jerseybrandon

An airframe is an exception. As far as a true frame, I've never seen a full aluminum box tube frame. All aluminum components for automotive use are solid, not tube or box-tube. Solid aluminum control arms, engine cradles or subframe components etc. are one thing. Aluminum C-channel, hat channel full frames and rollcages do not exist to my knowledge. As to the strut tower brace in question, if its aluminum tube:bad

TYSON

Do you know what that is? It's the Lotus Elise, the best handling car on the market. Made entirely of aluminum tubing and plate. Even glued together.



10 pounds of aluminum is stronger than 10 lbs of steel.

defprun

if you want to compare say, that ebay bar versus a 100 dollar triangulated strut tower bar from CP racing, be my guest.



All I know is that, after the accident with the buick, the triangulated steel chassis brace saved my chassis from twisting. There wasnt a bend in it, and my alignment was still fine. In front of the bar , there was twisting of the rad support, it does need to get a new one welded in. That aluminum one wouldn't have done anything, it would have folded faster than me in a strip poker game with your mom.

TYSON

if you want to compare say, that ebay bar versus a 100 dollar triangulated strut tower bar from CP racing, be my guest.



All I know is that, after the accident with the buick, the triangulated steel chassis brace saved my chassis from twisting. There wasnt a bend in it, and my alignment was still fine. In front of the bar , there was twisting of the rad support, it does need to get a new one welded in. That aluminum one wouldn't have done anything, it would have folded faster than me in a strip poker game with your mom. [/quote]

Since you quoted me, I assume you're talking to me.



You offer your OPINION based on what? The rest of us are discussing material properties and their use for keeping the strut towers apart.



You are talking about using your car as a bumper car.



Some of the rest of us have at our disposal the means and experience to compare material strengths, design and their application.



You smashed your car into another car and somehow draw the conclusion you should be part of this conversation.



The strut tower bar that Cheers! originally posted is not very good, for all the reasons that have already been posted. But it it NOT because it is made of aluminum.

1988RedT2

I didn't have time to read this entire thread, but I picked up the most important words: Avoid. Stretched. Rear.



I don't care what the thing costs. I'm getting mine today!

Cheers!

tek,



u are not getting my point. There is no way the rear shock towers will move that much such that the ebay ricer bar would break. For a force to break the welds on the poorly triangulated bar would probably require your shoock tower to move 1 cm if there was no bar. I would assume that the rx7 is pretty ridig in it won't move that much.





as for using a strut tower bar to help prevent further damange then if u were to not use one. Maybe in your special case it worked. BUt if you had a big enough impact you would shift the front engine bay and subframe even more and do even more damage then without the strut tower bar.



as for materials property, who wants to discuss materials property?

Sinful7

Hey I have that book!

defprun

I base my oppinions mainly on years of watching star trek and shadetree mechanic, it is also where I got my self-drawn-in-crayon degree in material composition.

BuckO

Ya and hanging around cp junkyard and being brain washed thinking that

steel strut bar they make is the cats ***...NOT

UniqueTII

Do we really need old threads like this dragged up just to start some ****?