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Well, I can't run my cheapo ebay bar any more because of the intercooler. I tried a WRX bar, but it was too wide.

Those of you that have either an AWIC or an intercooler, what strut tower brace are you using?

I know whiteline makes that forward facing one, but I really don't like it. I also found this thread that shows that an STi GC bar will fit the car, but don't have confirmation on whether it'll clear the AWIC (it probably will)
http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic. ... ntercooler

Any other suggestions?

thanks

Definitely let me know if you find the answer... that's the million dollar question.

Will do.

What do you think about this bar? You think it'd clear?

I have tried a bar similar to that and those uprights over the strut tower do not clear the hood when you close it.

But they DO clear the AWIC.

Orange and blue covers on the ABS lines? That owner has gone from protecting things from heat to promoting rust...

yeah, that's the consensus I'm getting from a few posts/people that have installed them.

Has anybody here put a front strut bar on a subaru and noticed a significant (or any) improvment in handling?

I've had one on my legacy and on my impreza, zero decernable change...all it did was mess up the paint on my strut towers.

I think it made a difference, but I think the difference will vary depending on the mods you have. I didn't really notice a difference when taking the old bar out, however my suspension has changed significantly to when I first put it in, and did notice a difference.

FTW: Hotchkis strut bars are retarded.

What exactly did you notice?

I've got the beefed out straight Primitive front STB and noticed that my dashboard no longer creaks on my favorite curved on/off ramps - yes I'm of the strong opinion that our MYs car flex which was fixed in the post '95 cars. Zero difference in STB added to my 99 Legacy GT for example...

Josh, except for the uprights that bar looks like a Cusco they sell for Legacies at Rallitek. You might want to ping them about it. They quoted me 167 shipped. Good price, handsome bar. I expect to have the same problem shortly so I'd love a definitive answer to this question too...

http://www.rallitek.com/cufrstbr.html

aspect wrote:What exactly did you notice?

Not sure if this was directed at me, but it's been so long, I really don't recall....sorry.

Well, after reading a few threads, it sounds like those cusco ones hit the hood.

I talked with Brett at renick. I'm going to get the rearward facing WL stb, and see if it clears things. If not, I'll exchange it for the frontward facing one.

aspect wrote:Has anybody here put a front strut bar on a subaru and noticed a significant (or any) improvment in handling?

I've had one on my legacy and on my impreza, zero decernable change...all it did was mess up the paint on my strut towers.

I think it has been proven beyond a doubt that a front strut bar helps on the BC/GC chassis. Rally-x cars will eventually get a crack at the middle bottom of the windshield... if you don't have a front strut bar.

yup they hit the hood, like I posted on your thread over at nasioc.

But (just so someone searching in the future can learn) it DOES clear the hood after a bit of creative sculpting with a die grinder. I took <1/4" of height off both front most support members and the hood closes without issue. The missing material will NOT change the effectiveness of the bar (they are steel, and very heavy for what they do).

And yes, it does make a difference (less creaking of windshield, better turn-in, more "planted" and solid feeling) - and I only have wrx wheels w/ 205/50/16, GR2's, and WL endlinks as Suspension mods.

I paid $140 from a local who though he was getting a wrx strut bar.

Brat4by4 wrote:

aspect wrote:Has anybody here put a front strut bar on a subaru and noticed a significant (or any) improvment in handling?

I've had one on my legacy and on my impreza, zero decernable change...all it did was mess up the paint on my strut towers.

I think it has been proven beyond a doubt that a front strut bar helps on the BC/GC chassis. Rally-x cars will eventually get a crack at the middle bottom of the windshield... if you don't have a front strut bar.

Really, wow.

Do you have a link for that?

I don't have a link saved. I came across it doing some searching on the very topic Josh brought up. I'm pretty it was overseas somewhere at a Rally-x that someone noticed this.

More recently SubieGal cracked her firewall before she went to a front strut bar, she now swears by them. And that's on the new eleventy billion times stiffer GD chassis.

I test fit the WL rear facing strut bar today. It doesn't clear the firewall. I could have put it in, but it would have been touching both the firewall and intercooler.

Plus I would have had to relocate the cruise vacuum actuator.

I'm returning that one and getting a forward facing one to try.

Well I got the forward facing bar, and it doesn't really fit either. The bar passes right over the top of the coolant tank cap.....plus it felt like it was keeping the hood from closing properly.

So I'm back to square one. I do have some pics I'll post later of the forward facing bar.

pics

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8 ... ngstb1.jpg
http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8 ... ngstb2.jpg
http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8 ... ngstb3.jpg

I'd like to get more info on this too...thanks for doing all the hard work for us. I don't know what the strut tops are like compared with the GC/GD imprezas...but would one of the really thin carbon and/or titanium ones STi makes for the Imprezas work?

(These things are SUPER expensive, but it may open up some options/ideas, and Aerosync makes one that is very similar that I've found for 170 shipped)

The strut bolt pattern is the same as the GC style impreza. 2002+ imprezas are different.

Well, might have to make my own... I definitely need one for track duty.

Legacy777 wrote:The strut bolt pattern is the same as the GC style impreza. 2002+ imprezas are different.

Are the dimensions the same? Assuming an IC or something else was not in the way, will any GC strut bar fit, or are you saying that just the strut-top mounts are the same?