Does anyone know where I can go to get a custom strut bar made?

 

Do you mean a front shock/strut tower brace or bar to stiffen up the front end of the chassis? If so, the 3G TL has one already- big honking black slightly-flattened metal tube bolted to the top of the front suspension towers which can be seen under the plastic covers over the brake fluid container, etc. close to the firewall. Otherwise, I misunderstood the question.

 

Yes, I do know that. The thing is I replaced my coilovers with Buddyclub coilovers for the TSX, in which I'm not able to use the stock bar anymore. So now I need a setup that will use the bolts the tsx regularly uses to mount on..which so far is impossible, which is why I'm considering custom.

 

Any local metal fabrication shop that can cut / bend / weld tube should be able to hook you up with something. Might be a little pricey though as it is a small custom job. Find yourself a good paint or powder coat shop and you're good to go . Best of luck gettin' r done.

 

Maybe check Jackson Racing or some import/race suspension shop in SoCal to see if someone has done a similar fabrication or adapted existing parts, though that is likely less common with the TL as opposed to RSX, Civics, etc.
That may be better than just going to a metal fabrication shop. A suspension or race shop may have modded a tower brace to meet some minimum specs for rigidity, bending etc., whereas the metal fabrication shop may not have or know that info unless you supply it.

 

This might be a good solution for people with SS Tein EDFC also.

 

Why don't you juse the Greddy Strut bar?

 

I dunno. You have to drill one hole. It's too hard... This is the 7th place he's asked this same question, and there's a very elegant answer right in front of him.

 

OK, first do a search. Second, put the 03-up Accord top hats on it, this will allow you to use the Accord strut bar. This has been discussed several times. Just because you have a different strut setup doesn't mean this won't work.

 

Maybe I wasn't too clear about it in this thread, but if you would, and I'm sure you did check all other 6 posts that I supposedly made, you can see that I'm running buddyclubs, with some what of a modified setup. I don't have the bolt, or 2 bolts there anymore that the greddy would attach to, so that would leave this option out, which is why I'm looking for an alternative that uses the 3 main bolting points on the top hat.

 

I know you're running buddyclubs FROM AN ACCORD/TSX. You HAVE ACCORD Top HATS!... and as explained in the other 6 threads, if you reinstalled the the studs Marcsus REMOVED, and drilled one hole to accomodate the second stud, you could then run the Greddy Accord bar, as AcurrateIn, Lookinco, and blnkypanman have done.

You can ask this question 7 more times but the answer is the same:

There is no aftermarket strut bar for the TL at this time. Beat up Greddy or Neuspeed about that. Noone, that I've seen, has bothered to attempt to fab a custom bar. You can't mod the stock bar becasue you're using the Accord Top Hats NOW.
You have 2 options:

1) Find a shop and have them make one that use the strut mounting points... that'll be a PITA $$$
2) Drill the one hole, reinstall the studs, and run the Greddy Accord bar... liek th eother 3 folks on this forum, and like I plan to do.

I don't know how else to get this through to you.

 

Right. The reason I took it to marcus was because I don't have the tools to do the install myself, so it would be a PITA to drive 2 hours out there again just to have the studs put in, which is why I'm trying to see if there is an alternative way. I'm well aware that if I did have the studs in the first place, I would not need to find an alternative to the greddy method.

You listed two options, 1 custom strut, 2 greddy...seeing how the greddy method would be a PITA for me at the moment, I posted a thread to gather more information on what would be involved in my 1st option, which would the the custom route...but thank you for your help.

 

Good luck...
One stud could be reinstalled with a ratchet. Stick stud in hole, attach nut... Tighten.

The other stud could be installed by a drill. Measure, drill, see (1).

That's going to be a LOT cheaper and lot easier than custom fabricating a strut tower.

With your current setup, what will a custom built bar mount to? The strut mount studs I assume?

 

Actually, I might be able to reinstall these studs myself, sounds pretty straight forward from the way you put it. I didn't think the studs would insert themselves this easy as they had to be punched out.

But even if I did install the studs, both of them, the greddy bar still seems kind of flimsy compared to even the stock ones. How do you feel about that?

 

Have you felt the stock bar... It feels like aluminum foil. I feel strongly that the greddy bar will firm up the front a little... even with only 2 mount points.

 

actually the greddy bar can be flexed and bent with your hand.. because of this, i put the neuspeed bar on.. the stock bar has NO flex.. try bending it.

 

i have the greddy bar w 03 accord top hats.. i love it.. it seems to be really sturdy. the ends have pivot points. its not a single solid piece like the neuspeed bar.

 

yea thats tru...i have actually felt the greddy bar on Bklynpanman's car and it could be flexed with your hand..i dont know how come.

 

Perhaps those bolts are loose? The Greddy bar on my buddy's Z (identical in desgn, except for the mount points) is solid as a rock.

The stock bar won't flex by hand, but that's hardly a measure of it's stength.

 

bolts were actually very tight.. there was no movements at the joints. the bend was in the actual bar itself..

then what is a measure of it's strength? one bar can be flexed by hand, the stock one can't. therefore, the stock bar is stronger. is there a new law of physics that i'm not aware of?

 

Actually it doesn't mean its stronger, means its more rigid. The greddy uses a aluminum tube shaft. The factory is welded together to form one solid piece, this will offer more rigidity then a bar with two flex points. Not to mention, the force that is being applied is coming from the strut and carrying it up and on to the strut bar, this is then distributed through out the bar. When you push down in the center of the bar and it gives, this is a different type of force then what is applied during driving conditions. Although I find it hard to believe that the greddy bar is flexing that much from the push of a hand, as that would mean that the car itself is flexing as well. You may get a little give out of it, but that’s due to the flex points on the bar. Under cornering conditions I doubt it gives that much.

BTW, if you where talking in terms of strength, you would be talking chemistry, not physics, as stronger would refer more to the chemical make up of the metals. Rigidity refers to the ability to handle force, that would be physics.

Myself, I plan on using the Nuespeed. I loved the one I had on my Prelude. The top hats are in at the dealer for me, I just need to go pick them up.