i will be making a custom strut bar for the xB. Me and my father will be making one today and I will take pics of the install and show u all what it looks like. I will have plenty of material left to make about 4-5 more strut bars if anyone is interested in buying one from me. I dont know on the price yet but it will be way cheaper then the Hotchkis Bar. Let me know who would be interested in one. Thanks!

 

What are you making it out of?
I made mine out of wrought iron twisted both directions from the center out.

Scott

 

If you guys go and study the unique design of the Tanabe strut bar..

IMO it is the only -really sound engineered strut bar-

Why? Because it has turnbuckle ends and puts the towers into a state of pre-load.

A passive strut bar (one that relies on brute stiffness) must be really stiff in all planes to resist comression and extension. Even so, the mounting to the strut studs -should- by "rights" be done with cone nuts fitting into taper seats (just like wheel lug nuts). None do this to my knowlege

Anywho- It's just my opinion here that the Tanabe approach is superior because it is on the well-known preload principle. It is also light in weight because it operates purely in tension. That it operates in tension means it does not need to be buttressed or over-built.

my opinion! I will be gettina Tanabe some day. But! Kudos to them who make their own, of whatever design. This is the best of modding tradition: make when you can. That's creative!

best of success,
reid

 

Personally I think front strut bars are a waste except for looks.
The firewall is so close to the struts that is does a fine job of stiffening the front end.
But they do look good if you get the right one. I, on the other hand, have the wrong one. I have the TRD bar, ugly as sin.

 

im not sure what metal we are using but we may get some stainless steel and make one. The basic purpose for the one im doing is for looks really. I dont care about the performance part of it. I think the price we may do them at is $50 shipped. I will also be painting mine solar yellow to match my xB.

 

Yeah, I don't think they do a whole lot. But I did end up getting the Hotchkis bar for $60 so I took it.

I always wanted to make my own, but I would have no idea how. Good luck!

-THE DON

 

They look prrrrrrty!

 

I will be watching to see how it looks. One of the reasons why I don't like my TRD bar is because it makes it so hard to see the header. The Hotchkis and DC bars both allow you to see the header better. If yours was similar I would def. be interested.

 

well here are the pics. sorry it took so long just been busy. We made it out of Stainless Steel that my dad had lying around. Let me know what you think!

 

uhhhh, you dont want MY opinion...I'm not here to ruin anyones day...but hey, ummm...at least u did something productive on your Sat rather than whack ur pud or somethin...if I could say anything tho...it would be to invest a little more time and effort into the design n fab dept.

 

i would have to agree with whipple81 100%!! not to be rude or nething but is seems like a lil bit more time and effort could of gone into it. that is something that could of been made in like 15-20 minutes. but i have to give you props for just even coming up with the idea of making your own.

 

Ghetto Fabulous

 

Lol thats great I LOVE IT!!!

Not making fun of you, it was just funny seeing something that straight and simple when I thougt it was going to be illaborite (sp?).

hope it works for ya.

 

Productive means he would have gotten something done that actually works.

Dude, take that bar off of there before you get laughed at, its not doing a thing....

 

I thought that was the beginning phase adn it was just resting on top for picture sake. Take it off and get a eBay 40 dollar one. Will look 10x better.

B- for effort.

 

just plain stupid looking.

 

Do you like it, rogcjms? Then good.

It's your Box; do what you want.

And, bonus points if it helps out your ride.

 

well thanks for the comments. I didnt think it would tend to be that negative but I do like it and I would rather have it then paying $100-200 for one that is really for looks. I dont care about the whole performance part I just wanted to see if I could create one to my liking and I do like it. I thought I would have at least got more props but it seems like not everyone thinks I did that great of a job but props to myself.

 

when I heard u were making one yourself, I thought "nice, cant wait to see what some good ol DIY enginuity would produce"...but when you cut two 45's off of each end of a stainless pipe, and call it a strut tower brace, I really lost all excitement...hey, if you like it...then game on...but if u decide to do something like that again, spend a little more time on it, think about it, draw it out...SOMETHING...

I mean, I could go outside, cut up a cardboard body kit for mine, paint it white with some rustoleum, duct tape the b*tch on there and call it pretty...but they thing is, it's NOT...no matter how much I want to tell myself it was worth the money saved...I would eventually have to come to the cold realization, that it just aint cuttin it...

But like I said before, if its pretty to you, then so be it...game on...I am just more used to seeing things such as that on a beat up Chevelle growing weeds through the fire wall on the side of someones double wide...actually...you got one up on em...yours wont rust...

 

Very cheap looking! IMO.