What have you done to your CX-5 today?

[KimGT]

So I think Ultraracing does a great job on their marketing, but their diagrams are bit exaggerated. There are way more articulation than in reality, as they're trying to demonstrate a point to sell a product, If stock cars were that bad, steering/bumps/lane changes would catastrophic. Thinking about it logically this is my take on the differnce:

You said a STB will reduce lateral flexing at the show towers, I'm assuming you meant flexing between the shock top mounts (moving closer or further apart from each other) because its connecting only those two points, the connection of the lower control arms are not going to budge since there is a very hefty sub-frame already in place. With a hinged type STB you're taking any other movement out of the equation and simply ensuring that the strut mounts do no move further/closer to one another. With the Solid type, any movement/force is loaded onto the brace, which i'm not sure it can truly help with, not to mention that there are some downsides to its design due to the construction. Lets use one of ultraracing's own photos.

Notice that the bolt holes on the UR bar are slotted, they need to be that way since the bar doesn't move and installation is a too difficult with standard holes. With the hinged type, you can have circular holes because the end plates can be installed and the mid bar assembled after. this leads to a more true connection and transfer of forces. I don't feel like a nut has enough clamping forces to stop the sliding between the brace & chasis on the UR brace.

 

[KimGT]

Many reputable companies use this design: Cusco, Beatrush, Whiteline

 

[CX5-SO]

Oil change and horn upgrade.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

For me suspension and chassis integrity is important because of my suspension modifications. I intend to drive the car for a long time, and I like to and my car is modified to corner fast so simple reinforcement, with the exception of inside cabin reinforcement is worth it to me. Adjustable camber plates (like I have, and as set) decrease the angle of the strut and aim it even more towards the vehicle center; not to mention having widened the tower just a bit to access the adjustment bolts. I can see from my own bar that it hasn't been moving during driving, and I mess with my car often so I have plenty of chance to notice. Also adjusted camber plates (like I have) decrease the angle of the strut and aim it even more towards the vehicle center; not to mention having widened the tower just a but to access the adjustment bolts. Trust me if I noticed that thing was moving, I wouldn't be suggesting people to buy UR or a similar style bar.

I linked that because they actually give explanations/illustrations on what it does, most companies do not have any sort of material like that on their website. Granted, the animation is exaggerated, however that is the basic movement that is occurring. A properly torqued nut/bolt has enough clamping force to keep my camber plates from moving and those nuts are like 1mmx5mm. Same with camber arms, adjustable endlinks etc.. and endlinks (which can snap/bend brackets) have huge forces on them.

All of those companies sell at a similar price point, and to a similar market. Brand names and quality for sure, marketing a larger range products as well. UR only sells "bars". Also that diagram illustrates the lower bar as well. In older cars frame flex can be an issue, in all vehicles metal fatigue is an issue whether it's a car or an airplane. I mean you can look at a car that's been jacked up a lot and tell because you will see a bend at the jacking point. A frame bar isn't supposed to give you an instant response like a sway bar, it has an effect over time and at hard cornering when the body is flexing the most. You can read material not on ur's website about how over time your aligment can actually become off because the position of or a line between the shock tower has moved a few mm over time. It's all about fatigue; a hard driver will fatigue metal quicker than a grandma driver, and if you keep your car for any length of time that may be important to you.

On another note if your shock tower is flexing during cornering, then it is affecting your alignment at that moment as well. Cars with factory strut bars are not hinged. Look at companies like Auto Exe (pricey stuff); you don't find hinges and they make tower bars (a superior, but expensive and not always available option) as well that connect at multiple points. Bars offered for high end sports cars from serious performance companies, no hinges, always one piece. V8 cars with heavy, powerful engines (challengers hellcat etc) the high end bars are not hinged. Basically it comes down to adaptability of a hinge by the OEM to multiple vehicles. The thing is that hinge bolt is on the same plane that the force would be pushing against. As long as it doesn't exceed whatever ft/lb the bolt is torqued to, it shouldn't move.

I'm not trying to make fun of him or anyone for buying a hinged bar. I'm just pointing out why a hinged bar may not be as effective or only effective up to a certain point. Again as long as the bolt torque is always > than the bending force between the two towers it shouldn't move.

wiki isn't the best, but it does give talk about the tower itself, and the bar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strut_bar

 

[KimGT]

I hear ya, for performance reasons its important to have a rigid chassis and I get your point about a "hinged bar may not be as effective or only effective up to a certain point"

I really hate to pull a MikeM but I can't help but wonder though, do you think maybe there just isn't that much chassis flex? Especially for car/CUV's the suspension and tires would deflect way sooner than the chassis would. Imagine you're approaching a turn at speed, you hit the brake [nose dives], turn the wheel [body rolls, tires screech], come through the turn and straighten out, throttle out [front lifts]. Perhaps the tires and suspension absorb most of the forces and that leaves the body to deal with minimal if any forces acting on it.

To see more forces acting on the body you'd have to have tires with extreme grip (Slicks) and hard sidewalls, super stiff suspension and be able to pull well above 1g on the skid pad...well all that or off-roading

 

[CaboWabo]

Did a lot for my new CX-5 today:
Filled the wiper fluid reservoir with https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned). I guess the dealer doesn't top this fluid off?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)the entire black cloth interior.
Installed my https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) in the front and middle.
Installed a https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned). Fits great with rubber cups in the two side pockets too.
Installed a cargo net that I swiped from my old Mazda Tribute. Happy that the rubber cargo tray does not obstruct the hooks for the net so you can have both.

 

[efini]

Cars with factory strut bars are not hinged.

Mazda themselves, as well as Mazdaspeed, have provided many bars which are hinged, for their sports cars. The hinge will not reduce the bars ability to inhibit tower movement in or out, which is the purpose of the bar. Hinges do not allow the amount of space between the mounts to change. Its more important to focus on the construction of the center of the bar, between the mounts, ensuring that it will flex as little as possible.

 

[MikeM.]

Mazda themselves, as well as Mazdaspeed, have provided many bars which are hinged, for their sports cars. The hinge will not reduce the bars ability to inhibit tower movement in or out, which is the purpose of the bar. Hinges do not allow the amount of space between the mounts to change. Its more important to focus on the construction of the center of the bar, between the mounts, ensuring that it will flex as little as possible.

Exactly! The factory strut brace on my 2000 Volvo S80 is actually free to rotate on it's axis about 15 degrees. I believe this is achieved with a ball joint on either end. But the bar itself is very rigid hollow steel. Under hard cornering there are large forces acting on the top of the struts and this will be prevented by a brace with nearly the same effectiveness whether there is a hinge or not (the hinge adds an insignificant amount of play measured in thousands of an inch).

To respond to Kim's theory that the tires will absorb the forces - No. The tires friction against the road surface is what's generating the forces in the first place. The tires transfer this force to the wheels which transfers it through the suspension to the chassis. The tire can absorb and moderate a transitory force of very short duration but it still transfers the average force. And your thought that the suspension will absorb the forces - the suspension is designed to absorb forces perpendicular to the pavement, strut tower bars don't have anything to do with vertical forces, they have no real strength to prevent vertical movement. They prevent side to side movement and the suspension doesn't absorb those forces - it passes them on to the chassis.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Exactly! The factory strut brace on my 2000 Volvo S80 is actually free to rotate on it's axis about 15 degrees. I believe this is achieved with a ball joint on either end. But the bar itself is very rigid hollow steel. Under hard cornering there are large forces acting on the top of the struts and this will be prevented by a brace with nearly the same effectiveness whether there is a hinge or not (the hinge adds an insignificant amount of play measured in thousands of an inch).

To respond to Kim's theory that the tires will absorb the forces - No. The tires friction against the road surface is what's generating the forces in the first place. The tires transfer this force to the wheels which transfers it through the suspension to the chassis. The tire can absorb and moderate a transitory force of very short duration but it still transfers the average force. And your thought that the suspension will absorb the forces - the suspension is designed to absorb forces perpendicular to the pavement, strut tower bars don't have anything to do with vertical forces, they have no real strength to prevent vertical movement. They prevent side to side movement and the suspension doesn't absorb those forces - it passes them on to the chassis.

Like this? Looks more like a pressed bushing than a bearing, if this is what you have.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Mazda themselves, as well as Mazdaspeed, have provided many bars which are hinged, for their sports cars.

Hmm do you have any example of a mazda with an OEM bar that is hinged? Could not find any..

 

[Aussie CX5GT]

This evening I fitted the paddle shifters to my CX5 GT Diesel, was pretty damn easy to do took about an hour all up from start to finish.

Ordered the parts from japanparts. They posted them on Tuesday and I received them here in Australia this afternoon, very good service and well packaged.

 

[efini]

Hmm do you have any example of a mazda with an OEM bar that is hinged? Could not find any..

RX-7's from '92 through 2002.

 

[DBLXX]

Today I installed my Escort 8500 on the mirror mount and used the power in the mirror.

Looks amazing.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

Today I installed my Escort 8500 on the mirror mount and used the power in the mirror.

Looks amazing.

I'll look around as well but just using a couple leads off of the Homelink mirror? I'd like that for my dashcam.

 

[DBLXX]

Simple -

Unclip the connector on the back of the mirror - takes 2 seconds.

The solid blue is your switched 12v. Black is ground.

That simple.

 

[tibimakai]

Yesterday, I have installed my custom made/modified projector HID fog lights. Installed a relay kit as well.
I still have to make it to look good though. The projector, sits much deeper then the factory one, and also it is smaller in diameter, so I need to come up with something, to make it look decent and also to fill up the space between the trim and projector.

 

[Mjhagan75]

Today I installed my Escort 8500 on the mirror mount and used the power in the mirror.

Looks amazing.

Can I see a picture of this set up? I already got one ticket, I don't want to get any others.

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[tibimakai]

Here is my Redline setup:
http://www.rdforum.org/showthread.php?t=41593&page=3
Since those pictures, I have changed it a bit. I have trimmed that aluminum square piece and I have replaced that Escort mount, with another one from Amazon, that holds much better the detector.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

 

[jackyF123q]

Where did you get that?

 

[Mjhagan75]

Where did you get that?

Thank you. I'll look at my gt2016 in the am, but I think I would have to do something differently because of the mirror layout and rain sensor setup. I would like to try to conceal it a little more from LEO as well.

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