Scion xB2 Rear Trunk Brace!
05-14-2012, 01:47 PM
#21
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Hey at least it looks nice. I wouldn't mind getting one to match the front strut bar. If anyone tracks an XB your retarded. Who cares if it does anything? You buy this car to cruise around in with (in my case) form over function. My new idea for it: a brace to hold my sub in place. LOL. See now it has a function.
well there you have it. it is now a "sub brace" and a somthing to hold milk between it and the back seats...
05-15-2012, 07:19 PM
#23
.Enjoy cruising, I'll enjoy tearing up the backroads.
Bump for trying something new OP, I actually planned on making something like this out of a piece of aluminum, but..after talking to a few scca/old racing souls, I found out that it wouldn't do much with our rear suspension setup.
If it makes a noticable difference, more power to you!
05-15-2012, 07:27 PM
#24
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No, that's what YOU bought the car for. I enjoy pulling away from all sorts of "sports" cars on ky backroads with mine, as well as being able to haul a washer and dryer .
Enjoy cruising, I'll enjoy tearing up the backroads.
Bump for trying something new OP, I actually planned on making something like this out of a piece of aluminum, but..after talking to a few scca/old racing souls, I found out that it wouldn't do much with our rear suspension setup.
If it makes a noticable difference, more power to you!
.Enjoy cruising, I'll enjoy tearing up the backroads.
Bump for trying something new OP, I actually planned on making something like this out of a piece of aluminum, but..after talking to a few scca/old racing souls, I found out that it wouldn't do much with our rear suspension setup.
If it makes a noticable difference, more power to you!
well i have been thinking about getting that set of raceland coilovers. then maybe it will help more? im getting bolts today to it will be bolted tomarro and drive andound and see if i notice anything.
05-15-2012, 08:18 PM
#25
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The strut assembly is at the front of the car. Basically struts support the weight of the car and also dampen the ride. So it's necessary to have them at the front of the xB (since... you know, that's where all the weight is! lol). Shocks are an add on to a strut assembly that provide more dampening. You don't need shocks to survive, but struts you do need. You'd have a lot of bouncy bounce without since there'd be nothing to brace your springs and impede its recoil!
I haven't dismantled the trunk or anything of the like, so I'm not sure if the shocks do pop up in the back. If they do and are indeed part of the suspension assembly, then your trunk brace could potentially provide some form of benefit.
At the front of a FWD xB, I feel like a strut bar and control arm or sway bar is probably sufficient. At the rear, I feel like all you would need is a sway bar.
Now I really really want you to bolt that sucker on already and take it for a spin!!
I haven't dismantled the trunk or anything of the like, so I'm not sure if the shocks do pop up in the back. If they do and are indeed part of the suspension assembly, then your trunk brace could potentially provide some form of benefit.
At the front of a FWD xB, I feel like a strut bar and control arm or sway bar is probably sufficient. At the rear, I feel like all you would need is a sway bar.
Now I really really want you to bolt that sucker on already and take it for a spin!!
the big benefit is to make your framing more ridged. If you like to feel to have it necessary to lay your hands on the road when you drive then yes it is a benefit. Although your making your ride really really ridged meaning that the less things can flex the more pressure your putting on other parts of the welds on the vehicle. In a nut shell it will be a lot more solid but things cant bend thus making things prone to snapping in a accident.
We make all our framing real ridged when we were racing cars but in doing so when you wreck its never a minor thing. The vehicle takes more of the blunt shock of a hit.
Its great if your sliding sideways though
05-16-2012, 02:26 AM
#26
!
05-16-2012, 02:28 AM
#27
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The suspension is the suspension, so I really wouldn't expect a rear geometry advantage from coil-overs. As Cionide mentioned, such a brace can potentially increase chassis rigidity, but it's not clear there would be a real-world handling benefit. Still, until there's a serious before/after driving comparison, it's hard to know whether there's an advantage. Problem with this kind of thing is that even if there is no benefit, one can easily imagine there is !
!i understand. well again in the end its for looks so i dont really care if it helps or not.
05-16-2012, 06:05 AM
#29
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05-16-2012, 06:50 AM
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05-16-2012, 08:31 AM
#31
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So, the Xb is better at tearing up backroads and hauling heavy loads than it is at sitting in parking lots posing?
Use it for what you want, and let others be. Form over function or vice versa, who the F cares? The car isn't fast, quick, particularly good looking, or well suited for hauling. With its light duty tranny, its not really meant to haul anything. It's just a good simple car.
Two pages of people spouting off about how it wouldn't serve a purpose in affecting handling, and finally one person mentions the bar's single purpose of adding structural rigidity. Then someone chimes in with how it would compromise the car's welds? Good grief.
Use it for what you want, and let others be. Form over function or vice versa, who the F cares? The car isn't fast, quick, particularly good looking, or well suited for hauling. With its light duty tranny, its not really meant to haul anything. It's just a good simple car.
Two pages of people spouting off about how it wouldn't serve a purpose in affecting handling, and finally one person mentions the bar's single purpose of adding structural rigidity. Then someone chimes in with how it would compromise the car's welds? Good grief.
05-16-2012, 09:18 AM
#32
Two pages of people spouting off about how it wouldn't serve a purpose in affecting handling, and finally one person mentions the bar's single purpose of adding structural rigidity. Then someone chimes in with how it would compromise the car's welds? Good grief.
05-16-2012, 12:28 PM
#33
It's just an awesome all around car.
I mean...name another car that can : haul a washer and dryer, show up at a track day with a full set of tools, race wheels/tires, 4 people and their luggage, handle +300whp on a STOCK 4 cyl block, outrun plenty of "sports" cars on backroads with a bit of suspension upgrades, and cost the same as the xb2.
Short of a minivan with a welded frame, upgraded engine internals and race tires....I don't really know of any.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good stanced car! I love ripping up back roads just as much though :D
Its the perfect "do it all" car...or..if you're my insurance agent "sport wagon"
Once I boost the xb in a year or so...It will literally be my "perfect" car. It can do everything a regular car does, and also...be awesome.
I mean...name another car that can : haul a washer and dryer, show up at a track day with a full set of tools, race wheels/tires, 4 people and their luggage, handle +300whp on a STOCK 4 cyl block, outrun plenty of "sports" cars on backroads with a bit of suspension upgrades, and cost the same as the xb2.
Short of a minivan with a welded frame, upgraded engine internals and race tires....I don't really know of any.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good stanced car! I love ripping up back roads just as much though :D
Its the perfect "do it all" car...or..if you're my insurance agent "sport wagon"
Once I boost the xb in a year or so...It will literally be my "perfect" car. It can do everything a regular car does, and also...be awesome.
05-18-2012, 01:29 PM
#34
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Well I bolted it down. The only difference I saw at first was the fact the traction light did not come on as much under hard corning. It still came on but not as often, but the road condition can have a big impact on that as well. With the traction off it felt “tighter” taking super sharp turns but it could just be thinking it does lol. I wonder how hard it is to measure the cornering G’s or whatever you would measure to see a difference.
05-19-2012, 12:19 PM
#35
Is this thread about R2D2s trunk brace or about how the xB is the most amazing machine that has ever crawled the face of this planet that out-runs sports cars on the back roads?
Anyways, I think it's very unique Mike, look forward to seeing it in person
Also, maybe it can be used as harness bar for rear racing seats.. you know.. for keeping the rear passengers nice and snug during the harsh g-forces of street racing endeavors
Anyways, I think it's very unique Mike, look forward to seeing it in person
Also, maybe it can be used as harness bar for rear racing seats.. you know.. for keeping the rear passengers nice and snug during the harsh g-forces of street racing endeavors
05-19-2012, 06:42 PM
#36
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05-20-2012, 10:50 AM
#37
Well I just could not wait for one, so I made one myself! This was the 1st one I made and is a little rough. This is not painted and I’m looking for the color I want it powder coated. (Metallic burnt copper). If enough people want one, i have no problem fabricating more once I have my jig. Welded with my millermatic 212 welder. Pics below.
DUDE... bring me one when we join up for the St Helens cruise...
;-) I'd be interested in it.
05-23-2012, 12:12 AM
#39
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Sorry, while I've held back on my personal "solution looking for a problem" engineering opinion, I now have to chime in and say that this rear trunk bar will make the washer or dryer teeter precariously and disrupt felt handling in the twisties... 
Though I recognize the siren's call of enjoying the red (TRD-like) bar in unencoutered spaces!
Though I recognize the siren's call of enjoying the red (TRD-like) bar in unencoutered spaces!
Last edited by GDubya; 05-23-2012 at 12:28 AM.
05-23-2012, 12:16 AM
#40
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i have no ideal what you just said lol