Sparco strut brace

Can anyone post here the photo of an installed Sparco strut brace in 147 2.0?

Originally Posted by deedee

Can anyone post here the photo of an installed Sparco strut brace in 147 2.0?

I don't have picture, but I have just installed it yesterday. It is strange: left side is connected with 2 bolts (had to move one el. connector), right side is conected with one bolt to upper engine support (not to strut top). Whole installation looks very clean, there are no obstacles, my only concern is right side, since it is not directy connected to strut top. I hope it is strong enough.
Anyway, while driving home - 60 km on not very good roads (but very curved, and I was driving fast) I did not feel any big difference...

Here are the pictures (not mine):
http://alfa147.fateback.com/images/147/my147/my147.html

Originally Posted by Boris

Anyway, while driving home - 60 km on not very good roads (but very curved, and I was driving fast) I did not feel any big difference...

You might not feel any improvement. It looks good but it might only work if you get new dumpers and springs and have the ride harder. In that case, the flexibility of the 2 front suspension towers might need something to hold them. But in case you crach in one side (knocking the wood!), both sides will suffer.
My guess is that, if you don't wont to change the all suspension, don't get the struct brace. Instead, get the Sport Anti-Roll Bar Kit. It will improve the cornering withouth losing confort.

Of course, it's a more expensive solution...

Sport Anti roll bars are expensive and very difficult to fit. There is some improvement in reduced body roll but not as much as I had expected.

Yes, I fell very strange very first also, becasue it is screwed to RHS's tower with 2 bolts while screwed to LHS's engine support with 1 bolts only.

But, many japanese cars have the strut bar same as this design: "a metal plate" screwed on the towers and the "bar" screwed on the metal plater, so the design is the same.

When I try it after installation, I really can feel the difference in cornering.

By the way, I find the strut bar touch a little bit the bonnets. I have circled the location at the photo. Do all of you have the same situation?

Originally Posted by THROTTLEMAN

You might not feel any improvement. It looks good but it might only work if you get new dumpers and springs and have the ride harder. In that case, the flexibility of the 2 front suspension towers might need something to hold them. ...

I expected that...

Originally Posted by THROTTLEMAN

But in case you crach in one side (knocking the wood!), both sides will suffer. ...

I know this also, but to be honest if crash is strong enough to come to inside of strut tops, it doesn't matter if other side is affected

Originally Posted by THROTTLEMAN

My guess is that, if you don't wont to change the all suspension, don't get the struct brace. Instead, get the Sport Anti-Roll Bar Kit. It will improve the cornering withouth losing confort.

Of course, it's a more expensive solution...

I want to change anti-roll bars also, but they are difficult to get (only Autodelta has them, Novitec and Eibach don't).
There are available anti-roll bars for 156, but not for 147 (it seems that reason is because they are hollow).

I can't lower my car for several reasons, so I will not change springs, probably I will only change front dampers (Bilstein or Koni).

Originally Posted by deedee

By the way, I find the strut bar touch a little bit the bonnets. I have circled the location at the photo. Do all of you have the same situation?

I didn't notice that before you said it !!, yes it touches the bonnet also on mine. I had to shorten that tube few milimeters to avoid touching the bonnet.
Also there are some cables comming to bonnet that are almost cut because of touching, so I had to move them.
Anybody knows what are that cables for? I tried to find that on service and Parts CD, I suppose it is for jet heaters.

Originally Posted by Boris

I want to change anti-roll bars also, but they are difficult to get (only Autodelta has them, Novitec and Eibach don't).
There are available anti-roll bars for 156, but not for 147 (it seems that reason is because they are hollow).
.

Didn't know the 147 anti roll bars were hollow – the 156 are solid.

They are designed to be twisted by the rise and fall of the suspension - surely a solid bar would do the job much better and as it is not directly part of the suspension the weight would not make any difference to the performance of the suspension.

The way to avoid the bar touching the bonnet is to file down the upright posts at a 30° angle. I built my own bar and this is what I have done to it – as per Madeno racing.

http://www.madeno.nl/parts/Image-0130l.jpg

Originally Posted by Pascs

Didn't know the 147 anti roll bars were hollow – the 156 are solid.

They are designed to be twisted by the rise and fall of the suspension - surely a solid bar would do the job much better and as it is not directly part of the suspension the weight would not make any difference to the performance of the suspension.

I read somewhere about it, I am not 100% sure about it.

Just checked on the parts CD and the 147 anti roll bar is 32kg and 156 bar is 40kg.

The GTA bar for both 147 and 156 is the same part at 50kg.

The sub frame which these bolt onto is the same for 147 and 156.

Perhaps the anti-roll bar on the 147 is either thinner or hollow.

Originally Posted by Pascs

Just checked on the parts CD and the 147 anti roll bar is 32kg and 156 bar is 40kg.

The GTA bar for both 147 and 156 is the same part at 50kg.

The sub frame which these bolt onto is the same for 147 and 156.

Perhaps the anti-roll bar on the 147 is either thinner or hollow.

Yes it is hollow, I have just found again this data in Service CD.

How did you find weight of 32 kg?? it is too much! I have checked an weights are: 2.7 kg for 147 front bar, 2.1 rear bar, 5 kg for 147/156 GTA, and for 156: 4.3 for front, 2 kg for rear bar.

Yes the weights are 10 times too much - wasn't paying attention when I wrote them.

An idea as to why the 147 bar is hollow and the 156 bar is not.

Originally Posted by Pascs

Yes the weights are 10 times too much - wasn't paying attention when I wrote them.

An idea as to why the 147 bar is hollow and the 156 bar is not.

In Service CD they said "to reduce weight"...
few kg !!???