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Old 03-09-2010, 04:05 PM   #11
Orion
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Brisbane
Car: Mazda SP20 sedan
Posts: 1,769
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ice88 View Post
Dunno whether to get tie brace or ladder brace.

Not sure which id benefit from the most tbh.
The tie brace and ladder bar are not mutually exclusive - you can install both of them.

Here is some information from the US thread that might help.

Quote:
after installing the KMR lower tie bar on my P5, I noticed a really nice difference. the turn in was more responsive and made the rear almost seem sloppy. getting the rear v-brace and rear strut tower brace would really make a nice compliment.

my air ride has adjustable dampers for rebound control and stiffening. since i didnt have the v-brace, I did end up increasing stiffness in the rear struts to compensate. that helped a lot, but it seemed like there was still room for improvement for the rear. possibly a thick ass sway bar would be the trick as well??? dont know until I try. i dont have any other suspension mods than what is mentioned, so I cant provide much more info than that... sorry. Hope this helps!
Quote:
I recently installed a rear strut bar on my P5. Not this KMR one but similar design. Right away, the rear end stiffened up. I could physically feel the front of the car twist slightly more than the rear in hard cornering. A few days later, I installed the ladder brace and front tie bar. Again, not these KMR ones but exact same design. The front end stiffened up enough that in hard cornering, I no longer feel the front end twist more than the rear. Consequently, the turn-in is a little bit sharper and I think body roll is reduced by a slight amount. Less chassis flex should = more predictable cornering grip. These are just subjective impressions. I didn't do any sort of skid pad testing before and after the mods.

Not going to lie, the difference is very small but those that notice it will appreciate it. Also if you plan any sort of suspension mods for racing, these braces are a must. I'll be installing coilovers in the spring for autocross and am therefore really looking forward to installing the v-brace to complete chassis stiffening.
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