DIY Strut Brace

[ausgolfer]

Hey people,
Have been looking around at strut braces and they seem to be very simple devices. Stiffening up the flexing vital geometry points of your suspension
So simple in fact I'm seriously concidering making one myself for the rear towers. I'd make it out of proper chromoly bar.

I remeber my first Mk1 had a straight bit of pipe flattened at both ends and bolted through the front of the wishbone points and it worked a treat.

Has anyone made a strut brace themselves??

[gtimk5]

I didn't bother with the upper rears in my comp golf. I spose it would tighten the body maybe but as far as suspension geometry the rear towers dont have a lot to do to keep the suspension from flexing. If you put rods with rosejoints from the lower shocker bolts to the beam, I think that would be better. However, you then have an exhaust clearance problem. The rear suspensions on a lot of competition golfs are gusseted to strengthen and to minimize flexing.
However, when people drive RSI Beetles sideways into curbs as in targa a few years ago it makes repairs 200% harder!!! I am glad Paul Stokell got a good nights sleep that night!:)
Definately the front can be improved with upper and lower braces. Well worth it

[Golf Loon]

On a Mk1, the bottom front is the most useful, then upper front. Upper rear does the least. Would be much the same on the Mk2, except they have better antirollbars as stock.

[aussieg60]

I put an Eibach upper brace up front on my MK2, noticed improvement or slight difference in steering around corners at first but soon got used to it. Also put a rear Autotech on the top rear towers, no drilling was required, just a clamp type fitment with a centre adjuster. I had an annoying squeak or croak coming from the left hand rear trim up the back. Stopped that a liitle.:D

[ausgolfer]

Well I think I'll give it a go anyway, my neighbour is building a sports sedan and is excellent at Tig welding. I had planned on making my design for the upper rear brace on then Clamp Type with an adjuster and if it works out I'd do the same for the front and get some 5-10mm thick plates made for the towers(designed on solidworks) and then a few mandrel bends and a central adjuster.

[aussieg60]

Are you drilling through the front towers or clamping ?

The notes I got with the rear brace for installation was to be carefull when adjusting the centre adjustment as it could break the towers when tightening:idea: Some may have some rust on the towers. The only mod I had to do at the back was the rear side speaker shelf was in the way, just had to file away some plastic for the holder.

[gtimk5]

With my front upper strut brace I added a third mounting bolt to top of the tower to stop "rocking" of the brace on the original two studs. I actually used a Mirage rear brace with very little modification. :)

[syncro]

Better off not making the braces adjustable.
Make the body fit the brace.
Returning the body to factory specs makes a big difference.

[alex g]

here is the one i made for the rear,

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/05/cage004-1.jpg

mounted and tensioned around the top of the turrets with u bolts

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/05/caged-1.jpg

[GoLfMan]

can we please have a top view of the brace?

[gtimk5]

What? Time for a sunroof? :D :D

[ausgolfer]

Thats exactly what I had planned Dubstarmk2, What did you use for the U bolts?

[alex g]

i searched high and low for stainless ones but to no avail they are just ht steel u bolts

[alex g]

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/10/monday003-1.jpg

[Water Boy]

Ausgolfer are you going to put a roll cage in yout Mk2 or just put in a rear strut brace because i know in some race classes like Improved Production the rear strut brace has to be part of the roll cage...

Just if you are going to set the car up as a full time curcuit racer you wouldn't want to make the mistake...

Just thought you might want to know that but if your not going to put a roll cage in it dosen't matter...

I would also suggest you have a look on the Cams website to check what they say about rear strut braces...

Finally are you going to run eyelets so you can bolt the race harnesses to??

Cheers James :)

[ausgolfer]

It's a street car that I would like to and have done group 5 track days in, I won't put a cage in it. But thanks for the consideration.

[ausgolfer]

By the way that looks great Dubstarmk2

[ausgolfer]

This takes a while when using other peoples borrowed welding skills ha ha.