Homemade strut tower braces
08-01-13, 03:55 PM
#1
Homemade strut tower braces
Ok, so I've been wanting to make a front and rear set of strut tower bars for my LS. I know you can use the one from the mk4 TT for the front, but they dont make anything usable for the rear. And I also understand that a normal LS has a pretty stiff rear section and a strut bar will not help much. BUT my car has alot of the rear sheet metal cut out for the sub woofer box that is mounted in the rear deck. I know it has flex, because I can hear it making tweaking sounds around the box area. So I'm hoping this will help keep the rear end a little stiffer.
Anyway, my dad has access to some nice machines at his work. So he had the base plates cut for me. Over the next week, I'll be building the rear bar when I have time. Then I'll do the front. For the rear, the towers will sit up just enough to peek threw the dash pad that goes across the rear deck. And then the bar will just go straight across ontop of the pad. I thought it would look kinda cool seeing the subs and the strut bar on the rear deck lid.
Here's the base plates for the towers.
Anyway, my dad has access to some nice machines at his work. So he had the base plates cut for me. Over the next week, I'll be building the rear bar when I have time. Then I'll do the front. For the rear, the towers will sit up just enough to peek threw the dash pad that goes across the rear deck. And then the bar will just go straight across ontop of the pad. I thought it would look kinda cool seeing the subs and the strut bar on the rear deck lid.
Here's the base plates for the towers.
08-01-13, 07:01 PM
#4
Actually the reason the LS doesn't need shock tower braces isn't just because they're tied in by the rear deck.
It's because in a multilink and/or double-wishbone suspension configuration the upper shock mounts take next to no lateral loading. This is in contrast to a McPherson strut configuration where the upper mount takes load in all directions since it's the upper suspension pivot.
Hence the reasoning that shock tower braces on a xUCF anything are really just for show and the added "bracing" but are not nearly as important as a strut tower bar on say, a 240sx.
It's because in a multilink and/or double-wishbone suspension configuration the upper shock mounts take next to no lateral loading. This is in contrast to a McPherson strut configuration where the upper mount takes load in all directions since it's the upper suspension pivot.
Hence the reasoning that shock tower braces on a xUCF anything are really just for show and the added "bracing" but are not nearly as important as a strut tower bar on say, a 240sx.
08-01-13, 08:45 PM
#6
Lexus Champion
RA40 has the right idea, they make a good handle to bear your weight when leaning in to get at a hard to access bolt, so that you don't ruin anything delicate from our ever increasing fatness! 
08-05-13, 01:36 PM
#7
i want to see how you are going to link the rear shock towers when there is a huge piece of metal between them, unless that's the part you said you removed for the subwoofer (which i still don't understand with the fuel tank there). i suppose pics will make me a believer !
!
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08-05-13, 02:04 PM
#8
I used my expert paint skills to draw this up just for you "timmy0tool"! 
Ok so this should atleast give you an idea of how it will look and fit. This would be looking at it from inside the car. Gives you an idea of where the sub box is and how the strut bar will come across the deck. Please excuse my paint skills, they are a little rusty, but I think you will get the idea. Everything will be cut by cnc/plasma so it will be very clean.
Blue - sub box
red - is the dash pad
Ok so this should atleast give you an idea of how it will look and fit. This would be looking at it from inside the car. Gives you an idea of where the sub box is and how the strut bar will come across the deck. Please excuse my paint skills, they are a little rusty, but I think you will get the idea. Everything will be cut by cnc/plasma so it will be very clean.
Blue - sub box
red - is the dash pad
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