Big_T-SR Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Hi people,I'm looking into getting a/some strut brace(s), i just want to ask whether it is worth it and how much will it help the handling, but most of all, shall i get it because my car is only n/a and i can already outmanouver many cars in corners, its just when the straights come up the slightly more powerful cars overtake... sometimes.I've been advised to look into it by Joz because he's done the same, but i also have been told that i can spend that money on a more profitable mod by a GT owner who is not on this forum... yet? (some may know him as suspected psycho or ollie)If people can share thier experiences or knowledge, then much would be appreciated.T Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SiCaln Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 it will further improve your chassis rigidity which can only help also they tend to sell for £40 for standard items anywaywhat was this other mod Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ryno Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 i wouldn't listen to ollie even if he was right you got D2's on the Sr Tony? pah-hard rod?there are positives and negatives for strut braces, it'll tighten things up, slight reduction in understeer but it'll also make things slightly worse in the wet as there'll be less give in the cassis flexing.personally i don't see any harm in them on your SR, however there are possibly better things you could be spending your money on atm giving that they won't make a 'huge' difference to the handling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big_T-SR Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 I c, ollie didnt suggest nething for the 'other mod', but i was thinking about more power, so i stand more of a chance in the straights.Yer Ry, i got the D2s not long ago, was thinking of stealing his engine when he's not looking, as you say he doesn't use it, you wanna help me out? O, i was also going to ask, is there any difference in quality brand or type or do they just do the same thing anyways?T Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ryno Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 thought his was a GL, not a GT might be worth looking into a pahhard rod before you dish out for strut brace(s) you'll notice much more of a improvement from that!& my advice is to get your Handling and Brakes up-graded before you start making any car faster!whats the point in having a fast car if it's going to be in the off the road on the first corner you come too not much between Strut Braces really, depending on your budget, Toby can get you some sexy carbon fiber ones like Dales got on his GT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SiCaln Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 gotta agree with the Horny one above mate def worry bout stopping it before u make it go Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lobotomy Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 To be honest you'd spend a of money making your car noticeably faster... well enough to stop those cars that can overtake you right now from doing so in the future.Keep to the twisty's, brake later and carry more speed through the corners, that way there'll be a good few yards between you and the faster cars to begin with P.S By that I mean upgrade your brakes and improve the handling! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jozinobi Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Hey TonyFirst things first, there is no 'more' profitable mod for the ep91 besides the highly beneficial corolla inlet manifold.The great thing about strut braces is they do reduce flex less on front and rear rerspectively when cornering and allow for more rigid and harder turning as well as making those areas in the chassis more rigid/solid.You would definitely find more of a noticeable difference if you were on stock suspension and tried a front and rear strut brace as the stock suspension is so poor.You are in a better position where you already have D2s and the handling situation would already be sufficient and a big difference from standard. Im not telling you to go out and buy everything possible but at the very least I highly recommend your setup will benefit from front and rear strut braces and an adjustable pan hard rod. At least you can hear this from someone who has done all this from an n/a point of view and I highly recommend it as I wanted to effectively upgrade my ep91 with little expense spared and take it beyond its limits. My Project still continues...You have to realise that every little helps on our cars, so build your mods slowly and collectively. One strut brace alone won't do the job alone however with all of them combined would make a really great setup and increase your cars overall handling potential. When you upgrade most areas, there are pros and cons e.g ride will be harder but turning will be phenomenal etc, think about what would suit you, your driving style and your budget. They not only do a great job but also give a more tuned look also which adds to styling. As for the types of braces there is a good variety available and I will recommend them soon, they all do a similar job with three point versions making the most difference as they are planted to either the rear floor or the firewall. There are also other bars, braces and cages available but we shan't mention them yet as they are going a whole step further.I've concentrated heavily on suspension and braking recently for my beast and she now runs: *take a DEEP breath* SuspensionTanabe Sustec Pro OS Height and Camber Adjustable CoiloversCusco Front & Rear Type OS Strut BracesCusco Lower Arm BarelSport C Pillar BarRS*R Adjustable Panhard RodWhite 22mm Front Anti Roll BarWhiteline Adjustable Rear Anti Roll BarWhiteline Anti Lift KitBrakingCusco BMCS3g 10 Groove DiscsMintex C-Tech 1144 BrakepadsMotul Dot 5.1 Brake FluidBlack Diamond Braided Lines all round.Think about what purpose or vision you want your starlet to be and work on it and most importantly drive safely.Hope this helps man and if you really want to improve everything then be prepared to spend quite a little and do it in your own time.Sort the brakes and suspension and then we can talk about power This is just the tip of the iceberg man and we'll talk more privately soon say lo Suspension is a major area that can be improved on our cars as its one of the weakest, also one of the most expensive if u want to upgrade your car properly.You'd also increase your enthusiasm for the car so be prepared as its very addictive.Jozpension n/a martyr Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SiCaln Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 the man talks sense Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ryno Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 one thing thats being over looked here if we're taking on handling is....'Tyres'must remember that these are the only x4 bits of rubber that are keeping you on the road, so please, please make sure you buy the best tyres you can arrord, check the pressure regularly and keep an eye on tread!can have all the handling mods in the world but it's down to tyres to keep you on the road! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jozinobi Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 ^^ Agreed Ryno, very true and important info there.Can you recommend some decent tyre brands and different profiles with their benefits and implications?Joz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SiCaln Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 good point, sad we didnt mention that lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jozinobi Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 good point, sad we didnt mention that lolThe topic subject is strut braces man lol.But its time we had another handling discussion.Joz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bourkey Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 I cant recommend them enough. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jozinobi Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 Eagle F1 I cant recommend them enough.Did you say Eagle F1s?Joz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nanglebadger Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 very very very Valid point from Ryno there, i have front and rear upper struts but without tyres aint much chuffin use tbh!!!! listen to the man, for Ryno speaketh the truth!Phil. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jozinobi Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 No ones doubting the horned one but lets assume u already have decent tyres, then you can build on your setup with suspension parts.Joz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SiCaln Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 i gotta say i havent been overly impressed with the Toyos T1Rs i have Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nanglebadger Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 i 100% totally and utterly agree with that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! completely!Phil. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ryno Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 personally i love soft compound tyres, i feel they give the most grip even if they do ware very quickly! profile really is up to what you want, i find 195's are fine for my little GT, i know a few people use 205's for the extra surface area, but they tend to catch on the inner arch of the ep82.i've tried many'a brand of tyre, best ones i've used for fast road are Toyo and Goodyear.yoko's are okay for few hundred miles, then for some reason they just don't grip like they used tookumho seem like a bit of a dark horse, not had a set my self but have driven a 106 GTi with a set and i liked them.and i'll never touch a set of pirelli tyres again. they are truely shocking and scary in dry & wettop choices i've used are,toyo proxies (i like the S but the R's just as good, espesh in the wet)Goodyear eagles F1's(as i'm sure most people would also recommend) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jozinobi Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Good recommendations there Ryno Im considering the T1rs and the F1s for my next set of tyres with a 50 profile to soak the bumps up slightly better.Im a Kumho user myself *surprise* and they have lasted more than 11 thousand miles, please dont ask how and why but I speak the truth.They are a korean tyre brand I believe. The tread pattern is different to the eagles and toyos as the have the single band running down the middle as well as the directional treads. I have 4mm left on the front and 7mm left on the rear. Guinness Book of Records?Kumho Ecstas 195/45/15Joz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SiCaln Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 i was quite impressed with the standard SR tyres Continental Conti-Sport II but they were so bloody expensive to replace Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bourkey Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 I do think that the Toyos are very good but the eagle F1's seem to have the edge. They perform well in all conditions whereas i personally found the Toyos lost a little bit of grip in the wet but the F1's are very grippy.I wouldnt touch yokohamas ever again after a small spinning incident on a roudabout.Talking of dark horses ive heard the the new dunlop range is very good.I dont know if this is true so i cant comment.Tyres really are the base of good handling.You can have the best setup in the world but if your tyres are shite then it means nothin. Ive got standard SR shocks and springs but my car handle extremly well due to the fantastic tyres.Everyone has different tastes in tyres so you have to really test them yourself to see what you like Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nanglebadger Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 some great reviewin there dude, nice work!Phil. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 I use Avons mainly because there arent many decent tyre options for the 205/40/16 range and they are fairly good and reasonable price Going back to 15s MAYBE so anyone no what companies do 205/50/15s ???? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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