hey another ebay goodie

[denver_whitest185]

well, looking around some more, i realized that the cusco lower braces (both type I and II) for our cars are the same as GC8 lower braces. some of you probably knew this, but i didn't . so i was thinking, if cusco says they are the same, maybe this will fit?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/H-Brace- ... otohosting

I wish it was steel, but aluminum will work since almost all lower braces are aluminum (why, i don't know. steel would be much stiffer, and would last longer if you scrape it, etc)

so, what do you guys think? worthwhile? i actually like my new strut tower bars. they stiffen the car up a little, and makes cornering feel a bit more accurate. i figured this along with my RSB i just ordered and endlinks should start making it corner much better

[DLC]

That should fit.

Aluminum is stiffer than steel. Steel can bend, stretch and twist, however, which makes it better for outright durability.

Strut tower bars are usually aluminum, titanium or carbon fiber...all lighter and stiffer than steel.

[denver_whitest185]

well, i put in an offer for it, and if it doesn't fit, then i'll just sell it to someone with a GC

no, not nessisarily. steel is stronger than aluminum in most cases(some grades/types of steel are weaker, but those are very low grades). however the same mass of aluminum will be stronger than the same mass of steel. but since aluminum is lighter, there will be more material there than steel, with the same mass/weight, which is why its stronger.

if you take two rods, one steel, one aluminum, both with the same diameter, and stress test them (pulling at each end) till they break, i garantee that the aluminum will break first.

i haven't worked much with titanium, so i don't know how well that works, but im guessing your right on that. however, different grades and types of carbon are stiffer, and some are not. if you've ever done any sort of composite work, you'll know what im taking about.

[SemperGuard]

Generally speaking, aluminum is not stiffer than steel. It's not stronger either. Of course it all depends on the alloy, heat-treating and other things of both metals, but in general, steel is stronger, and stiffer than aluminum. It just weighs more. Aluminum can also bend stretch and twist, just not as much as steel. Sure if you're comparing hotrolled 1018 to 2024-T86 the aluminum would be stronger, and lighter, but the same could be said of T410.

[SemperGuard]

Bah, beat me to it. Though I don't know that I'd want to use titanium for an underbrace. Isn't it extremly picky about notches?

[denver_whitest185]

i don't know much about using titanium, since its pretty expensive and hard to use. i bet an underbrace in titanum would cost around $350 in materials alone, and i doubt it would THAT much better than some really good steel in that application.

sorry i beat you to it...