MazdaSpeed 4 point strut bar. rear bar & a little problem
 

The rear bar first... it goes across the boot like so.

PLease don't reply this thread until I said finish please.

Close up of the bar with MazdaSpeed plate.

Need to cut and take out the side matt to fit the brace in...

But if you have the spare tyre set you can skip cutting holes

Now it is the front strut bar... :D

The two bottom ones goes to where the stock was (but they use 3 bolts rather than 2)

Another view.. if you desire :)

Now is the little problem:

I cannot fit the cover back in. Hehe --- the way to fix it is to modify the cover -- my mechanic did it for me :D

Trim off the top stopper and make it thin. Also, make wider at the middle of the cover

Now fit it in state!

The middle bit goes underneath the top horizontal bar.

It is tight fit at the end.

Actually it is quite hard to put the bar in, required a lot of pushing. I have no doubt it is functional

This was the last picture - thank you for your patience.

How does it drive?
Then I have to say with the MazdaSpeed sway bar that I also have installed.
As cortc said, no sway at all.
Also I felt the car accelerate in ONE. No soft feeling in accelerating, turning and braking. Very strong.

No sway, no softness and still easy on your bump --- Taka is a happy man! :D

man that 4 point strut bar is an eyesore. But I guess you sacrafice that for functionality.

Very nice, I just installed the rear and sold the spare tire... taka, did you install the front and rear sway bar or just the front? And the four point, is it symetrical right to left?

I will be installing the brake pads this weekend as well...

I have the front and rear sway changed.

The front bar - I think it is symmetrical but I have not made measurement to make sure - maybe a touch to the left.

Brake pad box have no information but to drive carefully in the first 100km. :p

I would be very grateful if you could answer one question, Taka. I am considering buying and importing the 4 point front strut tower brace that you have installed up front on your car. I love the way it looks, but I have one question. I have heard that it has a "master cylinder brace" of some sort. Is there a piece that extends to the braking system? If so, does it look like it can be moved or relocated to the other side? If it is symetrical then I would buy one right away. Thanks in advance. Darn differences between right and left drive vehicles.

I think the master cylinder brace is on the "normal" Mazdaspeed strut bar, not the 4-pointer.

jds

looks awesome

if it was me I would just remove the renesis plastic cover

Has anyone confirmed whether or not these will fit on RHD '8s yet? I know some US guys were talking about buying it, but I've heard no word. Anyone know?

I am pretty sure the 4 point does not have the MC brace, taka: let us know, and yes the break-in for the brakes is drive easy for about 100km then do the multi hard stops to seat the pads/rotors well...

5-10 from 60, hard... then 3-5 from 100 really hard; then drive around for a while and let them cool evenly; don't stop and let the pad sit on the rotor until they are cool (15-30min)...

Then your good to go, my friend...

It looks like it should fit, I am ordering one this week, when it comes in; will let everyone know...

2 questions to cortc about brake break-in... is that 60kmh or 60mph? Secondly, do you mean I do the hard stop (I was told not to stop completely) then drive around easy until the brake cool, then park my car?

To answer your question DJ Freon:

Look at the picture once again. I think you are talking about an small extension to the blue container on the left. Note the silver stud at the end of it. I think it is what you are referring to.

It is only touching it and use the bolt to hold it in place. I doubt much of a functional purpose. I guess your car will be in the same spot?

Taka

Unfortunately, no. That is the master cylinder for the brakes. It's on the other side in my left hand drive car. Does it look like it can be moved to the other side easily? It actually does serve a purpose. The firewall is very thin on our cars, and it serves to support the force of the master cylinder trynig to push through the firewall when you brake hard.

Takahashi, great pics on the 4-point strut bar, just the info I was looking for, Thanks..
How long to install and what's the Price...

The 4 point does not take long --- may be 20 minutes with 2 people. A lot of pushing and banging and need to cut the foam (found out there is Kavelar ~ correct spelling :confused: ~ in it, so hard to cut) to fit the ones on the firewall.
A$700 plus postage and tax from Japanparts.com

I've been asking that same question for awhile. I think Cort was going to buy the 4pt brace a month or so back and let us know if it fit or not. any updates???

You can email japanparts or jt-imports and ask them if they fit for the LHD car!

um yeah...did that more than a few months back and no response. I have asked everyone...Rotary Extreme, Corksport, Trussville, etc....no confirmation yes or no...only speculation that it won't fit.

I thought I heard Cortec talking about it a month ago. He says he'll order next week in the previous post. I'm pretty anxious to know. I'm doing suspension / handling mods first, so It's in the pipe. Just don't know how long 'cause I have expensive taste in parts :(

i heard these make your windhiled break alot easyer.. they add more stress to the winshiled area and transfer body roll to that part of the car.

???

taka: Can you take a picture of the area around the master cylinder from th eother side (Close up) and post...

60mph to about 5mph under hard braking go back to 60 quickly and brake hard again back to 5mph (repeat 5 times) do the same from 80-100mph 3 times... Then do not stop the car completely, just drive around for about 15-30 minutes (HWY if possible), your done...

Here is a clear shot of the US spec 2pt bar showing the MC support...

taka: Does yours have this, or something similar?

If it does have the support, and it looks like it does; the base of it is welded in place and most probably cannot be moved to the other side in any practical way... If this is the case then it's a no go, will be keeping the 2pt US/LHD spec...

Another thing, I have noticed is that if you grab the firewall were the 4pt would attach it is very flexible... Bracing strut towers against this area may not be as functional as we all might think... It becomes more of a firewall support than anything else... The bar itself mat be a bit stiffer as it is a one piece welded design but that won't do us LHD owners any good as the MC support will be on the wrong side...

But it LOOKS cooler than the US bar. If it functions as well as the US bar does, then it'd be worth having over the US bar.

I am going to wait until taka responds to my last question but if the MC support is on the right side then it is not going to work for us LHD owners... If it would have not had it I would be ordering today so instead I will be ordering the under braces/sub-frame connectors...

I think I know what you are talking about cortc...

I might have to disappoint you. Yes the 4 point strut have a support like your 2 point strut (which is on the LH side).

4 pt one is on the right hand side.

I have taken a picture... but the battery just die.

Here is the pic - (I performed CPR on the dying battery:p)

You really think so? I'm not a big fan of the way the four point brace looks. I think the MS 2-point brace looks much "fancier" even if it is fake CF. Then again, everyone loves the strakes except me...so maybe I'm just odd :D

jds

I don't like strakes either

The MS 2pt strut bar has a real CF wrap over an aluminum bar... It is official; the MS 4pt strut bar will not work on the LHD cars because the MC support is on the right side for RHD cars...

taka: Thanks, for taking the time to help clear this up once and for all...

Sounds like an opportunity for one of our more enterprising members...the thing doesn't seem to be that complex, someone could make one and sell them for a decent amount. Hmmm... :D

Chuck at RE...you listening??

Make sure Chuck use aluminium and weld it in top professional quality and polish it to perfection. That is what you are paid for in MazdaSpeed parts!

Good luck Chuck and make sure you have all the forces right otherwise the car will be pushed to one side at cornering :p

That bar doesn't look polished to me.

jds

I'm going to talk to some of my friends and see if they think it could be purchased and then modified.

Taka, did you take any pics of the point where the brake brace comes off of the strut tower brace before installation? Or can you take a pic from where the right hand rear view mirror is, taken towards the front center of the car? I want to have a better pic to take to my friend so he can properly assess how hard it would be to cut that brace off and re-weld it on the other side for a LHD car.

No I did not take a picture of the brace prior installation coz I didn't think is that important.

I see... I will take the pic you are after then.

Thank you.

i m goin to install the 4 point ms bar on a lh hand drive.
i reciv the full ms suppension this month.
i wel remove the stoper master cilinder.

wen instal i send pics.

oooh nice, please keep us posted.

Definately. I'm still talking to my guys about moving the master cylinder stopper. They of course want to see it before they tell me yes or no.

i keep you posted

after seen the pics of takahashi i think its posibol.

more pic as requested

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