Best thing I've done to my car recently is pull off the front strut brace
 

With the brace attached, the car felt very twitchy in sharp corners. For example, during a hard left turn the rt rear felt like it would plant then the entire car would want to rapidly pivot off this wheel. I don't know if it was causing weight to be removed from the front left tire or what.

With the brace removed the car feels much more planted around sharp corners. It feels like the inside front is holding on much tighter.

Anyway, I thought I would share my experience and see if any suspension gurus had any insight. Is what I'm saying plausible, or placebo???

You mean the in-the-engine-bay brace?
What else changed besides weather, dirt on road, tire pressure and the rest?

from what i've read (don't believe everything you read on the internet, amirite?) the strut tower brace does nothing unless it also attaches to the back of the engine bay as well as going across.

yay

http://assets0.saferacer.com/images/P/904-651_1_lg.gif

nay

http://www.trackdogracing.com/websit...os/tdr_STB.jpg

plus if the brace is attached with one bolt like the above, it's just a pivot point and provides zero benefit.

I read something that said front strut braces hurt miata handling. Maybe it was on M.net?

Nothing else changed. The corner I'm referencing is the entrance to where I work. I'm very familiar with how the car feels going into this corner. Downhill straight, turn across lane of oncoming traffic, and transition to uphill off camber. ~ 90 degree turn. Anyway, because it is uphill and off camber it seems to put a lot of weight over the right rear.

I removed the strut brace and now the car is much more confidence inspiring. It doesn't feel like the rear is going to snap around as the hill flattens out.

The front SHOCK brace does two things:
1) It adds weight to your car.
2) It removes funds from your wallet.

Mine is currently functioning as a fine towel bar in my garage.

3) It can be used as mount for a master cylinder brace. This does not require a full brace, however.

Might there have been any research by Mazda when they started putting them in at the factory or was it to appease the public to think they were getting a better mdification since it's a popular aftermarket piece?

4) gives you a place to put your hand when leaning over the engine so you don't burn yourself.

have the tdr brace, was free and it the only one that fits over a twin screw. with it on the car fells better but i have 01+ rb bar and brace with door bars and fm rear bar. maybe with stock sways it feels better but on both my nbs i like it with it on the car.

Until you use it to lean on after running the car. Then it'sa good way to burn the fuck out of your hand.

I've got door bars, fm sways, good shocks, big cock, roll bar, and it feels better off the car.

It took it off once didn't like it, so I put it back on. I wish I had run it a little harder the first time. I think normal cruising seems to feel a little better with the bar, but I like it without much better in the corners.

I've heard they are most useful on McPherson type strut suspension when attached to the firewall, this configuration was factory on the 323 GTR's.

Also every protege 5 I've seen has had a factory one, of the non firewall variety iirc.

I heard they are worth 50whp?

I knew more car felt slower on the butt dyno.

I've got the 'holy grail' Carbing 3 point brace and I'm quite certain it doesn't do shit in terms of stiffening the chassis.

-The firewall, even with the brace, still flexes
-The way the cross braces terminate into the mounting points does not offer a direct transfer of load. Even with the stiffening bends on the mount, it looks like it would flex.
-I can flex the thing by hand. This isn't exactly a finite element analysis, but it also doesn't convince me it could tame a wobbly chassis.

I DO think think is helps with NHV some and it makes for a nice place to zip tie vacuum lines I don't want flopping around in a hot engine bay.

It also pops boners on CR.

The welds are pretty.

-Zach

Thats why the oil cap is plastic yo

if you own one of those things, sell it

do you want mine, it's not even connected at the shock tower.?

I am a man, I have a goddamn cage.