Improving 3 MPS GenII handling

[kippo]

My previous ride was a suzuki swift sport.
I do find that Mazda 3 MPS GenII suspension is softer compared to the swift sport.

Other than changing to coilovers, will adding all these sway/strut bars help much?

Mazda 3 MPS (2010) MZR 2.3T Front Upper Strut Bars | Strut Braces | Strut Tower Bar | UR-TW2-1345

[bd581]

Strut brace will do SFA.

rear sway bar is a cheap, simple and very effective mod

[AlanC]

What advantage is a front strut bar? Anyone please tell me.

[Lachlan]

Wtf is that 'room bar'? Looks like something from a prison bus to chain convicts too.

RSB ftw! Mine (whiteline) helped the balance and added some oversteer, and better tires (advan ad08) made it much more predictable and easier to control in the twisties.


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[bd581]

Strut bar is designed to stop the strut towers from flexing in corners therefore keeping your geometry correct.
The actually do a good job and noticeable on the road.
However on a 3 I see no point at all, the strut towers are close to the firewall and wouldn't flex much, and they are already braced to the firewall.
So really they are just for value on a 3.

[AlanC]

Thanks Brad, I wont be a jerk!

[Caffeine Fiend]

What advantage is a front strut bar? Anyone please tell me.

A front strut bar (or strut brace) helps limit chassis torsion/twisting while cornering.

The MPS comes standard with front strut bracing, and increasing it's size with an aftermarket unit like this will give minimal gain over the factory unit. Unless you're going through and bracing everything else down the car as well, at which point it starts to make the car significantly less practical as a road car in terms of comfort, carrying space etc etc

I know an Evo driver who I used to work with who went down this path with bracing and basically turned what was a very nice road car into an impractical harsh-riding pig. Uprated strut braces, under-floor chasis bracing down the car, and a cross-bracing that effectively filled the boot to the point where he couldn't even carry a spare.

He eventually stopped driving it every day because it was too tiring. Sure, he picked up a few seconds around Sandown, but it basically made the car undrivable on the road on a daily basis.

Edit: Brad beat me to it lol



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[lup15]

there's always a compromise with these sorts of things, handling or harshness. its just finding that happy medium. a front strut brace is different to a rear sway bar. the former is stiffening the chassis, the latter controlling the amount of body roll (suspension). both however contribute to how a car will handle.

but as others have said, the MPS 3 already comes with bracing on the front strut towers

[kippo]

Strut brace will do SFA.

what does it mean by 'SFA' ?

---------- Post added at 01:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 AM ----------

thanks guys. Looks like the rear sway bar is the only one that need to be changed.

[bd581]

what does it mean by 'SFA' ?

---------- Post added at 01:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 AM ----------

thanks guys. Looks like the rear sway bar is the only one that need to be changed.

SFA = sweet f**k all.