Rayven01 wrote:Wow.. the GT strut brace with built in damper actually looks pretty nice. I'm kind of confused why a solid metal brace would be better than that. It would certainly be cheaper, so one would think the more expensive OEM option would be better. It looks to me like the OEM would give you 90% of the rigidity while drastically reducing harshness via the damper. Am I missing something?
I am mainly basing my information from "suspension gurus" pertaining to the GM J-Body platform (Chevy Cavalier & Pontiac Sunfire). I used to own a couple Pontiac Sunfires and I had Vibrant front strut braces on them. The Vibrant front strut braces were three pieces just as the OEM Vibe one is. According to the "suspension gurus" on
The J-Body Organization website, the OEM GM strut brace that was standard on Cavalier and Sunfire Convertibles was much better for actually improving handling because it was one solid piece just like the TRD brace, as opposed to the multiple piece aftermarket strut braces which would flex under hard cornering. A one piece solid strut brace is going to reduce flexing of the strut towers which is the purpose of having a strut brace in the first place.
Again, I am not claiming to be a suspension expert by any means. I am simply going by what I have read in the past about the same type of parts on a different vehicle. I do know for sure that the TRD brace is significantly lighter than the OEM brace and IMO it looks much better, so even if it doesn't really provide a noticeable change in handling, I am at least happy knowing I've gotten rid of the extra weight and I love the look of my "new" and much improved engine bay
!