The Strut Bar is a balancing bar that adds stability to the car body when entering corners. It is commonly found in sports cars and racing cars. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in this accessory as car owners strive to enhance the safety of their beloved vehicles. Many people are curious about the usefulness of the Strut Bar for regular cars.
What is a Strut Bar?
In the car accessory market, the Strut Bar is often marketed as an additional device that improves the driving experience, reduces body twist when entering corners, and enhances vehicle stability during operation. Essentially, the Strut Bar is a rod that is directly attached to the car frame. It can be positioned in various locations, such as the engine compartment or on the sides of the car body…
Advertisements showcasing the improved stability of a car after installing the Strut Bar.
The balancing bar helps reinforce the car’s undercarriage.
When browsing car modification shops, it is evident that the price of a Strut Bar is relatively affordable, ranging from a few million dong for the cheaper models. In Vietnam, regular car owners usually opt to install a Strut Bar above the front section due to its simple installation process, which only requires attachment at two points hidden neatly under the hood. Although the practical effects are not distinct, it does lend the car’s engine bay a sporty ambiance.
Most regular car models available today can easily be equipped with a Strut Bar above the front section.
What are the actual effects of these balancing bars?
In theory, a balancing bar or strut can reinforce the car body and enhance stability during operation. However, this holds true only when all the necessary braces, such as anti-roll bars, lower front strut bars, upper front strut bars, front braces, and frame braces, have been installed. Furthermore, these bracing bars only yield noticeable effects in certain sports car models with lightweight frames that require additional reinforcement for body stability.
On the other hand, most regular car models are solely equipped with an upper front strut bar, which costs only a few million dong and thus cannot yield a significant difference. Additionally, to ensure stability during operation, the car’s body structure, drivetrain, suspension system, and active safety technologies all play crucial roles. Therefore, it is evident that solely installing a bar under the hood will not provide the desired stability.
According to the practical evaluations of numerous users and experts, a balancing bar has no effect on regular car models.
As advised by Mr. Vinh Nguyen, a member of the RedLine Team, for most regular car models today, installing an upper front strut bar will not significantly improve vehicle control or yield a different driving experience. Luxury cars and high-end sports cars have already been designed and equipped with the necessary braces to optimize the driving experience and body stiffness. Consequently, adding a balancing bar is unnecessary.
The engine bay of luxury cars like Aston Martin has already been reinforced with balancing bars. (Photo: To Tung)
Therefore, car owners should weigh the benefits of installing a balancing bar, as its effects on regular cars are minimal. Real-life tests conducted by experts like Mr. Vinh Nguyen have demonstrated that this type of balancing bar serves solely for “fun” and has no practical effects.
Furthermore, it is crucial to closely observe road conditions, terrains, and driving skills as fundamental prerequisites for ensuring safety while driving. Over-reliance on the equipment in one’s car and unnecessary experiments can lead to regrettable consequences.
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