Making your own strut brace?

[RObErT_RaTh]

Just wandering if anyone here has made their own strut brace and if so how did they go about it? What materials/tools/methods did you use? I don't really feel like having to pay $250 for a custom one if it's possible to do it yourself so please share your thoughts, thanks.

[kingmick]

why not get one that is close and around $120 new and fill there drill holes up if needed and redrill your holes. must be something really close that you might be able to get away with slotting or opening up the holes and then using eliptical washer that you can make the same as the thickness of the mounting plates so it is then solid and cant move!
plenty of things like this you can do without making a whole brace! braces are not hard to make but why waste the time and money if you dont need two!
plenty of import place have, loads of used bars you could eye ball on your car to check them.

[roadsailing]

its fairly easy if you have all the stuff, the way i;d do it is this:

get plates made up that bolt to the strut towers (like normal)

make up a plate to bolt to the firewall if you want

get tubing (round i guess) and cut it to size to fit both plates

bolt the plates in place, tack weld the tubing to it - don't fully weld.

see if the bonnet closes

if it doesn;t, alter till it does.

if it does close, take it off and fully weld it. then paint it pink and stick a humerous performance sticker on it, like "backyard performance" or "backyard racing" or something.

then see if you can notice any difference in handling.

if your car is common, it would be less hassle and maybeye cheaper to just buy one.

tools needed:

welder

drill

hacksaw

steel and plenty of it

engineering shop (to make plates) or you could do them yourself at great labour

paint

beer would help.

[30psi 4agte]

yeah i have done it.

I made the strut tops out of cardboard ( template ) and then went and had them laser cut you could cut them yourself.

Then bolt the tops to the car and you can either weld a bar straight across or get a rear control arm from a corolla ( late model ) with the adjustable thread on it and weld this to the bar so that it is adjustable.

Or tap a thread in some alloy and do it this way. --- looks much neater.

[RObErT_RaTh]

Thanks for the tips so far. Is there any particular type/grade of steel I should use to make sure it's sturdy and is actually going to do the job?

30psi 4agte, where exactly did you get the strut tops made? In adelaide? And how much was it if you don't mind my asking?

[30psi 4agte]

i ahd them made at a place in wingfeild called laser cut.
But there is a place called Laser World Technologies at holden hill they are VERY well priced and will do one off stuff.

You should be able to get them done for around $30 bucks

[RObErT_RaTh]

Awesome, that you supplying the metal or them? So I just need to trace something out (to correct measurements ofcourse and correct bolt spacings) and they'll fab it up easy as that?

[brett_celicacoupe]

i began to make one but havent got around to finishing it. making the rings is probly the hardest part....i oxy'ed out the rough shape of the rings, then threw it in my lathe and neatened them up. if you got a 3jaw chuck then you can use the jaws as a guide for the 3 holes.

after that , you need to weld a couple lugs onto each ring, then you need a crossbar of some sort. personally, i would put a threaded bolt in the middle to allow some pretension. when i get around to mine, ill probly drop a leg down off it onto the steering box.....cause we all know how rigid they are

[RObErT_RaTh]

Have you got any pictures mate? Cheers

[brett_celicacoupe]

sorry..not really. ther is only 2 rings made anyway so it wont be of much help anyway

good luck with it though

[RObErT_RaTh]

That's cool, and thanks

[30psi 4agte]

nah they supply steel

[Norbie]

If this is for an MA61, it's interesting to note that S13 strut tops have a nearly identical bolt pattern. You can buy S13 strut braces for stuff-all, and getting a steel tube of the appropriate length cut and welded won't cost much at all. Food for thought.

[RObErT_RaTh]

If this is for an MA61, it's interesting to note that S13 strut tops have a nearly identical bolt pattern. You can buy S13 strut braces for stuff-all, and getting a steel tube of the appropriate length cut and welded won't cost much at all. Food for thought.

Have you managed to fit an s13 strut top to an ma61 with zero modifications? If so I might just do that and do the bar myself.

[LeeRoy]

If this is for an MA61, it's interesting to note that S13 strut tops have a nearly identical bolt pattern. You can buy S13 strut braces for stuff-all, and getting a steel tube of the appropriate length cut and welded won't cost much at all. Food for thought.

It would prob save a bit of hassle if you put an adjustable nut thingy in the middle so even it its off my a little bit you'll be able to adjust it so its right.

On a side note isn't alloy the preferred material?

- Leeroy