eBay strut tower brace for $45 is it any good?

Do you have an update on this? Any long term review? Inquiring minds wanna know.

Thanks
Ryan

 

Time for some autocross :car:

Mike

 

I've got this bar too and was thinking a lot of the same things that were mentioned early on in this thread. It didn't look as high quality, or as stiff as the other options. But at $45 it looked like value.

I think it was worth it. I can't give a lot of before and after because I did it just a few days after getting my car. I also did it at the same time as the chasis plate (which I also got off ebay).

I find that the car handles well, I can turn in sharp and carry a lot of speed through the corners. I often wonder when I drive why car and driver rips apart the prius for handling so poor? I've driven a lot of high performance cars (91 skyline gtr, 04 mini cooper s, classic mini race car, jetta on H&Rs, many BMWs) and the prius does show it's econo hatch roots but it feels better than the wifes civic on 17s.

As for the quality of the bar, it installs very easily, no fussing to get things to line up (that was my biggest fear that i'd have to hit it with a hammer or bend it).

I would say you're foolish to spend any more on a strut bar. If you have extra money to spare and you want to corner better get a rear sway bar and the cheap strut bar.

 

I've noticed on e-Bay that there are three different low cost braces now - the two mentioned before that look very similar for under $50 and now one for $99 + S+H - eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

The $99 one seems to be much improved as far as reinforcement at the towers in comparison to the lower priced ones (see pictures).



These pictures were taken from the e-Bay auction page.

Has anyone tried this brace?

 

I have the $45 variant along with a clone of the stiffining plate. Both of these items worked well in reducing felt chassis flex through corners and into hilly driveways.

The front end is tighter and the suspension works more. I can enter turns faster. I now notice the softness of the springs and rear before I noticed the flex in the chassis.

As for a real life test, I find other (stock?) prii can't keep up through mountain roads and corners. This may be due to different drivers and driver capability but for a real life test it isn't a bad one even with the aforementioned limitations.

I feel like the $100 spent on the ebay upgrades are well worth it.

I've added wider/larger tires as well (205/60/R16 Cooper CS4). Which are also great. The high speed rating helps in turns quite a bit I've noticed if you're running stock rims.

My next upgrade will likely be springs and shocks in ~20k mi which will likely be 10-20x as expensive. $45 buys a noticable tightness upgrade and a bit of protection if you own your car (in terms of distribution of shock tower forces). If I was buying a new bar today I would get the $99 bar just because it looks even better -- I'm not sure its worth upgrading my current shock tower brace though.

 

Also as a sidenote, its an easy DIY install and you can still access all fluids from the engine compartment with the $45 bar.

 

Cliff, can you elaborate on the installation procedures/tools needed?

Can you provide me with the name of the ebay seller you bought if from (in case they sell different versions)? Thank you.

 

I used those instructions and searched for Prius strut tower brace. It seems like there are two different no name type bars sold by different channels. The $45 shipped variant and the 99+ shipping variant which appears to be a worthy upgrade in construction.

DROIDX ?

 

I like the $99 one, I found the bt for $279,and Tom's is $289 and they all look pretty much alike.
eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

 

I just got the $99 bar today. It's installed big difference on the rode at 60 then
rock the wheel it sways but recovers quickley. It corners nice. The bar says top
but I tried that, bar lays flat on two caps, so turned it over clears every thing.
You have to either grind or file the plastic are it won't clear the knuckles.
It goes a lot faster if you loosen the nuts with socket then use a nut driver
to take the nuts off. You will need 10 & 12 mm nut drive.

 

Can somebody translate this to English, please? I hard to cents what he means.

 

It doesn't lean as much and straightens out quick. I just got a 03 corolla front
sway bar with bushings at the junk yard $ 50.

 

Now I need to lower the rear end.

 

Sorry I dont understand what you wrote. As for the $99 bar that you have installed, is the cap still easy to have it remove?

 

I just brought the 99 from ebay!
Fixed all well and can adjust the height of the bar.

I had adjusted that the cap can be easily be removed.
No affect on handling.

Cheap and Good!