tom's 6 link and stuff thoughts
 

i just finished installing the tom's 6 link. let me tell you that the directions that come with the tom's 6 link sucks. being written in japanese is one thing but the illustration is horrible. it looks like someone had drawn the diagram which where no help. the only thing that i could really make out was the steps 1, 2, and 3..but anyhow.

the installation was a bit tricky but it is doable at home if you have a little sense of where things should go. of course i had to search and search CL for a little bit of help on installation. the kit replaces 2 bars and adds 4 more. the install was pretty much staight forward if you follow the 1, 2, 3 steps. i did the install at my friend's fab shop to use his his power tools which came in handy. he inspected the tom's 6 link before i had put them on and he told me that they were made of cheap materials. :uh: he fabs stuff for drifters and other people in the car industry for living so i take his word for it. he just finished a car for north american honda due to be out any day now.

with that being said, i was a little bit dissapointed but if you could sell these links for a few hundred bucks, i would do the same. in my opinion, the link could have had better welding jobs. as far as fitment..they fit good and gave no issues.

now time for the drive. i already have the toms front control bar, trd sway, hks coilovers, daizen bushings, and now the 6 link.

i took it on the on and off ramp, and through some turns with twists and i must say, im quite impressed with those little links back there. the rear feels tighter and i feel like it responds better.maybe it me "hyping" it up.

i guess that concludes my 2 cents but honestly, i think the mod should only be between 150-195 bucks.

Should have taken some 'in progress' pictures and wrote up a DIY. Mine will be going on soon enough and will be providing a DIY how to for those that might be interested! Same goes for EVERYTHING I have aquired for my car.

Not sure how a visual inspection would tell if the links were made from 'cheap' materials:uh: I'm a metallurgical engineer with 28 years experience in materials and processing in the turbine industry. We use some of the most exotic materials in the world and I am familiar with most all of them - that still would not allow me to make such a statement after a visual inspection. Now maybe if I had and x-ray fluorescence analyzer - or scanning electron microscope -or- you get my drift.... Did he do a hardness check? You can believe him or not - that's up to you, but I know it's not possible by visual examination alone to determine if the metal is cheap or not.

Most importantly the 6 links do add stability to the rear end of the GS. The modulus of elasticity ( stiffness ) is nearly the same on all steel alloys, only the yield/tensile strength/ ductility vary significantly. Deflection is controlled by modulus and permanent set ( bending ) is a function of yield strength. So as long as you never have a bending issue with the links, they'll work just like more expensive steel alloys ( and thats assuming they are some cheap steel alloy ) as long as they are same diameter and wall thickness.

Teelex,

of all the TOM's braces, which one made the single largest contribution towards handling?

If I could only get one of the three, which one would you recommend?

Thanks for your input.

Well it probably depends on what handling mods you already have. Example - I had Tein CS with EDFC and Daizen sways before I put any chassis bracing on ( I also had a UGO carbon rear strut tower bar ). The Teins and Daizens helped out a whole bunch in the handling department.

Next I purchased the Toms front lower chassis brace ( the A brace ) and I could immediately tell the difference in steering response - a significant improvement.

I then added the rear Toms lower chassis brace and finally the Toms 6 links followed by the Carson Tuned front strut tower bar. Fro me it was hard to discern if the rear lower chassis or the 6 links made more of a difference - certainly the combination made the rear end stiffer and better behaved.

So I think it would definitely be a function of what you have currently, but for me, after the coilovers and sways, I would buy the front lower chassis brace first ( it really tightens up the front end and makes a significant steering response improvement ). Of course I would not want to give up any of my handling mods.:D

Next up for me are Zeal Function Xs coilovers.:thumbup:

Thanks for your feedback:)

teelex.

thanks for your info on the functions of the links. it makes lots of sense what you said about the durability and stiffness of the links. as i said, if i could make a few bucks more, i surely would. it pure economics. but the only thing i have to say is, they could have done a better "looking" weld job.

from my experience, the "A" toms lower front bar made a big difference. much more so than the rear. the rear just added a bit more "togetherness". the only thing i havent installed is the lower rear bar..this may be done this weekend if im up for it.

DrvnConcept did u put up the DIY yet?