GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Just installed a A-Spec strut bar...It took all of 5 minutes to install. Haven't had a chance to see if it makes any difference. Anyone have any experience with them?

Ebay sells a similar bar for the matrix for around $45. I wonder how much difference it makes for cornering? I would like to know too, if any people out there have had it.

what bolts do you need to tighten? I just bought one too, and as far as i can figure the ends seem to pivot...doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of having a strut bar to hold the struts together?...

TRD spec for installing their brace is 29 ft-lb. I heard reports of the studs breaking off, so don't over do it.

dammit...i wish i read your post before i installed mine...i just did it THIS AFTERNOON and of course, one of the studs broke off as i was tightening the nut...any thoughts? is my vehicle safe to drive like this? the stud broke about 1/4-1/2 inch above the horseshoe thing, so i have another nut holding it in place for now...should i get this looked at? How much would replacing that stud cost?

yeah...any ideas of this is something i NEED to get looked at? what do those studs in the strut towers do?

no, it's not your fault...i basically was tightening them until they felt "good enough" but i guess i tightened one a little too good....should i go to a dealer about this?

Those studs are part of the strut mount. They hold the mount to the structure of the car. The centre larger bolt is the top of the strut.A dealer or a shop that specializes in suspension work should be able to fix it up for you.I would not recommend leaving it for very long before you get it fixed.

Thanks...any ideas how much this should cost? I definitely want to get this fixed soon, but i dont want to get ripped off...I live in the Ann Arbor, MI area, so any users that know of any good shops, let me know...

would something like this help when driving on the freeway as far as swaying left and right? thats a big dislike i have with the vibe, i constantly have to correct my steering. on my grand prix, i could almost go hands free(not that i did). or is this just a wind resistance problem??

quote:would something like this help when driving on the freeway as far as swaying left and right? thats a big dislike i have with the vibe, i constantly have to correct my steering.We have a front coming through today and it is VERY windy. The drive home from work sucked. The strut bar WILL NOT help the wandering from a cross wind. I have a strut bar, but I took it off until I get a decent front sway bar put on. It may be all in my head, but I think the wandering was worse with the strut bar in place.Carl

I've definitely noticed a difference with the bar in...stuff like turning corners or even high speed entrance ramps feel different...but yeah, i don't think it'll help with the wind problem, the problem with the vibe is that it's such a tall, light car and it has a big wind print.

so i take it, a sway bar, hence the name will help swaying? where do they go and approx how much are they?

quote:where do they go and approx how much are they?There's a few threads in the "Handling, Suspension & Brakes" regarding rear and front bars. TRD and Hotchkis make a pair, which run around $300. The rear is simple to install, the front, just the opposite.

quote:You installed a Rear Right?Correct.

quote:It showed how the exhuast bended over the rear axle just before it attached to the CAT. I need that so I can look at it and compare it to my AWD routing. I think this is the pic you are referring to in this post:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1153The rear bar alone seems to tighten up the cornering, but not the "wandering". I'm speculating that by putting on a stiffer rear bar, and stiffening up the upper front struts with a strut bar, the weakness of the front sway bar is more pronounced. I removed the strut bar last week and the "wandering" at X-way speeds seems to be less (but again, it could all be in my head).

What I noticed about the STB is that it reduces "jiggle" and makes the car feel a bit more solid during cornering. I haven't noticed any difference as far as sway. It didn't give any real dramatic handling improvement, but hey, as mods go it was relatively low cost and easy to install. And besides, for unknown reasons, I've always wanted one on a car, just because.