2020 Front Struts
- Thread starter jjl80249
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I had them checked at a reputable front end shop.
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I thought that I was having Front Strut issues, but after several self-directed tests, discovered that what was really needed was Strut-Tower-Braces ! ( At over 80-years of age, I've had a very Full Automotive Life of Experiences !).
Strut Tower Bracing is intended to stop flexing of the Front Frame: which can result in erratic Strut Performance, Cracked Windshields, Electrical Ground issues (as sheet-metal spot welds Crack !), and other structural & electrical issues in -and-around the Fire-Wall .
Wow! I will look this up and see what I can find. Thanks.
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I actually measured the Differential-Movement between the Towers, by using a cross-tie between the Towers, that incorporated a Telescoping-Tubing that recorded the changing separation with a scribing marker on the Tubes : then just drive around town, cornering, backing, left/right-turns : just like every-day operations: result, the accumulated scribe markings showed that over 5/16" of variation, with 3/16" leaving a very-heavy gouge in the markings !!! That meant that it was repeatedly moving almost 1/4" (ONE QUARTER INCH !!!!!)At over 80 years old, you may want to rethink your driving habits if your pushing the car hard enough to require strut tower bracing. Either that or these vehicles are made from aluminum foil!!
What (otherwise -!) ties the Left & Right Towers together : ... The Fire-Wall !
And The Brittle WindShield .... ! If the WindShield is firmly attached to the FireWall, and is not allowing movement, then the Glass has to absorb all the Forces coming from the Fire-Wall , that is .... From The Strut Towers !!!!
That is quite a bit of movement! Could be one reason why these vehicles have such high tire wear! You should contact Subaru with your findings. If they listen to you, they will do the right thing and beef up the structure to minimize the movement! Good detective work!
So, who makes a good aftermarket strut tower brace??
So, who makes a good aftermarket strut tower brace??
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I made my own ... from two-pieces of 1/2"-EMT-Tubing, and fitted them onto the Existing Strut-Studs, using Nylon-Castle-Nuts, after flattening and drilling for the MM-Studs ..... !
Finish was a Glossy Black Spray Can , and a couple hours drying in the 90'-F summer sunshine : looks Pro ... to me !!!
My front end is now very steady and SOLID !!!!
So, you have no interest in sharing your findings with Subaru? This entire post was only to beat your own drum and brag how wonderful you are? How selfish you are! One would have hoped at 80 yrs you would have become less self centered! What a shame....and you wonder why folks don't like Boomer's.
Hello all. After reading the post from Raymond3006, I went out to the garage and "tightened the nuts" on the struts, just a bit. I took a drive and found out that the "noises", which were like a rattling sound from the front end when I went over so many bumps, had actually gone away 90-90%. What the heck? I investigated some Strut Braces, and they are running from $200 - $400. I'm a daily driver, Lyft, here in Denver and not looking at rounding corners at a high rate of speed. Do any of you guys think that this is still a valuable investment? I guess I'll hold off on getting the struts replaced just yet.
Given what you say here...the first thing you need to do is get all nuts torqued to spec. That will likely cure the issue. Strut braces won't hurt...but given your use case I do not think they are what you need. Vast majority of Sube owners (talking prolly 98% or more) drive around without them without issue.
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My 1980's Bonneville , and my several 2000's Le Sabres had these installed by Design ; was not quite that new to me from the Get-Go !
BTW, good luck ever getting Subaru to ...... !!!!
I have been kicked off of several of their "forums" trying to have them acknowledge realities ..... : will not do that any more ..... !!!!
Subaru Corporation and their Lawyers follows these Forums with a MicroScope ... !
You should re-calibrate your view of Reality, and leave mine alone !
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My Strut Braces were Home Engineered (I used to be a Reg. P. E. back in the 1970's !) from a single 10-Foot Piece of 1/2"-EMT bought at a Hardware Store for less than $10.00 ; and a Half-Dozen Nylon-Castle-Nuts bought same place for a couple more "dollars": total price of purchased parts ~ $10... these need to go on top of existing Strut Mounting Studs, in addition to Subaru's Mounting HardWare.
The Front Brace was cut @ 48"; the Rear Brace was cut @43" ; and the Ends were flattened for about 2" (parallel or in the same plane, each). The Front one needs a very slight 8" Dog-Leg at the Drivers-Side to clear the Brake-Reservoir-Cap; the Rear one needs the Square-Flattened ends to be coped (trimmed @ 45-degrees) to clear the Round Shoulder where the Strut Mounting is located. Following precision measuring , marking, and drilling of the Mounting Holes on each, they were outdoor spray painted all-around , and hung by their ends on a tree to dry in the Summer Sun : this is PROOF that I actually am a Shade-Tree Mechanic !!!
For those who CAN, we DO ; for those who can-not, they PAY endlessly for their Up-Bringing, and get to brag about their Bank-Account(s) , and what they can Buy!!! BTW, I also solved the Battery chronic-under-charging problem in my 2016 with a couple diodes and some Auto-Zone Electrical Components; this back in 2016 when so many were left with dead batteries in Parking Spaces and in their Garages ....