My DIY rear strut bar for MA61

[Gibbon]

After reading about rear strut bars, and seeing how expensive there are, I thought I'd have a go at making one myself. I had a front bar that I won on ebay - but it was too short for the MA61 - so it has sat around for the last 18 months taking up space.

This is what I started with. A length of aluminum for $5 from the metal scrap yard, and a front strut bar I won on ebay for 0.99c.



This is where it will sit - under the brackets that hold the rear seats up.



After working out how long the brackets need to be, and the location of the holes under the seat brackets.



Here's a test fit - I ground out a little bit for the bracket to sit in.



Rinse and repeat for the other side - and a test fit to check the width.



After knocking off the corners and doing up the bolts on the swaybar, this is where it sits.



Close up of a finished bracket



How it sits once the seats are back in their upright position



Sits out from the seats so it can be used as a tie down point as well



And once the cargo blind is on - nothing to see !



I haven't driven the car yet to see what, if any, difference it makes.

Cheers

[woggin]

thats pretty cool man, i was going to down sumthing like this when i had my ma61, i was going to use stainless 18mm dia. rod with crushed end, it was going to be bolted to the actual strut towers, then i was going to use a similar piece and go across the rear seat latches, then they would of been welded together for that additional triangulation strength!

good diy!

[Norbie]

I haven't driven the car yet to see what, if any, difference it makes.

In my experience, none.

However it is useful for tying down the sub box.

[mullett]

Tidy install, but I'd replace the flat aluminium with a box section, or ideally with one straight section all the way across, as the flatbar will easily flex vertically and allow movement

-RM

[allencr]

what, if any, difference it makes.

Much ado about nothing.

[CELICASUPRA7M]

i have a simmilar bar in my ma61 and it does nothing at all, i mean when you think about it, its bolted down with 6mm bolts to a folded sheet metal seat bracket so no load can ever really go through it.
not dissing your work tho man, look tops

[RALLY_RA65]

effective or not its a nice use of throwaway materials