Critique My home made triangular strut bar

[godrifttoday]

So after 25 dollars and a couple of hours of fabricating I finished my strut bar Ideally I wanted the front strut bar without any bends but it was not possible unless I dropped the motor or lifted the hood with washers, did not want to do any of that. I know it's best to have a straight bar across the towers, but in my case it was not possible... The bars going to the firewall are straight attached to a 1/8 plate which bolts on to another 1/8 plate behind the firewall.. The plates for the shock are also 1/8 thick. I made them from scratch, I rounded them off to give a nicer appearance... I just need to weld a master cylinder brace. But any inputs what you guys might think about the bar?

[hai1206vn]

The 2 strut plates will need strengthening. Basically some kind of gusset around the edge of each plate, i don't know what to call it. The plates you have right now will flex a lot vertically.

The rest looks good.

[Preston]

Looks good, did you weld the bolts on the in the firewall plate for ease of removal? (just take nuts off when doing motor work, etc).

[Def]

Needs gussets.. lots of gussets. I'd put another piece of tubing going from the triangular tubes to the strut tower plate as well to really spread the load there.

Looks good though.

[Matt93SE]

your puppy has large feet.

[godrifttoday]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies, from what i understood how would the following work? and if i dont have a tool to make gussets can i can basically just weld sheet metal to the bars?:

Looks good, did you weld the bolts on the in the firewall plate for ease of removal? (just take nuts off when doing motor work, etc). .

i have a 1/8 plate in the back where i welded some special nut to it so i can just bolt them on

[Def]

Gussets are just plates in shear, so yea, sheet metal. Any holes or dimple die forming is just eye candy on a piece like this really.

I don't know if it needs a second set of legs going back. I'd just do another tube going out of the firewall tubes to the strut plate, attaching about 1/4 the way down the firewall tubes from the strut tower.

Then just put some gussets on all those pieces, and at the firewall if you've got room.


BTW - where are your brake lines?

[Bubba]

As previously stated, looks good other than the plates looking slightly weak. Great attempt, I like seeing people that try to do their own work.

[godrifttoday]

Gussets are just plates in shear, so yea, sheet metal. Any holes or dimple die forming is just eye candy on a piece like this really.

I don't know if it needs a second set of legs going back. I'd just do another tube going out of the firewall tubes to the strut plate, attaching about 1/4 the way down the firewall tubes from the strut tower.

Then just put some gussets on all those pieces, and at the firewall if you've got room.


BTW - where are your brake lines?

how about this def? i cant do it any closer since i wont be able to take the bolts out if needed....



my brakes are tucked inside the cabin, since i also have a hydro e-brake, and a right hand drive master cylinder, i just wanted a cleaner look thats all

[godrifttoday]

As previously stated, looks good other than the plates looking slightly weak. Great attempt, I like seeing people that try to do their own work.

When u mean weak are u referring to not having enough gussets?

[godrifttoday]

As previously stated, looks good other than the plates looking slightly weak. Great attempt, I like seeing people that try to do their own work.

When u mean weak are u referring to not having
gussets?

[Def]

how about this def? i cant do it any closer since i wont be able to take the bolts out if needed....



my brakes are tucked inside the cabin, since i also have a hydro e-brake, and a right hand drive master cylinder, i just wanted a cleaner look thats all

Eliminate the orange/yellow tubes (guess that's what they're representing).

Put a sheet metal gusset on the main horizontal tube going to the firewall tubes(to keep the "triangle" from collapsing as easily). Also continue the red lines you added with an additional tube going horizontal between the firewall tubes. This will keep the triangle from "collapsing" some more.

I think with two tubes welded to the strut tower plates you'll have plenty of strength there. Some small gussets might look trick if you want to spend the time. Just take a tube and cut it short (like 1"), then cut it diagonally. Weld each piece on the sides of the tubes where it contacts the plate. This will act like a small gusset that's strong in multiple planes instead of a simple sheet metal gusset which is weak in everything but it's main plane (folds like a piece of paper in bending).

[godrifttoday]

Eliminate the orange/yellow tubes (guess that's what they're representing).

Put a sheet metal gusset on the main horizontal tube going to the firewall tubes(to keep the "triangle" from collapsing as easily). Also continue the red lines you added with an additional tube going horizontal between the firewall tubes. This will keep the triangle from "collapsing" some more.

I think with two tubes welded to the strut tower plates you'll have plenty of strength there. Some small gussets might look trick if you want to spend the time. Just take a tube and cut it short (like 1"), then cut it diagonally. Weld each piece on the sides of the tubes where it contacts the plate. This will act like a small gusset that's strong in multiple planes instead of a simple sheet metal gusset which is weak in everything but it's main plane (folds like a piece of paper in bending).

thanks again for all the info def. i totally get what u are saying, the bar on the passenger side will work just fine as discuss before, but for the driver side it would no,t do to the master cylnder resevoir in the way. what if i just do the bars like so and in corperating the horizontal bars as described and the yellow is the sheet metal. on some of the smaller sizes i can cut out small 1/8 thick triangles to work too

[Bubba]

All I meant was, at first glance they seemed a little insufficient. Looking at it more, they seem fine.
With Def making suggestions you'll be steered more in the correct direction.

If I had a pc to use I would try to Microsoft paint a suggestion or two. LoL

[Def]

Looks good. Might not need all those gussets, but thin tubing doesn't weigh much and it will increase its stiffness in bending.

The next step for stiffness would be another bar going horizontally across the engine where your two other horizontal bars are you just added. Basically over the #4 spark plug. That will essentially make it two triangulated boxes, vs. the open triangle you have now(which can skew/distort easier with load put across it).