I will be picking up my black tC tomorrow (saturday).
Only options are fog lights, floor mats, and hotchkis front strut tie bar.

My question is... is it a bad idea to have only the front strut tie bar and nothing in the rear to stiffen it up.

As far as I know the front one is the only one available as a dealer option (could be wrong)...

And this may sound like a stupid question, but what is the difference between a strut tie bar and a sway bar???

strut is in engine compartment, sway bars underneath car. Both do the same thing basically just from different areas. Id suggest getting the dc sports strut bar instead of the hotchkis. I dont know if it is any better or not, but it looks better in my opinion.

In answer to your question, it's not a bad idea. You'll be fine. And personally, I'd buy the one that doesn't void your warranty...

Adding parts to your car doesn't void your warranty., but if a part you add causes a problem then (and only then) the dealer/manufacturer isn't required to fix that problem under warranty. If a dealer tells you that you have "voided your warranty" then you should call the Better Business Bureau right away.

I have a hard time figuring out what kind of problems a strut-bar is going to cause.

Back on topic. The front strut-tie bar is supposed to reduce body-roll in turns therby preventing unwanted camber change of the front tires (which reduces traction). In my opinion most of the strut tie bars you see are mostly cosmetic.

In answer to your question, it's not a bad idea. You'll be fine. And personally, I'd buy the one that doesn't void your warranty...

while normally i would agree with you about the whole warrenty void issue, there is hardly anything that the strut bar could do that they could blame it for.

Aren't the struts pretty much part of the firewall on the TC?

I mean, I can see the significance of the thicker sway bar on the rear suspension, but what could adding the strut bar possibly do except add to the aesthetics? Would it help the understeer?

Aren't the struts pretty much part of the firewall on the TC?

I mean, I can see the significance of the thicker sway bar on the rear suspension, but what could adding the strut bar possibly do except add to the aesthetics? Would it help the understeer?

ya the strut bar is mostly for looks, (by the way it looks damn good) it might help a little with understeer dont know for sure though

i don't feel no difference with strut and sway bar installed...springs and shocks are most important

i don't feel no difference with strut and sway bar installed...springs and shocks are most important

did you get the hotchkis or trd sway bar. I got the hotchkis and i can definatly feel a huge difference

I say go with the rear sway bar first. I have both the TRD rear sway bar and the DC front strut tower brace. I would say the rear sway is a must have mod, you can really feel a different in the way the car handles. A front strut tower brace does some but nothing like better sway bars. Heres a pic of my DC strut tower brace.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/Swanny/SWDC.jpg

Have any of you notice that after the Strut bar install that the sunroof popping has gone away?

not on my car, my sunroof never really did it a lot to begin with, but after the strut bar install, i havn't noticed a major change in it popping frequency

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sexy hotchkis strut bar :bow:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/sciontcgirl562/2179106a.jpg


i have it on my tC... my boy took this pic.. i think it came out awesome!!!

strut tower bars are used to make the chassis stiffer. imagine your engine bay being a square with no top : l_l not vey rigid right? the stb is like the top of the box, it connects your strut towers together and eliminates some of the flexing your chassis normally does and forces your suspension to soak up the bumps instead of your chassis. everytime i would go over a speed bump at an angle in my car you could really feel the chassis flexing as each tire went over the bumps. after i installed the stbars I could feel like the whole front end lifting together when going over bumps. thats why roll cages are good for the suspension also it makes the whole chassis a lot stiffer. stb are NOT just for cosmetics and roll cages are not just for safety.

anti sway bars on the other hand are meant to prevent body roll.

^^^^ Very good explanation. After my DC strut bar install the front end of my car now feels more soild, that it should because the towers are now linked together.

I agree I felt a difference.

Swanny did you install yours after you intake was put it? I'm having a hard time getting rid of the clicking noice and im just wondering if it goes away with an intake.

I agree I felt a difference.

Swanny did you install yours after you intake was put it? I'm having a hard time getting rid of the clicking noice and im just wondering if it goes away with an intake.
Yeah I did mine after my intake install. There is a lot of clearance between the DC bar and WR SW intake system. I haven't heard any kind of clicking from the DC strut bar.

Thanks for the info

Thanks for the info

I had the same problem with the clicking noise, and I found out it was a small connector that was touching the strut bar. Just look for the one part that is touching your bar from the intake, and there is a little screw that you can undo to disconnect it. Just zip tie it somewhere else away fromt he bar, and the problem is fixed.

Thanks for the tip Its snowing here right now so i will try it later.

Is there any case where a strut bar is BAD for the car? Like if you are driving on the currently crappy LA roads with tons of bumps and depressions? I snapped the motor mount in my old car and now am completely paranoid with my new baby:)

after i installed the stbars I could feel like the whole front end lifting together when going over bumps. thats why roll cages are good for the suspension also it makes the whole chassis a lot stiffer. stb are NOT just for cosmetics and roll cages are not just for safety.

In theory this is true. In practice you will find that most aftermarket strut bars are not the right material, design, or quality to make a significant improvment to the handling characteristics of many cars (unless the car is of such crappy design that it has an inordinate amount of chassis-flex. If you are looking to increase the handeling characteristics of your car (esp. a tC), there are significant gains to be realized by upgrading other components.

Also, please note, the loss of wheel-indipendence is a drawback of a tie-bar (and sway-bar) not a benefit. Also, the loss of wheel independence is not directly appreciable to the amount of camber-correction obtained. That would be like saying "My ride quality really sucks after installing these coilovers, so the handeling must be that much better!"

Is there any case where a strut bar is BAD for the car? Like if you are driving on the currently crappy LA roads with tons of bumps and depressions?

Loss of wheel independence will give your car a worse ride. Large bumps that are transferred to the body of the car can affect both wheels now instead of one. Also, I've heard of cases where high stress on the tie-bar will cause it to bend imperceptably causing alingment issues. Those were intenet stories, so take them for what its worth.

get the front stb and get the trd rear sway later :P

if anyone has pics of the tanabe bar installed, please post.

I had not seen the DC strut brace. Does anyone have a good site for purchasing this bar at a low price?

I had not seen the DC strut brace. Does anyone have a good site for purchasing this bar at a low price?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7965291790&category=33591&sspagename=WDVW


This is where I got mine

I don't really like the Hotchkiss STB that i bought but I love the TRD Sway bar. I could tell the difference with the sway bar but the STB didn't do much at all. I say get the DC one. Looks better and is alot cheaper. WIll prob be switching over myself soon.

I just put the DC bar on last weekend. Whew, what a tight fit on the drivers side. The freakin wireing is right in the way. Oh yea, and their instructions...waste of time. Remove the windshield wipers and plastic trim and it's much easier to access the bolts and drop the bar on.

these guys have the DC bar for $90 shipped
http://www.ptuning.com/html/Item-Desc.cfm?PartNo=PTCSB1403&MakeCode=scion&ModelCode=tC&ModelYear=2004%2D2005%20All&ModelDesc=tC


the tanabe bar is sold on ebay for $82+$20 shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7966036310&category=33591

also, personally i'm waiting for the rs 1.0 red hotchkis strut bar to become available. i have red grounding wires in my car spider webbed all around so i think with a red strut bar it'll look sick. it'll be the same price as the regular hotchkis bar but a nice red piece in the engine bay-looking kinda sweeeet.