Strut mount play

[Treehouse]

Hi, this is my first post! OK here goes, I live in Canada and am a mechanic. I just got the wife a 2004 Chev Optra. Is the Forenza the same car? Why I ask is I cant find any info on this car in ShopKey? Anyway if it is, I was putting snow tires on it and out of habit I checked the front end and there seems to be a lot of play in the upper strut mount. I called the place where I got the car and they said they thaught so too. They called Chev. and said that its normal. Can anyone confirm this.

Thanks Treehouse!

[Forenza Owner]

I can't confirm about the strut mount play but the Forenza is indeed the same car as the Optra.

[shishcabobers]

I woudn't be surprise if there is front mount play, I mean the strut is held by 1 fricken bolt. Talk about an engineering fail.

[NintendoKD]

I was thinking about this same thing just the other day because I wanted to put in a strut bar in my 06' reno. "one bolt is terrible" if it had more holes like some common number for a honda say, then you could open up the options to adding struts/strutbars, etc.? however, I would like to do this under the direct and close supervision of a master mechanic.

"measure twice, cuz you can only cut once"

[brusk]

This is a floating strut type suspension. Some volkswagens do the same thing. I don't know how this is supposed to benefit it, but if some german thought it was a good idea on VW then there is usually a reason.

[7-even]

strut braces dont have to mount to the strut bolts itself. thats just one design. there are plenty of strut bars that just mount to the body. even some of the best strut bars for honda made my mugen and spoon mount to the body, neuspeed has a body mount bar, and others. its the location more than anything and the bar design. that location is where the bar works the best. its where the the body roll (and stress) takes place due to the movment of the wheels, struts. going into and coming out of turns. the strut brace just adds strength to the body and tightenes up the play on this area or the car. a cross brace can help this also. our car is a unibody so the body flexes under hard turns. a solid bar is better than one with bolts in it for easy mounting you know the ones that are in three peices, the bar and then the 2 mounting ends, the bolts add a stress point and a point for movement. our cars have the macphearson struts wich only require single bolt mounting, but there is no reason a strut bar could not be installed. by someone who knows how anyway lol dont just go drilling around also the play has nothing to do with the single bolt mounting this is a common strut type to use. someone else already mentioned its a floating strutt design. hope this helps without being to technical