WTF!?! bend strut bar?!?!?

[JCell]

so i'm adjusting the idle when i realie the bar isn't staight, i take a better look and it's BEND!!!! i guess i need to slow down on those corners (rockon)

now i'm worried if the body has bend as well.....

BTW, this is the strut bar from an mp3


just thought i'd share

 

[Gbourdon]

I think that it is supposed to be like that.

 

[JCell]

it is supposed to be bend over the TB, but this is a totally different kind of bend, let me see if i can find some b4 pics

 

[JCell]

here is a pic, it';s the best one i have, but u can tell it wasn't bend like that until now

 

[Mike R]

I'm sure if that's bent, the frame is somewhat bent also. I'd get the alignment checked. The bar could be holding the strut towers together, which gives you more negative camber!

 

[JCell]

what i'm trying to figure out is how did it happen? i've never heard of bend strut bars from anyone, icluding people that autocross

i'll get an alligment done this week

 

[Captain KRM P5]

lol, holy s***

 

[KzA]

wow..just wow

 

[BradC]

wtf? no wonder my windshield is cracked, our cars are Flexible Flyers!!!
Seriously though, how much body flex must we have to do that s***?

 

[peepsalot]

I can't tell, i think it looks normal though, like the pic in this thread:
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105769

 

[JCell]

nah dude, it's seriously ****** up

i'll compare it to some one elses bar this weekend, and take some more pics then

 

[JCell]

HOLY s***!!

i just came back from a test drive without the strut bar

1- car doesn't pull to the right, took it to 95 and straight as an arrow
2- car feels "lighter"
3- very responsive, haven't tried any high speed corners, i'll wait until tomorrow, school is out
4- strut bar doesn't fit anymore.....

i wonder for how long it's been like this

 

[Stormtrooper77]

Yep, I'd say it's bent. Now the question is how? Did you get service done recently, lend your car out to someone, curb something, etc., etc.?

 

[Douggie]

I don't think it's even possible to bend the strut bar without causing other damage to the car. I mean your wheel axles would have been ripped off way before the strut is bent.

 

[Scott]

Yes, very peculiar. Possibly a flaw in the metal caused it to be structurally weak right from the get-go and has gradually begun to bend?

 

[JCell]

Yep, I'd say it's bent. Now the question is how? Did you get service done recently, lend your car out to someone, curb something, etc., etc.?

nope, and i haven't raced around corners in a while

however, i did have to jack the car up 2 days ago to install the corksport brushing, but i've jacked the car hundreds of time for multiple reasons with no problems

I don't think it's even possible to bend the strut bar withough causing other damage to the car. I mean your wheel axles would have been ripped off way before the strut is bent.

it's not bend that much, but i am worried about the frame being too weak

it's a long shot, but i'll swing by mazda tomorrow and maybe find out what caused it, maybe there is a bach of defective strut bars out there

 

[ELEmental59437]

I was about to call you as moron.. but then again I am starting to actually believe the bar was bent. I would say your tires would give before the bar started bending. Maybe someone working on the car used it for leverage and bent it?

 

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

what the holy hell? could it maybe have something to do with the stb being on an ES? i know the es body rolls more than the mp3/msp but i still wouldnt think that would cause u to bend a STB, thats a harder than hell thing to bend. hell i flipped mine and it still didnt bend.

 

[JCell]

what the holy hell? could it maybe have something to do with the stb being on an ES? i know the es body rolls more than the mp3/msp but i still wouldnt think that would cause u to bend a STB, thats a harder than hell thing to bend. hell i flipped mine and it still didnt bend.

didn't u know that the ES outhandles the msp and mp3, we ES guys just keep it under wrasps so u guys don't get jeloous (hippy)

 

[Adam3482P]

Here is my contribution. It looks the same as mine did to me. BTW you said mp3 but the mp3 ones are yellow.