Like the subject says... do they help?

I see FSTB's from $10 up on eBay.

 

At higher speeds they would help more, and through turns it stiffens the front end up a little bit. Nothing drastic, but definately worth the money if you push your car through turns a lot.

 

Well worth it. My girl even noticed the difference and loved the way the car felt with the FSTB.

 

A FSTB will give better steering response, better communication from the chassis, and more consistent cornering behavior. Those things don't actually mean the car grips any harder, but they definitely help driver confidence and make the car feel better, which in turn helps you corner at higher speeds.

Again, for emphasis: It doesn't actually make the car hold the road better. It just helps you push it harder.

It will also make your car more stable and less likely to be upset by bumps and uneven pavement. In some cases it even makes the ride a tad smoother.

It's important to keep in mind that if you're an easy driver and you have the stock suspension, you won't notice much of a difference with a FSTB. The harder you drive and/or the stiffer your suspension, the more of a difference you will notice and the more important it will be to get a good quality one (rather than that $10 eBay stuff).

 

make your own. i did.

 

a note of caution.. I bought one off an eBay seller... it seemed to fit well to me, but it was actually pinching an EVAP hose. I did not really notice it until I got a CEL code for EVAP. I had a feeling it was that hose, so I removed the FSTB, and found that it had caused a hole to form in the hose that caused the check engine code. So the lesson is sometimes you get what you pay for... the piece did not fit correctly and caused more trouble than it was worth. I can post pics of this if anyone is interested.

on a side note, I thought it felt a little better with it installed, but it may have been a placebo effect.

 

Another .orger had an ebay FSTB break on him... There's pics around somewhere. I'd just invest in a used name-brand bar.

 

A cheap $26 ebay FSTB was my first mod I did to my car before anyting else, mostly because of the cheap cost. It made a very noticeable difference in the way the car took corners and also seemed to smooth out the ride a little bit. I think the cheapo ebay specials work every bit as well as a high dollar Cattman or Stillen bar as long as it fits properly.

 

bomz makes a fine strut bar.. ebay about 40 bucks shipping included.. dont always doubt the ebay brands they are underrated

 

i noticed a difference off the bat... i love it

cattman FSTB though ... $60

reason why i got it is because it was brand name