Found this small article interesting, even though it hasn't gone into that much detail it puts the statics behind a strut brace in perspective.
Thought some people might like to read it.

http://www.e30m3project.com/e30m3perfor ... theory.htm

I personally think his assumptions are fundamentally flawed.
His free body diagrams are partially wrong, and he has not allowed for compression of the shock, and the resultant forces acting on the strut tower.

_________________
1972 Datsun 1600, S14 SR20DET Engineered (204rwkW @ 17psi.)
viewtopic.php?t=6579
#SR20Datsun @SR20Datsun

If someone could measure exactl how much deflection a typical datsun front end moves i would be more interested.
In the meantime i'll spend my money on something else...

I've had them on a bunch of cars (not my datsun) and the main thing i notice with them as that the body/doors don't creak when i go into a steep driveway off the road (ie right hand front wheel and left hand rear taking 90% of the load, the other two wheels rather unloaded).
So they do something.

_________________

@Sr20 Datsun
out of interest what exactly are you talking about? The compression of the suspension on cornering, accounting for a small subtraction to the (x-direction) force to the strut top? If so that would be pretty small wouldn't it, compared to the strut top horizontal force? Unless going over bumps on the road then it might be a fair bit as there wouldn't really be any cornering force.
Haven't really thought about it much but just asking you
Oh and whats wrong with his FBD? Not saying you're wrong i just want to know

The torque about the wheel is fine, I have no problem with that. His simplification does not account for the weight of the car onto the wheel and the road pushing back up on it. The weight force of the car cornering, plus the force transferred into the strut (compressing the spring) and any bumps in the road actually are far more than the small force due to perfect cornering "-x direction" force due to the torque acting about the wheel.
Calculating this out means a greater net force compressing the strut tower (a small negative being blown away by a larger positive force). Also not included was the force upwards as it moments about a hypothetical pivot point in the sheet metal)

_________________
1972 Datsun 1600, S14 SR20DET Engineered (204rwkW @ 17psi.)
viewtopic.php?t=6579
#SR20Datsun @SR20Datsun