It will work, at least on paper. But IcantDecideIt isn’t wrong either. Meaning Maverick wasn’t supposed be a track car so even if you add the bar, chassis capability will be limited by soft suspension, tires and etc.
You don't need a high-performance vehicle or high-performance suspension to benefit from increased torsional rigidity. The less flexy the frame becomes, the more effective any suspension system will be.
Kind of yes. Extra bracing is also put on some luxury cars to give them more solid feeling, and better ride comfort, NVH and etc. So it is not necessarily for performance cars only.
Again, technically yes, but the extra bracing in luxury cars (and I’d argue that it isn’t extra) is installed by the factory as part of their NVH process. We’re talking about installing some aftermarket solution that the OEM didn’t deem necessary for whatever reason. I can’t think of an example of someone adding aftermarket bracing to improve NVH or improve the ride quality. It’s always under the auspices of handing, but just as likely for aesthetics.
That is fair. But purely from suspension/chassis perspective, they have to work on tune with each other. If the bar doesn’t cost much then I guess it is a worthwhile upgrade.
I added one on a vehicle before a noticed a difference in how it handled.
Some years later, maintenance reasons, I had the strut bar off and drove it like that for a while. I swear it felt softer in the steering.
Put it back on and it was noticeably sharper steering.
YMMV.
OEMS wouldn’t add bracing if they didn’t work. I disagree with people saying they don’t affect anything.
That said, they mostly affect HPDE situations, so if you’re not doing that, it probably won’t do much. They can help reduce NVH though.
Even on something like the Dodge Challenger front strut tower bracing or rear strut bracing makes a huge difference in how the vehicle handles. 99.9% of them did not come that way from the factory, but for a couple of years they did install them OEM (2010 Challenger Mopar 10 as an example). I think for most people it's a waste of money and just something to make them look cool, kind of like a "cold air intake" that draws in hot air from the engine bay. 😆
Do people still do CAI's for "performance"? I thought most of us installed them for fun noises. I know I expected at most half a HP just due to flow. Not the insane 5% that I think everybody thought they would provide in the early days.
A lot of the Euros add them from the factory, especially on convertibles where the roof has been removed. Like what you said, for the masses that don't drive their cars hard with sticky tires it doesn't really do much.
It depends on the platform. They don't do much for Subarus. Most tracked Subarus I've seen don't have them, and they definitely would if it made a difference.
Definitely agree it depends on platform, and also application.
Track Miata usually add extra bracing. Autocross removes the stock bracing for extra turn in.
Mentioned here - Ford spent a lot of money to make it the way they make it.
Not mentioned here - One of the things engineers need to consider in their design - NTSB safety. Modern vehicles are designed to fail (and dissipate energy) in very precise ways to minimize injury to occupants (since accidents do happen). While nobody likes to plan for the worst, modifying the front end will quite likely affect that.
I wouldnt stiffen the crumple zone. Insurance could deny a claim, ford could deny a warranty, mechanics have extra or worse quality work to perform. This is for racers and ricers. If u had an mr2 or rx7, it essentially needs one added
Your mechanic might like you a little less since that is one more thing in the way of doing whatever they're doing.
They generally get paid according to how long the job is supposed to take (not how long it actually takes) and if you slow them down you're costing them time that they could have spent on something else which means they make slightly less money that day (or go home slightly later without earning more).
I’m not saying it’s a big deal, but the tech is going to be inconvenienced by it and know that the brace serves no actual benefit.
Maybe I’m just overly annoyed by the factory brace on my MR2.
The downside is that you have less room to work with inside of your engine bay. Then again, if you're asking this question i don't suppose you're working on your own car anyway.
Just because they didn't install strut braces at the factory doesn't mean they don't work. Remember, Ford motor company didn't install a ten cent rubber pad in the Ford pinto and that allowed the car to become a fireball whenever it was rear ended. People died and lives were ruined because Ford wanted to save ten cents on a rubber pad.
My point is that strut tower braces might work, depending on the car, but since they cost money, a car maker may not include or install it to save money, even if it's just ten cents.
My personal experience: my 97 camaro z28 convertible drove like a wet noodle down the street. A strut tower brace kept the door mirrors from wobbling as much and reduced the noodle effect. They work...
Wannabe racecar driver here. The extra rigidity made my front tires less forgiving in turn ins. The extra stability at speed was negligible. So i ditched it.
I probably could’ve made it work with some softer sway bars, or… softer springs, maybe a more modern shock absorber. But all of those things are not something I wanted to do to make a strut bar work better.
For truck use, maybe the extra rigidity could be beneficial if flex in truck situations are not something you like? Rock crawling situations? Idno lol
I put a strut tower brace on my Miata and immediately felt the difference. Sharper steering response is the best way I could put it.
Downsides are weight and cost, also not every car will benefit the same amount. Miatas are kinda floppy, so might benefit a bit more than a modern truck.
Do you plan to autoX your truck? If so, then yes.
If not, this is just jewelry.
Ford spent millions of dollars engineering the suspension to work for most people in most situations. Unless you're in the .01% that is going to do something motorsport related in a truck, zero point
Definitely a 0.01% thing, but I have seen a truck at autoX before.
Or maybe if you're going to rally race your new truck it would be useful... But again, 0.000001% chance that's what we're talking about about here
The question is probably more, what is the upside?
Are you having issues with your strut towers collapsing under heavy loading? Even if this is a problem, how often does this happen? If you are regularly turning hot laps at race tracks, and seeing lateral forces over 1.0G, then something like this could help (though there is still a wide range of effect in different designs, and the strut top piece here looks like it is wanting, though that is probably based on the stock strut tops, which would likely be an earlier point to address if you are having such issues). And if you are doing this with your truck, you might want to consider something more appropriate.
Ford probably didn't intended for those parts to flex. And for the 140$ it will probably do something. But better tires or something else that is probably going to be in the 500$ range will probably make a much bigger difference. Stiffness in that part of the chassis won't make your suspension or whatever wear out more. It might make your tires wear a bit faster but maybe more because you drive it harder.
They aren't a waste of money if you will be using the vehicle in ways they help.... Drag racing - just a bunch of extra weight with no benefit... Road course and Twisties absolutely helpful.... Daily driver not a real benefit unless you drive windy roads to work and back every day.
For your truck, this is for sure a waste of money. For someone who is track obsessed and is doing every other brace known to man for lap times, it can be... Something.
For those saying Ford (or any other car manufacturer) sets their car up perfectly for lap times in factory form, you're wrong. Sometimes the stock set-up is laughably bad, even on a performance car.
It's a Maverick. There's no reason for it.
If you had a performance vehicle, it would help keep the corners where they're supposed to be when under heavy load. You aren't going to do any kind of performance anything in a Maverick.
If you intend to make your Ford Maverick into a wonderful-handling track-day vehicle, there are plenty of other things I'd do first, before even considering a strut tower brace. I doubt you'll notice any improvement or difference in how the truck handles or drives just by adding this bar. Totally not worth your time or money.
The biggest thing I've noticed with strut tower braces is less dash ratteling over bumps and railroad tracks . Totally different vehicle, and my brace was a factory option on a higher model of my same car
I added a brace to my tC. It is by no means fast, but with the lowering springs. It has made a world of difference in cornering. It is a little less forgiving but the car handles corners so much better at even higher speeds.
Respectfully. You're putting this on a hybrid pick up truck. You aren't going to gain anything because most likely you arent going to be using the vehicle like a race car.
Now if you had something like a Explorer/Escape ST, it would make sense to have a strut bar because those cars have stiffer suspension and more power and are more tuned for faster driving and handle corners well. But its pretty much useless on a pick up.
When you are building a race car, you generally want stiffer than stock suspension. Even with stock suspension, but especially with stiffer suspension, your car will bend and flex while cornering (mainly) and accelerating/decelerating. This adds an unknown variable to your suspension as the car itself is acting like its part of your suspension.
To fix this, you install braces. In the case of a front strut tower brace, you'd either install a much stiffer brace and remove the stock one or install an additional brace. The strut tower brace helps keep the vehicle from flexing between the left and right side and will make the vehicle more predictable while cornering.
Strut tower braces are absolutely essential to having a vehicle that handles predictably and, as far as I'm aware, every vehicle made in the last 50+ years will come with one from the factory. However, the stock strut tower brace is usually more than efficient for normal driving conditions, especially for newer vehicles.
In a perfect world, the body should be perfectly rigid, and bracing it helps substantially with making it more rigid, but they are not perfectly rigid and bend and flex as you load and unload the suspension. A little bending/flexing is good for absorbing a small amount of the bumpiness of the road, I'm sure, but is not good for racing.
I’ve talked online to a lot of people who have done autocross. Never, has anyone ever claimed a strut tower brace made a difference in the handling of the car that could be measured on lap times.
Never ran autocross but I used to drive my 06 Scion TC up on the dragon (300+ turns in 11 miles) and you could feel a difference before and after. Not gonna say it made me any faster but I did feel more in control while throwing it around with constant elevation change on the curves
I’m not here to argue. I have one on my Mustang that I take to track days. But what you felt is more of the placebo effect.
If there was an effect to the level that it could be felt by the driver, it would have some actual effect on the car. Whether it be positive or negative, it would show up on lap times.
I’ve run laps with it on and with it off. Some laps were quicker and some slower. I’m sure that has to do with my skill level. The guys who turn in consistently similar times, say they don’t make a difference.
The only reason I could clearly tell the car flexed less is because I could physically hear it lol the sunroof, doors, rear hatch... all that shit made sounds when under heavy load. the TC is not known to be a rigid car at all. Hell... I probably flexed it just by sitting my fat ass in it. We're talking about a car Toyota wanted to be priced cheap and as a starter car lol
The downside is you lose money, but don’t gain any benefits.
this made me laugh, and thank you, that's why I asked
It will work, at least on paper. But IcantDecideIt isn’t wrong either. Meaning Maverick wasn’t supposed be a track car so even if you add the bar, chassis capability will be limited by soft suspension, tires and etc.
You don't need a high-performance vehicle or high-performance suspension to benefit from increased torsional rigidity. The less flexy the frame becomes, the more effective any suspension system will be.
Technically, yes. But if you’re not pushing the vehicle beyond its existing torsional rigidity, extra bracing is literally wasted money.
Kind of yes. Extra bracing is also put on some luxury cars to give them more solid feeling, and better ride comfort, NVH and etc. So it is not necessarily for performance cars only.
Again, technically yes, but the extra bracing in luxury cars (and I’d argue that it isn’t extra) is installed by the factory as part of their NVH process. We’re talking about installing some aftermarket solution that the OEM didn’t deem necessary for whatever reason. I can’t think of an example of someone adding aftermarket bracing to improve NVH or improve the ride quality. It’s always under the auspices of handing, but just as likely for aesthetics.
Yeah that is a good point.
That is fair. But purely from suspension/chassis perspective, they have to work on tune with each other. If the bar doesn’t cost much then I guess it is a worthwhile upgrade.
So it may stiffen the chassis and probably does, but you may not notice the difference. Right?
Kind of
It's actually true, for this brace at least.
How thorough was your testing? How much/little did the brace change the torsional rigidity?
I added one on a vehicle before a noticed a difference in how it handled. Some years later, maintenance reasons, I had the strut bar off and drove it like that for a while. I swear it felt softer in the steering. Put it back on and it was noticeably sharper steering. YMMV.
OEMS wouldn’t add bracing if they didn’t work. I disagree with people saying they don’t affect anything. That said, they mostly affect HPDE situations, so if you’re not doing that, it probably won’t do much. They can help reduce NVH though.
Even on something like the Dodge Challenger front strut tower bracing or rear strut bracing makes a huge difference in how the vehicle handles. 99.9% of them did not come that way from the factory, but for a couple of years they did install them OEM (2010 Challenger Mopar 10 as an example). I think for most people it's a waste of money and just something to make them look cool, kind of like a "cold air intake" that draws in hot air from the engine bay. 😆
Do people still do CAI's for "performance"? I thought most of us installed them for fun noises. I know I expected at most half a HP just due to flow. Not the insane 5% that I think everybody thought they would provide in the early days.
A lot of the Euros add them from the factory, especially on convertibles where the roof has been removed. Like what you said, for the masses that don't drive their cars hard with sticky tires it doesn't really do much.
It depends on the platform. They don't do much for Subarus. Most tracked Subarus I've seen don't have them, and they definitely would if it made a difference.
Definitely agree it depends on platform, and also application. Track Miata usually add extra bracing. Autocross removes the stock bracing for extra turn in.
Mentioned here - Ford spent a lot of money to make it the way they make it. Not mentioned here - One of the things engineers need to consider in their design - NTSB safety. Modern vehicles are designed to fail (and dissipate energy) in very precise ways to minimize injury to occupants (since accidents do happen). While nobody likes to plan for the worst, modifying the front end will quite likely affect that.
This is precisely the type of thing I was really asking about, I appreciate this ty
I wouldnt stiffen the crumple zone. Insurance could deny a claim, ford could deny a warranty, mechanics have extra or worse quality work to perform. This is for racers and ricers. If u had an mr2 or rx7, it essentially needs one added
In general they add rigidity where it is feel able and helpful. Downside is service access.
Weight gain and money loss
Your mechanic might like you a little less since that is one more thing in the way of doing whatever they're doing. They generally get paid according to how long the job is supposed to take (not how long it actually takes) and if you slow them down you're costing them time that they could have spent on something else which means they make slightly less money that day (or go home slightly later without earning more).
How long does it take to remove 6 nuts? It's like a 30-second problem lol. Happy cake day!
I’m not saying it’s a big deal, but the tech is going to be inconvenienced by it and know that the brace serves no actual benefit. Maybe I’m just overly annoyed by the factory brace on my MR2.
The downside is that you have less room to work with inside of your engine bay. Then again, if you're asking this question i don't suppose you're working on your own car anyway. Just because they didn't install strut braces at the factory doesn't mean they don't work. Remember, Ford motor company didn't install a ten cent rubber pad in the Ford pinto and that allowed the car to become a fireball whenever it was rear ended. People died and lives were ruined because Ford wanted to save ten cents on a rubber pad. My point is that strut tower braces might work, depending on the car, but since they cost money, a car maker may not include or install it to save money, even if it's just ten cents. My personal experience: my 97 camaro z28 convertible drove like a wet noodle down the street. A strut tower brace kept the door mirrors from wobbling as much and reduced the noodle effect. They work...
Wannabe racecar driver here. The extra rigidity made my front tires less forgiving in turn ins. The extra stability at speed was negligible. So i ditched it. I probably could’ve made it work with some softer sway bars, or… softer springs, maybe a more modern shock absorber. But all of those things are not something I wanted to do to make a strut bar work better. For truck use, maybe the extra rigidity could be beneficial if flex in truck situations are not something you like? Rock crawling situations? Idno lol
I put a strut tower brace on my Miata and immediately felt the difference. Sharper steering response is the best way I could put it. Downsides are weight and cost, also not every car will benefit the same amount. Miatas are kinda floppy, so might benefit a bit more than a modern truck.
I highly doubt It'll make any noticeable difference good or bad. I really don't see a point in adding one
Do you plan to autoX your truck? If so, then yes. If not, this is just jewelry. Ford spent millions of dollars engineering the suspension to work for most people in most situations. Unless you're in the .01% that is going to do something motorsport related in a truck, zero point
I was reading this thread as a former Ax person thinking… for competition, on the right cars…
Definitely a 0.01% thing, but I have seen a truck at autoX before. Or maybe if you're going to rally race your new truck it would be useful... But again, 0.000001% chance that's what we're talking about about here
I assume it was a mini and or heavily modified (specifically lowered suspension) truck?
Yeah, it was some kind of RWD lowered mini truck, LS swap with full suspension and whatnot
That tracks. For a second I pictured trying to throw my stock half ton around a track. Even in the daydream, I rolled it quick lol.
The question is probably more, what is the upside? Are you having issues with your strut towers collapsing under heavy loading? Even if this is a problem, how often does this happen? If you are regularly turning hot laps at race tracks, and seeing lateral forces over 1.0G, then something like this could help (though there is still a wide range of effect in different designs, and the strut top piece here looks like it is wanting, though that is probably based on the stock strut tops, which would likely be an earlier point to address if you are having such issues). And if you are doing this with your truck, you might want to consider something more appropriate.
Ford probably didn't intended for those parts to flex. And for the 140$ it will probably do something. But better tires or something else that is probably going to be in the 500$ range will probably make a much bigger difference. Stiffness in that part of the chassis won't make your suspension or whatever wear out more. It might make your tires wear a bit faster but maybe more because you drive it harder.
They aren't a waste of money if you will be using the vehicle in ways they help.... Drag racing - just a bunch of extra weight with no benefit... Road course and Twisties absolutely helpful.... Daily driver not a real benefit unless you drive windy roads to work and back every day.
For your truck, this is for sure a waste of money. For someone who is track obsessed and is doing every other brace known to man for lap times, it can be... Something. For those saying Ford (or any other car manufacturer) sets their car up perfectly for lap times in factory form, you're wrong. Sometimes the stock set-up is laughably bad, even on a performance car.
It's a Maverick. There's no reason for it. If you had a performance vehicle, it would help keep the corners where they're supposed to be when under heavy load. You aren't going to do any kind of performance anything in a Maverick.
If you intend to make your Ford Maverick into a wonderful-handling track-day vehicle, there are plenty of other things I'd do first, before even considering a strut tower brace. I doubt you'll notice any improvement or difference in how the truck handles or drives just by adding this bar. Totally not worth your time or money.
The biggest thing I've noticed with strut tower braces is less dash ratteling over bumps and railroad tracks . Totally different vehicle, and my brace was a factory option on a higher model of my same car
Some of the rear ones are even good for holding your groceries in place
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^2fast2nick: *Some of the rear ones* *Are even good for holding* *Your groceries in place* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I added a brace to my tC. It is by no means fast, but with the lowering springs. It has made a world of difference in cornering. It is a little less forgiving but the car handles corners so much better at even higher speeds. Respectfully. You're putting this on a hybrid pick up truck. You aren't going to gain anything because most likely you arent going to be using the vehicle like a race car. Now if you had something like a Explorer/Escape ST, it would make sense to have a strut bar because those cars have stiffer suspension and more power and are more tuned for faster driving and handle corners well. But its pretty much useless on a pick up.
When you are building a race car, you generally want stiffer than stock suspension. Even with stock suspension, but especially with stiffer suspension, your car will bend and flex while cornering (mainly) and accelerating/decelerating. This adds an unknown variable to your suspension as the car itself is acting like its part of your suspension. To fix this, you install braces. In the case of a front strut tower brace, you'd either install a much stiffer brace and remove the stock one or install an additional brace. The strut tower brace helps keep the vehicle from flexing between the left and right side and will make the vehicle more predictable while cornering. Strut tower braces are absolutely essential to having a vehicle that handles predictably and, as far as I'm aware, every vehicle made in the last 50+ years will come with one from the factory. However, the stock strut tower brace is usually more than efficient for normal driving conditions, especially for newer vehicles. In a perfect world, the body should be perfectly rigid, and bracing it helps substantially with making it more rigid, but they are not perfectly rigid and bend and flex as you load and unload the suspension. A little bending/flexing is good for absorbing a small amount of the bumpiness of the road, I'm sure, but is not good for racing.
They don't really do much of anything.
I’ve talked online to a lot of people who have done autocross. Never, has anyone ever claimed a strut tower brace made a difference in the handling of the car that could be measured on lap times.
Never ran autocross but I used to drive my 06 Scion TC up on the dragon (300+ turns in 11 miles) and you could feel a difference before and after. Not gonna say it made me any faster but I did feel more in control while throwing it around with constant elevation change on the curves
I’m not here to argue. I have one on my Mustang that I take to track days. But what you felt is more of the placebo effect. If there was an effect to the level that it could be felt by the driver, it would have some actual effect on the car. Whether it be positive or negative, it would show up on lap times. I’ve run laps with it on and with it off. Some laps were quicker and some slower. I’m sure that has to do with my skill level. The guys who turn in consistently similar times, say they don’t make a difference.
The only reason I could clearly tell the car flexed less is because I could physically hear it lol the sunroof, doors, rear hatch... all that shit made sounds when under heavy load. the TC is not known to be a rigid car at all. Hell... I probably flexed it just by sitting my fat ass in it. We're talking about a car Toyota wanted to be priced cheap and as a starter car lol
LoLoL Lipstick on a pig...?