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Strut Tower Brace -- Opinions, Reviews?

anotero

Autocross Champion
Location
Hither and thither
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
Ooooh I getcha, I thought you had but i miss read what you said. Is the ST a 25mm hollow?

I'd be interested to see what a mid-sized FSB does to my car's balance. I've got camber and caster gains up front for traction, I could end up real neutral with a FSB. I know it's supposed to REALLY reduce roll feeling, which would be nice.

I always said if the subframe was coming down, that an S3 aluminum one was going back up with a deadset kit. A $300 sway bar becomes a $1000 sway bar + alignment really quick with that mentality.

Yes, it's hollow.

+1 on your last point. Fuck that rabbit hole.
 

Chogokin

Autocross Champion
Location
So Cal
Car(s)
GTI Sport | Audi A3
I remember asking Aaron Neumann when the Mk5 first came out why Neuspeed does not make one for the Mk5. He said that it does not need it since there is a big piece of metal going from one strut tower to the other. We're on the Mk7...and they still don't make one. If a company that was going to make one...Neuspeed would be one. They sold a lot of strut tower bars for the older cars. They could have just made one for the Mk5 and up cars...and they would have sold tons.
 
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flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
I remember asking Aaron Neumann when the Mk5 first came out why Neuspeed does not make one for the Mk5. He said that it does not need it since there is a big piece of metal going from one strut tower to the other. We're on the Mk7...and they still don't make one. If a company that was going to make one...Neuspeed would be one. They sold a lot of strut tower bars for the older cars. They could have just made one for the Mk5 and up cars...and they would have sold tons.
I'd normally agree that if someone like Eurosport, EuroCode and Neuspeed don't make a brace that it's fluff...except it's only Neuspeed that doesn't of those 3. I noticed a good increase in feel, so it can't be completely worthless.
 

Clem604

Autocross Champion
Location
Vancouver BC, Canada
Car(s)
2018 VW GTI
I noticed a good increase in feel, so it can't be completely worthless.
I would fully agree with this statement, I feel the benefits to be worth what I paid. Definitely not required but does absolutely make a difference.
 

jmblur

Autocross Champion
Location
Massachusetts
Car(s)
2017 Golf R
I have the Ecode unit (f+r) and they're very well built. Haven't had a chance to install the front yet (I'm going to install the Eurosport Camber kit at same time) but the machining is great and the rear installed super fast.

I do think the adjustability of the eurocode will make a difference, as you preload the bar to improve rigidity and compensate for any dimensional tolerance in the chassis. It also allows you a little more freedom to get free camber by biasing shock mount holes. The full top collar will also be a lot more stable than the partial collar of the one you linked.
 

SouthFL_Mk7.5

Autocross Champion
Location
South Florida
Car(s)
2019 GTI S
I have the Ecode unit (f+r) and they're very well built. Haven't had a chance to install the front yet (I'm going to install the Eurosport Camber kit at same time) but the machining is great and the rear installed super fast.

I do think the adjustability of the eurocode will make a difference, as you preload the bar to improve rigidity and compensate for any dimensional tolerance in the chassis. It also allows you a little more freedom to get free camber by biasing shock mount holes. The full top collar will also be a lot more stable than the partial collar of the one you linked.
To bias the shock mount holes, would you place the front brace on the strut dome with hardware hand threaded, adjust the tensioner to preload the brace in tension, then tighten down the hardware on the shock mount holes? Would definitely be an active stressed member as opposed to the rigid one linked at the top of the thread.
 

jmblur

Autocross Champion
Location
Massachusetts
Car(s)
2017 Golf R
To bias the shock mount holes, would you place the front brace on the strut dome with hardware hand threaded, adjust the tensioner to preload the brace in tension, then tighten down the hardware on the shock mount holes? Would definitely be an active stressed member as opposed to the rigid one linked at the top of the thread.

Since the strut tower brackets are separate, they can float a bit, allowing you to bias everything and tighten it down before adjusting the tension on the crossbar (or even fully installing it). With a rigid bar the holes are going to be where they are, so if they're biased outwards due to tolerance, you're actually getting some more positive camber.

If they're slotted sufficiently it doesn't really matter, but I can't tell if they are or not.
 

dosjockey

Go Kart Champion
Location
South
I definitely agree with the comment if Neuspeed didn't make it, it's not needed. On Mk1s the strut towers were located forward of the firewall and the rain tray. Since the strut towers were not triangulated they flexed under hard cornering. On the Mk7/MQB Volkswagen placed the strut towers in front of the firewall, but placed the rain tray between the towers. With the newer design the rain tray stiffens the chassis and negates the need for a strut bar. The increased stiffness from a front strut bar would be negligible. Also worth noting the TCRs don't have/use them.

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Connecting the towers directly to one another can still provide a tangible benefit. VW seems to have done this on the MK7, but it's not quite the same as a thick steel or aluminum tube. I dropped one on a GT3 RS for someone who tracks it regularly, and that thing is bolstered to hell and back from the factory up there. He reported a significant improvement close to limits.

Manufacturers tend to let the front flex a little bit, anyway.
 

Clem604

Autocross Champion
Location
Vancouver BC, Canada
Car(s)
2018 VW GTI
I definitely agree with the comment if Neuspeed didn't make it, it's not needed. On Mk1s the strut towers were located forward of the firewall and the rain tray. Since the strut towers were not triangulated they flexed under hard cornering. On the Mk7/MQB Volkswagen placed the strut towers in front of the firewall, but placed the rain tray between the towers. With the newer design the rain tray stiffens the chassis and negates the need for a strut bar. The increased stiffness from a front strut bar would be negligible. Also worth noting the TCRs don't have/use them.
I guess we will have to agree to disagree, however I will say that if you were able to drive my car, you might have a different opinion. I would imagine the benefits of the bars would be amplified when driven on a track. Absolutely required, not at all. Noticeable improvements, absolutely.
 
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flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
Incremental improvements versus night and day differences are what we're talking about here. You can live without a lot of mods on their own, but the sum of parts will have measurable/tangible benefits.

VW uses a lot of components, specs, etc. that leave room for improvement, and sometimes that's for reasons of cost or to reduce NVH. It doesn't mean that something is inherently wrong and NEEDS to be fixed, but we still mod our cars anyway (y)
 

flipflp

Autocross Newbie
Location
PNW
Car(s)
'16 Golf R DSG
Sure mods can compound on each other, but this mod merely gives a perceived increase in handling not a mechanical increase. You could couple it with a million other mods and it wouldn't make a difference. Things like weight, tires, alignment, spring coefficients, shock rebound rates, fuel on board, humidity, bushing wear, etc all have a much larger impact than a front strut bar at the track.

I personally felt no difference driving the same Mk7 with a front strut bar, and without one. It's like those fancy rear subframe "stiffeners" a few retailers sell. I'll gladly eat crow if someone can provide lap times or telemetry with/without one showing a positive gain.
Probably going to have to agree to disagree on this mod then. I don't think it's a perceived increase in "handling" as much as steering feel, and that is an improvement worth the cost of the mod in my eyes. I don't think it's probably shaved 10ths off my lap times, but it feels real nice like.
 

SouthFL_Mk7.5

Autocross Champion
Location
South Florida
Car(s)
2019 GTI S
The Tyrolsport Deadset subframe braces in my car went on at the same time as my LCA’s and fixed camber strut tops. The change from these mods overall in dynamics, feedback and response was very noticeable. The negative camber provided by the lca’s and strut tops obviously helped dynamics with keeping the tire outer sidewalls from rolling over. But the dead set kit most probably was perceptible in response and feedback- it cleaned up some slop up front that I didn’t know was there.

I can see how a strut bar - especially one which can be adjusted- can bring a slight improvement in overall feel. Will it be groundbreaking? Shave time off a lap? Most probably not. It’s a low hanging fruit on the mod list in terms of ease of installation that may add an improvement- even if it’s just slight. I may try the Eurocode set myself to see if I notice anything.

15 years ago when I had a WRX the NASIOC community was always ranting about how you didn’t need a front strut tower brace because the strut towers were close to the firewall and they’d jump all over people for having wasted their money in buying one. I never bothered trying one out ad a result. These days I actually try things out to see if they make a difference. Then I make my own assessment.
 

SouthFL_Mk7.5

Autocross Champion
Location
South Florida
Car(s)
2019 GTI S
Deadset kits are great, especially if you have camber plates! I was trying to refer to these without naming the company lol.

Another low hanging fruit! That’s funny. I had a look at that thing a few weeks ago. I got under the car and saw the member where it bolts on to is pretty beefy already. Decided to pass that one up.
 
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