Front Strut Bar induces camber wear?

[Garrison]

Hey guys,

I just recently got back from a road trip and noticed a considerable amount of camber wear on my front tires. When I last had the car aligned it showed absolutely nothing in the way of that; so I'm wondering if my front strut bar was causing the accelerated wear (possibly during cornering?)

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it typical to subarus?

[StatGSR]

you sure its wear because by camber? negative camber really doesn't eat through tires like people think it does where as being out of toe just a little bit can destroy tires.

in either case i don't think the strut tower bar has anything to do with it.

[chuckthefuk]

I have about 15 modified subaru friends including myself who use all sorts of front/rear strut bars. Not one of them has noticed/complained about tire wear..

I would suspect that the forester suspension you are using has changed your geometry slightly and has caused your alignment to go out of spec.

I am not pointing fingers but a fixed bar that prevents the towers from flexing wouldn't increase wear on your tires..

Just to help out others who choose to help.. can you post your specs?

tires/alignment/strut + spacers info.

When was the last time you inspect or changed your tie-rods/ball joints?

more info the better
-Chuck

[Garrison]

Yeah, definitely. Great idea on ball-joints/tie-rods too, chuck; dunno if they've ever been replaced.


Left Before:_________ Right Before:
-0.7* Camber (out of spec) 0.0* Camber (within spec)
2.3* caster (within spec) 1.8* caster (out of spec)
.40* toe (out of spec) .38* toe (out of spec)

Total toe: .78* (out of spec)


Left after:__________ Right after:
-.5* Camber (within spec) -.1* Camber (within spec)
2.3* Caster (within spec) 1.8* Caster (out of spec)
.05* Toe (within spec) .06* Toe (within spec)

Total toe: .11* (within spec)

Does that help?

[chuckthefuk]

I'll run this by my buddy when I get to his shop in a few hours.. Going to finish of the Outback rebuild.

[decke48]

Did you get a four wheel alignment? (Didnt see specs) just wondering cause if the rear toe is off and they just adjusted the front the cars total toe (thust angle) is off. Causing the car to "dog tail" (car drives crooked) and will cause tire wear like camber wear.

[Huffer]

Strut brace has no effect on tire wear.

[mike-tracy]

Strut brace has no effect on tire wear.

Lol I have to disagree. I put my old strut bar on my ex's outback, and it corners so much better she chews through tires like nobody's business. Ok ok it's not strictly the strut bar's fault, but tires lasted way longer before. :grin:

[Huffer]

The car actually corners the same - it's just that as a driver you feel more resistance to body roll so you take the corner faster, which you could have previously, but the body roll causes you feel as if you are at the limit.

[Garrison]

No 4-wheel alignment; the last time I had it aligned, I gave it to my mechanic, who opted for a front wheel alignment

[jjay03]

What strut bars are you guys using I really want one for my 98 GT.

[chuckthefuk]

93 to 01 Impreza short style .

[jjay03]

what looks different about the short style just dont want to get one that wont fit.
Will one like this fit.
http://www.meganracing.com/product_deta ... 9&catid=35 (http://www.meganracing.com/product_detail.asp?prodid=549&catid=35)
or the gt spec
http://www.gtspec.com/product/gtspec-fr ... s-19962001 (http://www.gtspec.com/product/gtspec-front-strut-brace-subaru-impreza-gc825rs-19962001)

[chuckthefuk]

both will work or find the replica on ebay for much cheaper. Its just a front strut bar... the rear does way more just so you know.

[jjay03]

both will work or find the replica on ebay for much cheaper. Its just a front strut bar... the rear does way more just so you know.
thanks.
Ive had a couple front strut bars before some cars they made a big difference. Ill look for a knock off. I have a sedan so doubt ide need anything for the rear.

[chuckthefuk]

subaru's design the strut towers so close to the firewall there really isnt a need. Even in your BD chassis that rear seat supports act as a strut bar but whatever. They look nice :-D 02+ Impreza for the rear FYI

[jjay03]

Yes im not going to get the rear just the front. ^ Mike-tracy did say his made a pretty big difference so there is a lot of mixed reviews.. The strut towers on my protege were close to the firewall also but the STB made a big difference very noticeable.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/09/946758264-1.jpg (http://www.fquick.com/garages/viewgallery.php?action=viewimg&id=58264)

[chuckthefuk]

Its one of those things.. You bought a part so you search for every reason why it made a difference. Sway bars are way more effective then the struts but again do what you wish.

[anothernord]

Strut brace has no effect on tire wear.

Lol I have to disagree. I put my old strut bar on my ex's outback, and it corners so much better she chews through tires like nobody's business. Ok ok it's not strictly the strut bar's fault, but tires lasted way longer before. :grin:

You're a generous guy to be modding your ex-GF's car. :lol: Or maybe you need to get over her?

[jjay03]

Its one of those things.. You bought a part so you search for every reason why it made a difference. Sway bars are way more effective then the struts but again do what you wish.

I put on all new suspension, new rims with lower profile tires, new sway bars and after when I would switch direction fast like doing a slalom it had a slow response like the sidewalls of the tires were rolling over. I then got a front STB and that was all gone so I dont think it was in my head. Now some cars that have double wish bone suspension it is a waste of money.

[chuckthefuk]

to each their own

[MRLancaster]

I view it as a placebo effect on people. Just like they "feel" faster when they have a new exhaust. I noticed no difference when I put mine on, except I had a shiny bar under my hood.

[jjay03]

Ive also had cars where I installed a stb and noticed no difference so it depends on the chassis.

[mike-tracy]

Strut brace has no effect on tire wear.

Lol I have to disagree. I put my old strut bar on my ex's outback, and it corners so much better she chews through tires like nobody's business. Ok ok it's not strictly the strut bar's fault, but tires lasted way longer before. :grin:

You're a generous guy to be modding your ex-GF's car. :lol: Or maybe you need to get over her?

Lol that was from when we were together. I never took the bar back since it wasn't worth the hassle and bitching.

[Soul Shinobi]

There is technically a possible alignment change effect from installing a strut bar, but I don't think that's the case here. I had e-mailed Whiteline a while ago asking why their struts bars aren't reverse threaded on one side (which allows tensioning of the bar), they responded:

Yes all of our right hand thread as they are not suppose to be pre- tensioned as that would start to alter the wheel alignment and put unneeded pressure on the towers.
The brace is only there to stiffen the twist in the chassis slightly and keep camber settings the same during cornering.


That aside, strut bars do increase cornering performance, especially on strut type suspension (since the majority of road force is directed to the strut tower) but yes the beneficial effect is minor. It's more noticeable in higher mileage cars since the chassis fatigues (and even has a service life) so getting cheap eBay braces is a good way to combat that.

You have to understand that the chassis is part of the suspension, its flex contributes to 'total' suspension travel. Stiffening the chassis is not very different from stiffening springs, but again the effect is relatively minor, yet very real.

The notion that sway bars are a 'more valuable' mod because the effect is greater is a dangerous one. They should go hand-in-hand. Sway bars reduce body roll by putting that force into the chassis, bigger bars increase torsional (twisting) force on the chassis and increase chassis fatigue. To get the full effect of a sway bar, chassis bracing is a must. In fact, at an extreme there's a point where putting on a bigger sway bar won't increase roll resistance much at all because the bar stiffness has exceeded chassis torsional stiffness.

[Mark in NZ]

I'll second this - the effect is there and more noticable on an older chassis than a "tight" newer one. Poor man's roll cage - swaybars will help hold a car flatter, the idea of a strut brace is to make sure everything just stays as it should and reduce chassis flex, it doesn't promise anything more.

Most of the time to be fair you will look for improvement with it on - best way to tell would be put it on, get used to it, and see if you notice anything *worse* with it removed.

My current car it got rid of a creak from the front right instantly - still no idea where it was from, but showed the brace was at least doing something. The suspension is that stiff I can't notice anything else but.... at least it's shiny :D On my BG it made the front end a bit less "soggy" I suppose.

[Soul Shinobi]

Right on. Although, I wouldn't suggest they're a lesser version of a roll cage, a roll cage's real purpose is to protect the occupants, chassis rigidity just happens to be a side effect.