DanAK Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Well I felt like I was thread jacking so I wanted to start a new post about the topic of a strut brace. There seemed to be a lot of interest in this over in the "Jackson's Missing Link" topic. I love my pathfinder, and I think its wonderful to drive on the street and its fast and powerful in the desert, but I am always worried about the frame and body flex. I know its there because I can feel the whole car twist when I crest a dune at an angle, also when ever I get stuck and my rear axle is fully flexed I can not close my rear hatch door because the latch will not line up properly. One of the ways to reduce these effects (at least to reduce the effects of this in the front engine compartment) and improve strength and handling is to use a strut brace. But in the pathfinder (I am talking the VQ35 as I have no experience with the VG33) there is no room to run a brace over the engine and to run it anywhere else has its problems as well. So I am just looking for thoughts and ideas on how to make a strut brace for the Pathfinder. Here is an example of a strut brace I am just thinking now that with my SFD I might be able to make some new shorter engine blocks and also drop my transmission bracket down an inch or two (lowering the whole engine). After that it might be possible to fit in an over engine strut brace. Opinions? -Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 The engine should not have moved at all vertically when you did you SFD. Seems like alot of work to me, im going to go take a peak later and see if there is a way to make one fit somehow or ponder up some idears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 I like the triangulated bar you posted. That would be ideal in a SUV, considering the abuse it takes off the pavement. Hopefully Jackon Autosport has something in the works. I know Daddy Rim had a few fabbed up, too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 I know when i installed these in my z31 300zx the body felx was dramaticlly decreased! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Even moreso the case in a giant unibody SUV, I reckon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgallant Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Took a look under my hood as I am interested in this as well. It will be a tough fit there is a fair bit in the way of a clean mount, a number of things will have to be re-located as well. Just out of curiosity what sized material would be likely used, I figure I could mess about with some pvc piping an see what I could mock up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAK Posted September 11, 2010 Author Share Posted September 11, 2010 After I posted yesterday I went and looked at my truck again. This dose not seem like an easy thing at all, there is almost zero room between the top of the engine and the hood. Also while the passenger side strut is very clean, the drivers side has the break cylinder, the air intake, and the fuse box in the way. At first it just looks impossible but I think it might work if you make a mount so that the bar over shoots the strut and mounts up farther away from the engine (hard to explain). I really do thing that almost nothing can pass over the engine without the engine being dropped down an inch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skulptr Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 has anybody also looked into a rear brace, considering you brought up the fact that at full flex, you can't close your hatch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zibi Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 I was thinking about a rear brace, but not sure where you'd put it. Thats essentially installing another crossmember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 A rear hitch would act as a crossmember and stiffen up the rear end. Although it didn't help me since I couldn't close my rear hatch when flexed out. The triangular brace looks like the best design to stiffen up the body, although i'm sure a normal cross brace would work well also. We might be in luck, I have about 40 laser-cut strut flanges sitting on my work bench. I'm sure I can spare two for some R&D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAK Posted September 12, 2010 Author Share Posted September 12, 2010 A rear hitch would act as a crossmember and stiffen up the rear end. Although it didn't help me since I couldn't close my rear hatch when flexed out. The triangular brace looks like the best design to stiffen up the body, although i'm sure a normal cross brace would work well also. We might be in luck, I have about 40 laser-cut strut flanges sitting on my work bench. I'm sure I can spare two for some R&D. Wow, I would love to take you up on that, do you ship to the middle east Oh well I think I am now trying to do what I can to stiffen up the frame and body without the strut brace first. I am thinking about a 12mm aluminum skid plate staring just behind the transmission bracket, I could do some braces but I think a 12mm sheet of aluminum will brace just as well. If it was legal here I would just weld on some stiffener plates to the frame like people do with the Jeep Cherokee. Anyway I still haven done the missing like yet, that's the first step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsulen Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. I really learned a lot about from you guys. I have a question, do you know where can I buy strut tower repair cap? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 (edited) I did some checking today and the strut mounted upper cross bar definetely would be a hard thing to do. But I heard a few guys saying they couldnt fit a bar across the top of the motor and the hood. I placed a 13/16" solid bar across my engine and the hood shut no problem. BUT, like mentionned there is a clutter of things in the way and there is a 4-5" height difference from the top of the strut tower to the top of the engine. So making this pretty wont be easy as you have to go up at a prety step angle. I almost want to curve a bar around the front of the engine.... If I could buy a set of strut flanges off of you Shift220, I could come up with something. Edited December 6, 2010 by WOT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 You have to keep in mind that you cant bolt the flanges on the inside of the engine bay because the studs that come out of the factory struts are only so long and you have to bolt them into the actual body of the truck as well. It would be easier for those with a sfd cause the strut spacer bolts to the strut using the factory studs on the strut, then the top of the spacer could simply get longer grade 8 hardware allowing there to be more room to bolt something else like a tower brace on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 I dont have my car close to me now or I would measure the protrucing threads but that OEM nut has got to be 3/4" thick you can buy a thinner higher grade metal one to save some thread and probably fit a 3/8" flange no problem I know Ive got (2) 3/16" battery lugs under one of the strut bolts and felt fine with how much threads it grabbed (I think it may have still came out of the back of the bolt) Good point though, definetely something Ill have to remember to look at before starting, I really do want to make one of these though, most likely wrapping around the front of the engine to avoid the crazy upward angle that I think I would have a hard time retaining rigdity with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 I do have a few flanges left if you are interested. I had a look at making a brace and decided not to pursue it. There just isn't a good way to design one simple enough. I would imagine the newer R50's would require a completely different one as mentioned before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 Im very interested. if you could pm me when you can a price for a pair of them shipped to ontario with maybe a pic and some info on them (width/metal type) Id appreciate it and probly take some off your hands, a pic would help to Finally put my pipe bender to good use lol Id love to do this mod and make a little thread about it, would probably look pretty nice in the engine bay to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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