ShopKiaStinger.com/Vivid Visual Strut Brace Fitment Issues

[NS_Stinger]

Agreed. Nobody should put one of these on with any expectation that it will make any noticeable difference.

Really? This is a solid constructed bar that joins both of the strut towers, it might not be a direct connection from tower to tower but the cross brace down near the rad is in fact tying the towers together where the oem braces just go from the tower to the rad and arent otherwise connected. This design should improve the rigity and I have no doubt in my mind it can be felt by the driver.

The DC Sports and BMS bars are nothing more than eye candy, this bar and the new HPS bar both would actually make a difference.

 

[AdrianG]

Really? This is a solid constructed bar that joins both of the strut towers, it might not be a direct connection from tower to tower but the cross brace down near the rad is in fact tying the towers together where the oem braces just go from the tower to the rad and arent otherwise connected. This design should improve the rigity and I have no doubt in my mind it can be felt by the driver.

Yes. I have not noticed any noteworthy difference between this and the factory braces.

 

[NS_Stinger]

Yes. I have not noticed any noteworthy difference between this and the factory braces.

Yes, but you're already running a ton of suspension mods, so slapping something like this on after you already have subframe collars, front/rear sways with endlinks, and mando is not a good way to measure the difference a strut bar is going to make...

 

[AdrianG]

Yes, but you're already running a ton of suspension mods, so slapping something like this on after you already have subframe collars, front/rear sways with endlinks, and mando is not a good way to measure the difference a strut bar is going to make...

Mando was one of my later modifications, but otherwise correct.

It simply doesn't make a noteworthy difference in comparison, as it were. Anyone would be better off going with upgraded sway bars, or probably any other suspension upgrade, before adding this brace. It more than likely does add some rigidity, but it seems to be so little that it is essentially negligible, everything being taken into account.

 

[Hawk853]

I've stated this before but all these "strut braces" are essentially just decorative and dont stiffen the suspension. Those braces are for the radiator support stffness not strut tower stiffness. If you wanted to stiffen the strut tower you'd brace against the firewall where the core strength of the car is, not the radiator support and crumple zones are. Thankfully Kia already ties the strut towers to to firewall with how the chassis is designed.

What he said ^ and…

The strut towers come reinforced by tubular steel that goes back toward the firewall. You can reveal them by looking behind the black trim that isolates the brake reservoir and fuse box.

If a bar from tower to tower was installed it would further triangulate the bracing. I doubt the results would be worth the trouble with out a full engine and cab cage. Just bragging rights. The whole car twists under heavy loads.

We got a bunch of Mario Andrettis in here looking to shed seconds off their lap times I guess.

 

[D.J.]

What he said ^ and…

The strut towers come reinforced by tubular steel that goes back toward the firewall. You can reveal them by looking behind the black trim that isolates the brake reservoir and fuse box.

If a bar from tower to tower was installed it would further triangulate the bracing. I doubt the results would be worth the trouble with out a full engine and cab cage. Just bragging rights. The whole car twists under heavy loads.

We got a bunch of Mario Andrettis in here looking to shed seconds off their lap times I guess. View attachment 78100

Those steel strut tower braces provide far more rigidity than the silver anodized aluminum cosmetic rad supports.

 

[NS_Stinger]

What he said ^ and…

The strut towers come reinforced by tubular steel that goes back toward the firewall. You can reveal them by looking behind the black trim that isolates the brake reservoir and fuse box.

If a bar from tower to tower was installed it would further triangulate the bracing. I doubt the results would be worth the trouble with out a full engine and cab cage. Just bragging rights. The whole car twists under heavy loads.

We got a bunch of Mario Andrettis in here looking to shed seconds off their lap times I guess. View attachment 78100

You must not have ever added a good strut bar to any of your cars before. I can tell you I have for many cars I've owned over the years and I've always noticed a difference afterwards even when daily driving, often times in steering feel, less creaking/flex over uneven pavement etc.

 

[AdrianG]

You must not have ever added a good strut bar to any of your cars before. I can tell you I have for many cars I've owned over the years and I've always noticed a difference afterwards even when daily driving, often times in steering feel, less creaking/flex over uneven pavement etc.

To be fair, we're not talking about all vehicles here. Strut braces can certainly make a more or less significant difference on different vehicles. We are specifically talking about the Stinger. This strut brace makes little to no determinable difference on this vehicle, especially taking into consideration all other potential upgrades to improve the rigidity of the vehicle. Taking everything else (modifications, road, etc) into account, anybody who can actually feel a difference is probably extremely sensitive to various forces, otherwise it is placebo.

 

[Hawk853]

You must not have ever added a good strut bar to any of your cars before. I can tell you I have for many cars I've owned over the years and I've always noticed a difference afterwards even when daily driving, often times in steering feel, less creaking/flex over uneven pavement etc.

You just aren’t paying attention to what I wrote and are looking to sharpshoot someone.

My point was, that many cars that benefit from strut braces don’t already have a solution in place from the factory. The added benefit to the Stinger will be much less than a car with unsupported strut towers.

Someone could run a string line from tower to tower and record movement with a GoPro to prove one way or the other how much flex there is. Might get some coveted YouTube likes.

 

[NS_Stinger]

You just aren’t paying attention to what I wrote and are looking to sharpshoot someone.

My point was, that many cars that benefit from strut braces don’t already have a solution in place from the factory. The added benefit to the Stinger will be much less than a car with unsupported strut towers.

Someone could run a string line from tower to tower and record movement with a GoPro to prove one way or the other how much flex there is. Might get some coveted YouTube likes.

But the Stinger doesnt have a solution in place from the factory, the oem bars are joined to the rad support which is far too thin and flimsy to provide any benefits, its the connecting of both towers together where the benefit would come from. I dont think you need a camera to know the front end of a Stinger could benefit from some additional rigidity, just drive a stock one up a steep driveway on an angle and listen and feel all the flexing that's going on. The difference I could feel just from adding the front sway bar was insane, its a big, long, heavy car.

 

[Hawk853]

But the Stinger doesnt have a solution in place from the factory, the oem bars are joined to the rad support which is far too thin and flimsy to provide any benefits, its the connecting of both towers together where the benefit would come from. I dont think you need a camera to know the front end of a Stinger could benefit from some additional rigidity, just drive a stock one up a steep driveway on an angle and listen and feel all the flexing that's going on. The difference I could feel just from adding the front sway bar was insane, its a big, long, heavy car.

I guess I’m not explaining myself well.

Fab up a cross bar and see how it helps I guess. I was just offering an opinion from my little bit of fabricating experience and learning from old fabricators. I just don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze and assumed most owners weren’t aware of the hidden tubular steel gusseting that @RogueIV already pointed out.

It’s though to eliminate everything your talking about without an engine cage $$$$ or cab cage $$$$$. Lots of added weight using DOM.

In fact the more rigidity I add to my vehicles, the louder they get. If you’ve ridden in a caged car/truck you know what I mean. Especially with bypass shocks. You hear everything you’ve ever not wanted to hear.

 

[NS_Stinger]

I guess I’m not explaining myself well.

Fab up a cross bar and see how it helps I guess. I was just offering an opinion from my little bit of fabricating experience and learning from old fabricators. I just don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze and assumed most owners weren’t aware of the hidden tubular steel gusseting that @RogueIV already pointed out.

It’s though to eliminate everything your talking about without an engine cage $$$$ or cab cage $$$$$. Lots of added weight using DOM.

In fact the more rigidity I add to my vehicles, the louder they get. If you’ve ridden in a caged car/truck you know what I mean. Especially with bypass shocks. You hear everything you’ve ever not wanted to hear.

I agree there comes a point when too much rigidity just tranfers all NVH to the cabin, it's about finding a sweet spot in the middle. Maybe you're right, but I know another member on here installed the HPS bar and said he noticed it immediately when he pulled out of his driveway. I just can't see it hurting or not being worth a try for 200 bucks.

 

[AdrianG]

I agree there comes a point when too much rigidity just tranfers all NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) to the cabin, it's about finding a sweet spot in the middle. Maybe you're right, but I know another member on here installed the HPS bar and said he noticed it immediately when he pulled out of his driveway. I just can't see it hurting or not being worth a try for 200 bucks.

I honestly bought it because it's the best looking brace, in my opinion. I like the aesthetic. So any actual measurable improvement, no matter how small, over the factory braces is more than welcome. That said, I honestly did not notice any notable improvement. Others may be more sensitive to it than I am, though. And if I went all the way back to stock and then tested the difference between the factory braces and this one, I may notice a difference, but there's no way I would actually do that.

 

[DeltaV]

edit by admin: There is no affiliation between “Shop Kia Stinger” and “KDM Warehouse”. KDM Warehouse is the forum store, also known as the Kia Stinger Shop for years here at the forum. I setup the phrase “Shop Kia Stinger” so it would link to the forum store (KDM Warehouse). I have since removed that link to avoid the confusion that’s going on here.


Their entire practice is suspect, at best. They sell some oval exhaust tips and all sorts of carbon fiber parts that are seemingly all from China, and they charge a lot for them. They do not fabricate anything themselves, as far as I know. They are basically just buying Chinese products and selling them for the price of quality American products. I'm pretty sure most of the stuff they sell can be found on Amazon and/or AliExpress.

Yeah, just had a really bad experience with them. See my post in the paddle shifter thread.

They sell full replacement extended paddle shifters that are so poorly attached to the stock electronic module that they’re useless past the original length of the stock paddles. “You should have asked if they could actuate the shifter before you bought. We don’t have the ability to accept returns. The parts are custom to your car.”

RUN to anyone else!

 

[D.J.]

Yeah, just had a really bad experience with them. See my post in the paddle shifter thread.

They sell full replacement extended paddle shifters that are so poorly attached to the stock electronic module that they’re useless past the original length of the stock paddles. “You should have asked if they could actuate the shifter before you bought. We don’t have the ability to accept returns. The parts are custom to your car.”

RUN to anyone else!

I don't think it matters how the extensions are attached to the OEM switches.

The OEM switches themselves are not tolerant of extensions. Glued, taped, screwed in place, none of it matters, the OEM switches themselves do not work when they are pressed at any angle other than direct.

Unless someone replaces the OEM switches with something different, there will be no solution