Invisible rear strut tower bar installed

[pachilla]

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/7183/img1122ta4.jpg

 

This bar sits "below" the rear cargo floor cover, so once the cover is replaced the bar is totally invisible. And there is no cutting needed except for the trimming the styrofoam below the cargo cover to make space for the bar itself.

 

I bought this on yahoo auction (the eBay in Japan) for around $110 USD.

 

The brand is LAILE Part No.: S86103-RTA

 

Manufacturer's website:

http://www.laile.co.jp/products/subaru/details/s86103ta.html

 

Installation instruction (in Japanese, but the photos tells you enough)

http://homepage2.nifty.com/hee/car_bp_bar_r.htm

 

The result? the rear suspension now gives better "feel" on bumps and stuff, some people may think the ride quality is a little worse at the back, but the rear end of the car no longer feels as detached to the rest of the car.

[GTkansan]

Thats interesting. I made a custom cross bar for mine that lets me use it as a divider (Turnk is so big that stuff rolls around all the time)

[pachilla]

Cool!, got pictures?

[AWDxBOOST]

laile is quality stuff from what i know...good find

[Guest LGT-NY]

What's the point?

[pachilla]

What's the point?

 

Hatchbacks and wagons suffer from in rigidity when compared to 3 box sedans.

 

Although I find the legacy wagon/outback to be quite good in this regard, but you can never have a chassis unibody that is too stiff right?

[Guest LGT-NY]

Agreed. But These bars are just for show. IMO, there is no measurable improvement in handling or rigidity. (Speaking from experience)

[mwiener2]

yeah, you can't call it a strut brace if it doesn't brace the struts

[rao]

EXOCAGE - it's the only solution for the flimsy Subaru chassis!

 

[pachilla]

The rear strut bar makes a bigger difference than the front strut bar in terms of improving road feel. And the rear bar is bolted to the rear shock tower using the same bolts used to secure the rear struts.

[mwiener2]

if that actaully bolts to the tops of the struts, then yes it will make a subtle difference. But if it's just bolting to the floor, then it's just show

[pachilla]

I don't see how it can make much difference.. there is no flex inward/outward at the top of the struts with our rear struts like there could be with the fronts...

 

If you have studied how companies like Honda strengthen the body of civic-based Integra Type-R you will find that the manufacturer places reinforcements in some unexpected places such as trunk floor below the rear tail-lamps and so on.

 

http://www.team-integra.net/sections/articles/showarticle.asp?ArticleID=749

 

http://endless.shop.rakuten.tw/c/0000013562/

http://endless.shop.rakuten.tw/img/?u=http://endless.tw.rakuten-static.com/bp5.jpg

[Guest LGT-NY]

http://rsxisfaster.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/scootervtec.jpg

[bradlgt21]

If you have studied how companies like Honda strengthen the body of civic-based Integra Type-R you will find that the manufacturer places reinforcements in some unexpected places such as trunk floor below the rear tail-lamps and so on.

at honda civic reference. I want my legacy to be more like a civic.

 

Reminds me of when I went into a wheel store and the guy said so your looking for rims for your (looked outside at my car) civic. No it's not a civic it's a Subaru, and it's got a high offset because it's AWD you know what nevermind I gotta go.

[Guest]

if that actaully bolts to the tops of the struts, then yes it will make a subtle difference. But if it's just bolting to the floor, then it's just show

 

Maybe not. Maybe not floor is not as stiff as we want to believe it is.

[mwiener2]

there's so many other more valid places to work on that will make a much bigger improvement that strut braces aren't worth it

[Guest]

there's so many other more valid places to work on that will make a much bigger improvement that strut braces aren't worth it

 

Maybe. But front strut brace makes a difference for sure (not in my head). So I guess I should not doubt the rear one without trying.

[pachilla]

there's so many other more valid places to work on that will make a much bigger improvement that strut braces aren't worth it

 

There are a ton of various braces available for Legacy in Asia from manufacturers like Summit of Taiwan (maker of the GT-Spec & some Cusco branded products) CUSCO, LAILE, etc.

 

I bought LAILE because it is one of the only two rear strut braces commercially available that does not impede the cargo access and does not cut into visible interior trim which I prefer.

 

Referring on my own experience the rear strut bar does make a difference but mostly by "increasing road feel" and not by reducing flex (not that the rear end was flexing much anyway) so it is not a worthless modification. It actually made a bigger difference than the Summit front strut tower brace which my car also have.

 

Below are pictures of similar braces made by Summit & Cusco. I do plan to try them when I come across any of these.

 

B/R

 

http://img.autohome.com.cn/album/2006/10/11/77fb4a51-c35f-48b4-8cb1-53c4045731e3.jpg

 

http://img.ysauto.com/Article/UploadFiles/200610/200610118217687.jpg

 

http://www.0-60mag.com/online/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/cusco-2.jpg

 

http://southcoastperformance.com/images/cuscolowercenter.jpg

[mwiener2]

Braces should only be done if you've already upgraded(not in any order):

 

Wheels

Tires

Shocks/coilovers

Sways

Brakes

 

 

 

each of those things makes a very big difference.

 

 

 

and unless you are tracking the car, the braces are mostly NVH enhancers

[Nuclear]

I`v got LAILE rear strut brace with new shocks and springs and i like it very|very much

Dont know what really improved feel, but all together - amazing.

http://www.laile.co.jp/eng/product/parts/chassi/towerbar/S86103RTAeng.html