollow. All the rear strut bars I seen have no bends in them.
Old 04-19-2005, 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by expo1
No, they do not.


It is attached to the shock towers but I doubt is povides any extra support. It has multiple bends and is hollow. All the rear strut bars I seen have no bends in them.
i don't have a spare tire, and i have the bar.

hmm...i should check with sable and see if that is something else that went missing at the dealer between when she sold it and i bought it.
Old 04-19-2005, 11:55 AM
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The spare is a paid for option that would show up on the sticker. If you have the bar but was not charged for the spare the dealer might have took it out for another car. That bar serves no other purpose than to hold the spare, did you get your 8 new?
Old 04-19-2005, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Machan
I have a spare tire option with my 8. It mounts to a big thick bar across the trunk. Do 8's without a spare tire have this bar?

What does the bar connect to? I was just wondering if it is connected to the shock towers and acting like a rear strut tower brace, thereby increasing the rigidity of the car.
You've seen my car and it dosn't have the bar. Next time we meet, you'll have to show me what one looks like.
Old 04-19-2005, 12:51 PM
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Originally Posted by expo1
The spare is a paid for option that would show up on the sticker. If you have the bar but was not charged for the spare the dealer might have took it out for another car. That bar serves no other purpose than to hold the spare, did you get your 8 new?
nope, used. it wasn't listed as an option on the sticker either.

so maybe sable (previous owner) decided to keep it
or
after she traded it in, they took part of the kit and put it in another car
or
it disappeared along with wheel lock key, the owners manual, the service records (that were left in the car).

it wasn't an option that i paid for, so i'm not that concerned about it, just kinda curious now.
Old 04-19-2005, 04:41 PM
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Originally Posted by expo1
It is attached to the shock towers but I doubt is povides any extra support. It has multiple bends and is hollow. All the rear strut bars I seen have no bends in them.
Doh!!!

I thought I was on to something special...
Old 04-19-2005, 05:39 PM
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Originally Posted by alnielsen
You've seen my car and it dosn't have the bar.
Your car looked about .207 seconds faster than mine :D .
Old 04-19-2005, 05:54 PM
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The dealer told me when I purchased my car that if I took out my spare donut I should rebolt the bar in place as it increases structural rigidity.
Old 04-19-2005, 08:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Josche
The dealer told me.
Boy, many a horror story began with those words. :D

Just so you can visualize this thread better attached are pics of the spare tire bar, MazdaSpeed rear strut brace and the AutoExe rear strut brace. The spare bar weighs less than three pounds and is hollow. I don’t wish to remove my Mazda Speed bar for this thread but I know it’s heavier and the AutoExe one speaks for itself.
Attached Thumbnails spare tire adds structural rigidity?-dcp_2401.jpg   spare tire adds structural rigidity?-strut-bars-001.jpg   spare tire adds structural rigidity?-rear.jpg  
Old 04-19-2005, 08:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Machan
I have a spare tire option with my 8. It mounts to a big thick bar across the trunk. Do 8's without a spare tire have this bar?

What does the bar connect to? I was just wondering if it is connected to the shock towers and acting like a rear strut tower brace, thereby increasing the rigidity of the car.
It's too weak to provide much help, if any... the actual MS rear shock tower bar is much thicker and no bends. Sadly, It's only slighty worse than the front OEM shock tower brace- it's barely useful at best- between the bends on the ends and the crimp in the middle, it's a joke.

Come to think of it, I took my spare tire out, so maybe I should buy a couple of MS stickers, slap them on my spare tire mount and OEM STB and sell them on eBay
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