Can anyone recommend a strut brace for a VTS?

22nd October 2008, 15:38

As per title, looking for a strut brace, there are loads available and just wondering on peoples experiences on different ones

I had an OMP for my VTR which worked great but my old suppler has gone bust (was 4yrs ago i got mine like) so was looking for different makes etc.

Thanks

Rob

22nd October 2008, 15:40

only ever had OMP on the vts and would defo recommend them, not tried any others so cant comment

22nd October 2008, 15:45

E-tech is on our Vtr and its solid enough, cant complain!!!!!

22nd October 2008, 15:52

e-tech is useless.

sparco or omp

22nd October 2008, 16:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjm300

e-tech is useless.

sparco or omp

how so????

22nd October 2008, 16:06

it offers minimal stiffness
its more a show brace than offering any real effect

22nd October 2008, 16:07

all the same imo

even tho e tech in my eyes looks weaker than Omps and sparcos

22nd October 2008, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjm300

it offers minimal stiffness
its more a show brace than offering any real effect

wheres the science part?????

omp/sparco are tubeular steel and the other is solid with holes machined through it !!?????

22nd October 2008, 16:26

http://www.eclipse-performance.com/p...l.asp?pid=5219

presumably thats the honking heap of shit that you've got, or very similar.

at each end of the brace, where it joins the strut top mount, there is a bolt, which will offer no resistance to the chassis twisting

22nd October 2008, 16:32

oooooooooooooh right!!!!!!!!!!!

the last time i looked the other strut braces were bolted ont the same 3 bolts on the strut top mounts sooooo that makes them all the same then???????

22nd October 2008, 16:33

omp still available off strutbracer.co.uk

22nd October 2008, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottyvtr

oooooooooooooh right!!!!!!!!!!!

the last time i looked the other strut braces were bolted ont the same 3 bolts on the strut top mounts sooooo that makes them all the same then???????

however the others dont have a bolt at each end of the shaft do they?

22nd October 2008, 16:36

spot the difference

22nd October 2008, 16:38

OMP = quality value for money

22nd October 2008, 16:40

but it will if there torqued up enough - body flex will lossen off the bolts if they aint tight enough like a say wheel nut thats not tighened enough for example!!!

any bolt in anything like this is a weakness regardless who makes it tbh!!!

but it still dont prove that the e-tech is weaker!!!!!!

22nd October 2008, 16:41

I see what you mean about the e-tech ones, the bolts will allow some degree of flex while the OMP is welded so will not flex as much. Glad I asked now.

22nd October 2008, 16:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottyvtr

but it will if there torqued up enough

any bolt in anything like this is a weakness regardless who makes it tbh!!!

but it still dont prove that the e-tech is weaker!!!!!!

of course it will still twist! the reason the sparcos and omp's dont have the bolt at each end is cos its a shit design!

22nd October 2008, 16:46

Also see that the OMP is adjustable allowing a tighter fit. Sorry Scotty but any bolt will allow flex, even if it is done up tight the simple fact that there are more joints means more flex and this reduces the effectiveness and response of any suspension part.

22nd October 2008, 16:50

lol ^^^ i did say that!!!!!

unless i see pics of a e-tech mangled in someones engine bay then im sorry but we will have to agree to disagree, since i put the wifes in ive never had to tighten said joints so for me and her its doing its job!!!!

22nd October 2008, 16:53

of course its not gonna get mangled, because it flexes lol

its simple physics, if there's no mechanical joints, its going to be stiffer.

22nd October 2008, 17:03

The e-tech one will be stiffer than not having a strut and by quite a bit. But the OMP will be better than the E-tech one, as a full trained mechanical engineer I could go in how and why and do the very long and boring maths but I cant be arsed, lol. But to be honest you would be very hard put to tell the difference between the 2 unless you were a pro driver. I think personal choice will pay the biggest deciding factor, well cost then personal choice. For me i like the OMP, they feel good solid parts and look the muts nuts, but those that want the bling will prefer the e-tech as they are shiny.

22nd October 2008, 17:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

as a full trained mechanical engineer I could go in how and why and do the very long and boring maths but I cant be arsed, lol.

+1 lol

22nd October 2008, 17:07

you see the omp still has a point of weekness where the threaded joint is so instead of having one at each end is got the two close together so its still got 2 joints ???

22nd October 2008, 17:09

however the threaded section is in line with the shaft, so it will only be under compression and tension rather than rotation

22nd October 2008, 17:11

beat me too it ^

22nd October 2008, 17:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

to tell the difference between the 2 unless you were a pro driver. I think personal choice .

+1 na level me thinks

so there all the same tbh !!!!

22nd October 2008, 17:37

no they arent the same stregth
im sorry but you being a class a arse here scotty

basically as said its basic machanical knowledge that a lateral bolt (like on an etech) will move about where as an inlne style (such as omp/sparco) is much better as the locknuts hold it solid

i guarantee i could do a dramatic demonstration in front of you by havein g 2 car2 1 with each type of brace fitted

simply swing your body weight on both and you will feel the etech move up and down wereas the omp wont

and the up down will also translate to side to side movement therefore removing the effectiveness of said brace

22nd October 2008, 18:17

they all do same job at end of the day you wouldnt be able to tell the difference of each

22nd October 2008, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom130691

they all do same job at end of the day you wouldnt be able to tell the difference of each

thing is, if you're actually using your car properly on track, then you could tell the difference

22nd October 2008, 18:20

But the etech is shiney so it must be good, right?

Use on track?

22nd October 2008, 18:21

22nd October 2008, 18:37

ah scotty...

the etec is alot weaker you can see it in the design itself, you also forget to see that different types of metal have different strenghts to resistant and flexing, having had an e-shit on a friends car compaired to an omp-sparco its easy to force flexing into it etc.. in comparrison.

the actual rigidity between the two strut tops which it increases is minimal.

22nd October 2008, 18:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

As per title, looking for a strut brace, there are loads available and just wondering on peoples experiences on different ones

I had an OMP for my VTR which worked great but my old suppler has gone bust (was 4yrs ago i got mine like) so was looking for different makes etc.

Thanks

Rob

So Rob asks a question then answers it:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

The e-tech one will be stiffer than not having a strut and by quite a bit. But the OMP will be better than the E-tech one, as a full trained mechanical engineer I could go in how and why and do the very long and boring maths but I cant be arsed, lol. But to be honest you would be very hard put to tell the difference between the 2 unless you were a pro driver. I think personal choice will pay the biggest deciding factor, well cost then personal choice. For me i like the OMP, they feel good solid parts and look the muts nuts, but those that want the bling will prefer the e-tech as they are shiny.

Pointless thread?

22nd October 2008, 19:13

Not really fella, I was asking for peoples experiences with the strut braces, looking at the pics I could see which struct brace would perform better mechanically. But these are the only 2 strut braces i've seen for a saxo, there maybe many more that i've not seen. Asking for peoples opinions is a different thing completely to comparing the mechanics of how and why things work.

22nd October 2008, 19:20

rem asking if a thread is pointless.

awaits irony pic of KKK member on fire.

22nd October 2008, 20:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

Not really fella, I was asking for peoples experiences with the strut braces, looking at the pics I could see which struct brace would perform better mechanically. But these are the only 2 strut braces i've seen for a saxo, there maybe many more that i've not seen. Asking for peoples opinions is a different thing completely to comparing the mechanics of how and why things work.

KamRacing or some of the crazy spec 106 owners on 106owners.co.uk might be a good place to ask rather than general "lols iz shineyz so gud innit" replies here.

22nd October 2008, 20:28

E-tech on me saxo mk2 vts.......