Suspension Rear strut brace
Thread Starter
|
4th Gear
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 558
Likes: 0
Rear strut brace
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,957
Likes: 2
From: a canyon, south Bay Area
Downward to the floor, as an example.
There are several threads here, this one I just found:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...l+longitudinal
Greatbear's commentary I find particularly important....
There are several threads here, this one I just found:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...l+longitudinal
Greatbear's commentary I find particularly important....
There are times when I read my old post and will come back and openly say that I was wrong in my past thinking, but this is absolutely not one of them. Adding that bar is doing nothing but tying the tops of the two rear fender wells together. Not sure why that would really help anything as the fender wells would just flex themselves. Nothing is stopping the body from twisting at all by doing this. Maybe if you welded a 1.75" x .065 steel bar at these points, it might help slightly.
I've got one from A Spec, and it was cheap. Thing is A Spec is becoming a pretty decent company. Just because a company comes out with a cheaper alternative to say a $200 rear stress bar from Moss MINI or MINI Mania, doesn't mean it s worthless. Yes, you have to becareful with certain products. You won't see a $18 short shifter on my car, but for something like the rear stress bar, it's well worth the money. Most people already have a beefier sway bar, and it's not practical for everybody to have a cage. Some MINI owners have a family. The thing is, it was never intended to keep the chassis from flexing....completely. It's just added support. People jump the gun and automatically think that the thing is going to keep the whole rear of the car from twisting. It's only an added enhancement.
By the way, it's not cheap poser bling. Any addition to structural support is worth it in my opinion.
By the way, it's not cheap poser bling. Any addition to structural support is worth it in my opinion.
Trending Topics
Okaaay its your car I won't argue with ya.
Remember that unlike the front strut suspension where the strut towers are subject to lateral, vertical and longitudinal loading, the rear suspension is a link design. All lateral loading is carried via the links to the crossmember then to the frame, longitudinal loading is imparted to the frame by the trailing link leaving only the vertical loading forces to be imparted anywhere above the floor. If you are interested in stiffening your rear suspension against deflection in turns and such, you are much better off by replacing the rubber bushed lateral links with heim jointed ones such as Alta's. Tying the rear shock towers together via a brace has no effect, since this brace is over two feet away from where all the action is happening under the floor. The shock 'towers' in the rear are only subject to vertical loading, and a simple lateral brace will have no effect on this. Had the MINI been designed with MacPherson struts in the rear as in front, then a lateral brace might have some effect.
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,957
Likes: 2
From: a canyon, south Bay Area
Prior to this thread starting, I PM'd several well-respected NAM members on this topic. These are guys who also track their cars, have or had bars, cages, have experimented with measuring the forces involved, and even designed their own chassis structural support systems...
The resounding response is that this bar, in its location, would have no benefit, other than maybe holding some dry-cleaning.
Since I already knew this form previous discussions (threads), I was inquiring about triangulating something like this. The response was a little more favorable, but still nothing like a roll bar/cage, or support from below, like the M7 USS.
The resounding response is that this bar, in its location, would have no benefit, other than maybe holding some dry-cleaning.
Since I already knew this form previous discussions (threads), I was inquiring about triangulating something like this. The response was a little more favorable, but still nothing like a roll bar/cage, or support from below, like the M7 USS.
Prior to this thread starting, I PM'd several well-respected NAM members on this topic. These are guys who also track their cars, have or had bars, cages, have experimented with measuring the forces involved, and even designed their own chassis structural support systems...
The resounding response is that this bar, in its location, would have no benefit, other than maybe holding some dry-cleaning.
Since I already knew this form previous discussions (threads), I was inquiring about triangulating something like this. The response was a little more favorable, but still nothing like a roll bar/cage, or support from below, like the M7 USS.
The resounding response is that this bar, in its location, would have no benefit, other than maybe holding some dry-cleaning.
Since I already knew this form previous discussions (threads), I was inquiring about triangulating something like this. The response was a little more favorable, but still nothing like a roll bar/cage, or support from below, like the M7 USS.
Jim
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Mikli
R55 :: Clubman Talk (2008+)
13
Jun 26, 2019 05:58 AM
igzekyativ
MINIs & Minis for Sale
28
Dec 23, 2015 10:36 AM
JaysinStrife
Suspension
7
Sep 7, 2015 12:52 PM