Difference in handling after installing the strut tower brace?

[Fast/Furious]

CAMARO 1LE STRUT TOWER BRACE Part #: 22756880

Is the difference in handling noticeable?

[nyrfan]

Unless you are really a car handling guy you'll likely feel no difference at all. The average driver is just not going to feel the difference.

But it does look good!

[Apex Motorsports]

A strut tower brace has it's place in a full suspension/chassis package, but there is much lower hanging fruit for someone that is just looking to improve street performance. Look into sway bars are rear cradle bushings.

[Ir0nM4n]

As far as a strut tower brace, really as APEX Chase stated there are other parts that need to be changed way before that brace.. I would say the Brace is dead last. If you still want one, do a search here and read. Car and Driver even explained it and for our car really its more for astetics than anything.

[wakespeak]

I bought mine for stiffness over bumps as much as handling. I want the chassis to stay tight over time. I agree there is little difference in handling and it does look cool.

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by wakespeak

I bought mine for stiffness over bumps as much as handling. I want the chassis to stay tight over time. I agree there is little difference in handling and it does look cool.

I bought the GM vert brace.It helped over bumps. Other then that looks good with the engine bay mods and good place to sit your beer..lol

[SPCBA]

No numbers or proof that it does anything for our cars.

[alcal1084]

i love when people say it does nothing for our cars but yet both the 1LE and ZL1 both have them!!! Next time i see Al O. im going to tell him its not needed and see what he says!!!

[tramtwo]

Originally Posted by Fast/Furious

CAMARO 1LE STRUT TOWER BRACE Part #: 22756880

Is the difference in handling noticeable?

Yes but only for those 9 and 10 10ths drivers.

[JDP Sales]

They do stiffen the chassis, but that doesn't really translate into handling benefits. For the most part they just look good under the hood.

Best regards,

Tyler
888-308-6007

[SPCBA]

Originally Posted by alcal1084

i love when people say it does nothing for our cars but yet both the 1LE and ZL1 both have them!!! Next time i see Al O. im going to tell him its not needed and see what he says!!!

Hahaha. Please show me where non verts need further chassis strength or firmness in the front of the car.
GM does put stuff on cars because it looks cool. I would welcome any data that says the bar does any benefit in regards to handling. I would put the pfadt one in my garage on immediatly.

There are some folks that have made the bar look pretty slick...i always admire a well done up engine bay...let's be honest the LS isnt the prettiest thing around...it is a workhorse not a show engine without some serious treatment like what VRBaron has done.

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by SPCBA

Hahaha. Please show me where non verts need further chassis strength or firmness in the front of the car.
GM does put stuff on cars because it looks cool. I would welcome any data that says the bar does any benefit in regards to handling. I would put the pfadt one in my garage on immediatly.

There are some folks that have made the bar look pretty slick...i always admire a well done up engine bay...let's be honest the LS isnt the prettiest thing around...it is a workhorse not a show engine without some serious treatment like what VRBaron has done.

Thanks!

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Fast/Furious

CAMARO 1LE STRUT TOWER BRACE Part #: 22756880

Is the difference in handling noticeable?

What you'll mostly notice from any two-point STB is a change in the NVH, and this is a good enough reason all by itself for most street driven cars.

The "butt-meter" isn't at all good at measuring small differences lateral g's, and will usually confuse a reduction in NVH with improved general chassis stiffness. At best, any two-point STB provides a local stiffness improvement.

Do not expect the addition of a STB to improve the actual cambers that the front tires actually run at while cornering by much, which is ultimately what stiffening the chassis torsionally is trying to do.

Originally Posted by alcal1084

i love when people say it does nothing for our cars but yet both the 1LE and ZL1 both have them!!! Next time i see Al O. im going to tell him its not needed and see what he says!!!

To the extent that less NVH and a more solid-feeling chassis improves driver confidence to drive harder/closer to the limit, there is at least an indirect effect going on. Most of any overall performance benefit will be here. The emphasis here is on "feeling".

Originally Posted by SPCBA

Hahaha. Please show me where non verts need further chassis strength or firmness in the front of the car.

Out near the very limits of cornering, and more so with tires more grippy than true street tires, there is nearly always some benefit to adding chassis stiffness. If necessary, I can find a paper describing how adding a few carefully placed tubes even improved the stiffness of a full-cage tube frame NASCAR 'Cup' car.

Whether any actual measured performance improvement is worth the added weight and increased difficulty in accessing whatever lies below or behind the added stiffening is a whole 'nother question.


Norm
(mostly retired structural guy)