In your dreams. That bar is under tension. It connects the rear sub frame where the lower rear A-arm is attached and forms the lower side of the torsion box (makes a square). As you compress the rear suspension the lower A-Arm is forced outward. This bar prevents defection and makes the subframe rigid. It's flimsy because that's all it needs to be just in the same way an "I" beam or a truss bridge is. It think they call this "structural engineering". It's shaped like it is because that's all you need to do the job.

It's removable and not welded in because you need to remove it to remove the exhaust and differential, both of which sit above it. The only possible reason for replacing it would be to save weight. An aluminum replacement would weigh less but would have a lower tensile strength and would be easily damaged. The other advantage to it's design is that it can take a lot of abuse without deforming, bending and becoming misshaped. I've flattened mine several times and it continues to work fine. It's easily straightened out again with a pair of pliers. An aluminum replacement would not only save very little weight but also wouldn't be as rugged and you certainly couldn't bend it back into shape if it got dinged. Aluminum is not very malleable.

It's perfect the way it is. Just make sure you put it back on. Sorry to hear about the $100 you spent on nothing. We've all done it.

 

anyone notice the 4 bigger bolts *14mm's?* holding this brace on are a LOT harder to turn in than 'regular' bolts? i mean.... my bolts weren't rusted or anything... they were just tight as a virgin in and out.

 

Thanks for the explanation - I must have just felt a placebo effect I suppose.

 

The underside of the car gets a lot of crud splashed up. Those bolts simply just get partially seized in place. The trick is to liberally spray with Liquid Wrench prior to turning them. Even with spray, they can be difficult to undo. I've even seen posts from a few people who have snapped those bolts off.
When my car was relatively new, they were easy to turn. As the years goes by, they get tougher and tougher. Spray them and wait till it works in.

 

Please note that aluminum is one of the most malleable metals. It is used in what we call "S.A.M." splints for sports injuries. "Structural Aluminum Malleable" splints can even be found in most roadside emergency kits that you put in the trunk.


Also, Somehow I don't agree with your uselessness comment. If the man can correct his car better or feels more confident to push the car into a turn, is that not worth 100 dollars? It is to me. I am trying to recall the last time a company like Cusco decided to waste money on R&D on a product and then make something for our car that was worthless. People claim this all the time, especially with their strut bars, coming from different hondas. Until Jesus comes to speak to me so I can ask him otherwise, I will take a bar that doesn't bend by hand over a bar that does.

And if you want to claim the "Honda engineer" part, claiming they are all smarter than us, explain to me why Rick sells a stiffened X brace or why strut bars are sold and people love them after install.

 

Why ask why? People buy crap all the time that doesn't work. Strut bar is worthless, 0 deflection. Not only do we not have struts to begin with (we have double wishbone) the fact is we already have a shock tower brace built into the frame. Remove your airbox and you'll see it. Bowflex doesn't sell 3 billion dollars a year worth of exercise equipment to fit people.

As to maliable try this. Take a 1/8" x 1" aluminum flat bar and put it in a vice. Next bend it 90 degrees and then back the other way 180 degrees and then back to straight again. Did it crack? Did it break totally in half? I bet it did. Now try the same with a 1/8" x 1" cold rolled steel flatbar. Did it crack? Did it break off? Nope. You can bend aluminum once but it becomes brittle and fractures when worked cold.

If you can bend that cold rolled 1/8" steel stiffener bar with your bare hands you must be one of the 6 people who bought a bowflex and actually used it.

 

Cthree is spot on. This is structural engineering 101. Deforms, Material Mechanics, Mechanical Design, Statics...

People will believe just about anything until they are proven wrong. The vast majority of the structural supports you can buy for the S2000 are for the most part useless. Anyone with a decent engineering background will intuitively know this just by looking at the designs. Until I see test results showing that the bending stiffness or torsional rigidity has increased, I won't buy the seat-of-the-pants testimonies.

 

cthree, I'm not making an argument for using aluminum in parts for cars. Just that aluminum by itself is very malleable. I don't know what it is that they add that makes aluminum very brittle in commercial applications, but yeah, it does crack and break eventually, but the stuff added keeps it very stiff to begin with b/c the aluminum at certain temperatures can be as flexible as silly putty. I think they just oxidize it to harden it.

That being said, I always wondered when they started making engine cores out of aluminum. wondered how they would hold up over years. seem to be fine, considering all the flexing, rattling, back and forth movements.

These bars, much different design, I agree. I would rather see a different metal, titanium? Very expensive! For that price I'd rather have some glow in the dark Radium....J/K.

I know personal experience from 10,000 people can be nullified by something as simple as a scientific experiment. So either let's experiment or ask all the race car winners what they use and why.

 

yep you needd the jizz juice for that

 

It makes sense. Why make one bar rigid if it is just attached to other weak components. So perhaps we should look into strengthening all points of contact. And spend 7,000 dollars Or buy a Supercharger!