Strut Bar – Is It Really Necessary In Your Car?

Strut Bars are the evolutionary aftermarket addition to normal McPherson struts. Usually a favorite in car tuning and an integral part of heavy trucks and SUVs, rebar is now finding its place in the sun when it comes to normal small cars.

People consider additional struts, especially horizontal bars, as high-performance additions to their cars. There is a general belief that McPherson Struts or independent suspensions can be unstable at higher speeds. As an added feature to increase stability, the independent suspensions on both sides of the vehicle are linked by a common horizontal bar called the Strut Bar.

The two suspensions on each side when connected by a common bar experience reduced flex between them and that provides much-needed stability at higher speeds. This is an important feature on heavy and large vehicles and performance cars, but what makes people think that rebar can stabilize their small cars? Do smaller cars really need stability?

Well the answer is No. Unless you’re traveling at really high speeds, which you shouldn’t do with normal cars anyway, you definitely don’t need extra struts to support your car’s suspension. Automotive experts believe that horizontal struts have become popular as a high-performance addition to cars in the name of car customization. There is no real need for regular cars to have additional struts, but in case someone wants their vehicle to have one, there is no serious damage either.

At best, the extra struts will make your car’s suspension stiffer, reducing ride comfort, especially on rougher terrain. Since the suspensions are linked together, there may be slight vibration on rough roads due to reduced independent movement. Also, the added weight of the strut can reduce gas mileage to some degree. In case you are hell-bent on installing additional struts on your vehicle, be sure to ask a skilled mechanic to do so or else there may be serious performance issues with your car’s suspension.

Most sports cars, light and heavy trucks, SUVs, 4x4s, and ATVs are available with rebar as a normal fit.

So what kinds of vehicles need a rebar if they don’t have it as standard equipment?

If you’re tuning your normal car to run at higher speeds and exhibiting higher accelerations or fueling it with turbochargers and NOS (nitrous oxide systems), then the rebar will be a useful addition to the package. If you own a larger vehicle and don’t have a strut bar as a standard accessory, you should invest in one. In that case, I would suggest using used rebar as they cost almost a third of the cost of new ones.

To conclude, you are the best person to assess whether your car needs a rebar or not. Although it is not a decision to weigh, you can certainly weigh the pros and cons based on the type of vehicle you own and the type of use you put it to.

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Category: Auto