Strut bar

[stephearak]

I search some information about strut bar for m100
Where Can i get any of this parts?(rear especially)
Does the M100 have a strut bar on front in stock?
So if somebody can help me about this subject...

Thanks a lot.

[Dave M]

I search some information about strut bar for m100
Where Can i get any of this parts?(rear especially)
Does the M100 have a strut bar on front in stock?
So if somebody can help me about this subject...

Hi there. The Elan has a type of strut bracing in front, but the braces tie to the sides of the frame structure rather than to one another. In the past I have made strut bars for the rear, but I've searched and cannot find the thread I had set up with the info. We've had some issues with older threads being deleted and I guess this one got bumped too. Guess that's what I get for not making any in a while! Sorry everyone who was on the list...guess we'll have to start over.

I am planning to make another batch in another month or two, so if you're interested please let me know. I'll get another thread going soon for people to sign up. Tony, Sy, or someone...can we find the old thread to see who was signed up before?

As for a front bar to tie the strut tops together, there was one made by Top End in California years ago. IMO, the design was questionable to really work well. In order to mount a proper bar, I believe you would have to cut fiberglass. Whether or not you need a front bar is questionable, however. Stiffening up the front end will promote understeer. Something the car already does to begin with. A front bar may make it worse without any other changes.

[stephearak]

So it is not a good idea to have a front sturt bar.....?

But i have seen some M100 with rear sturt bar, where can i find it?

Thanks.

[F1 LOTUS]

There is one here on a red car halfway down the page?
http://www.racetep.com/lotus.html

[algirdas]

Dear Dave:

Please include me in your upcoming run of rear strut bars.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[Enright]

Not sure if this is one of yours Dave - it was already fitted to my Elan when I bought it from Rod.

It seems a bit strange that it doesn't bolt to the tops of the shocks.

[Monty]

Neil,

Thats the same principle as Daves, the bolt goes through the strut/chassis where the damper is connected which stops the twist of the rear end of the chassis.

[nchase]

Dave,

I'll be up for a rear strutt brace. The one thing I noted when on the track was the constant three wheels on the corner.

[Dave M]

Not sure if this is one of yours Dave - it was already fitted to my Elan when I bought it from Rod.

It seems a bit strange that it doesn't bolt to the tops of the shocks.

That appears to be one of the "1st gen" strut braces. I didn't make the bar to connect to the top of the damper because one, the bolt on the damper vs. the one it is connected to is a fair bit smaller, and two, the "body to frame" bolts it uses to connect are mounted right to the suspension mounting points. It should produce the same effect of tying the rear points together, as Monty noted.

[Doug]

you can clearly see on this pic borrowed from Monty, that using that outer hole in the rear frame is the best way to go for the strut bar mounting point!

[GeoffSmith]

Forgive me for being a cynical old bugger, but does the flattened pipe with a single bolt hole offer anything significantly more than the humping big U section of chassis isn't already providing? OK there is a bit of triangulation but it is a fairly flat triangle.

Geoff

[Doug]

I agree with your observation, Geoff, but I did not believe until I tried it.

from another thread:

excellent, Andy. I also can point out that after I got Big Dave M's rear strut bar in place, if I jack up only one front side the same side rear wheel will come off the ground at about the same time and thus there is not need to use the rear jack point--you use the front one which raises the whole side and then you can work on whichever area you need, or even rotate tires on one side with a single jack! Before the rear strut bar the car would twist a bit and did not raise up so eloquently!

this is a clearly visible phenomana after putting the rear bar in the car doesn't twist as much!

[algirdas]

Dear Geoff:

I too wondered the same, but the conventional wisdom is that such a bar will make the car stiffer. I notice that when jacking up the driver's side it is difficult to open the door. It tends to "stick".

I'm hoping the strut bar will make my car stiffer than me after a fistful of Viagra.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[GeoffSmith]

Algirdas,

I won't believe you without pictures!

Geoff

(Mistrusting, cynical old bugger)

[algirdas]

Dear Geoff:

I better find out if they make a "long" lens for my camera.

Sincerely,

Algirdas (a crotchety old fart in his own right)

[Dave M]

I'm hoping the strut bar will make my car stiffer than me after a fistful of Viagra.

While I will gladly furnish Algirdas a bar, I will not be associated with any stiffness that results.

[Dimitris_GR]

Wouldn't it be better if we just glued some blue pills on the rear frame?

[lotusgirlmarie]

Men....... >Always thinking about stiffness.

[algirdas]

Dear Marie:

No different from any female that I have met in my life. Difference being that we men don't mind talking about it.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[Elanlover]

With the install of LGM's rollbar, would a rear brace still be recommended? Would it add any significant stiffness over the rollbar?

Between the "Stiffy", rear brace, rollbar et al. there does seem to be a lot of talk on the subject. Perhaps we should nickname the strut bar "Bar - agra"????