Abstract:
A strut bar having single or multi-cross member each with downward diagonally disposed extensions terminating at a pivot point and a mounting member. The mounting members are adapted to fit directly over existing shock towers and strut towers using the studs of each respective tower. A diagonally disposed support brace is connected to the cross members and to the downward extensions according greater structural support.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND 
     This strut bar of this disclosure relates to an improvement in strut bars, and more particularly to strut bars for trucks with low-seated shock towers and low-seated strut towers. 
     One of the most common upgrades on a modified car is mounting strut bars. A strut bar (also known as strut tower bar or strut brace) is designed to tie the two opposing strut towers together as a single solid unit. The purpose of a strut bar is to reduce flex these strut towers experience during hard cornering. When taking a turn a car&#39;s strut towers normally flex, resulting in body-flex and loss of traction. Consequently, strut bars are designed to keep strut towers from flexing, in that the strut bars take the pressure being applied to one strut tower when taking a turn and distributing that pressure to both strut towers. 
     This is so because a strut bar is constructed to tie the two strut towers of a car together so that they share the load applied at the outer strut tower. This accords twice as much material [i.e., strut towers] when a strut tower encounters the same cornering forces and helps reduce fatigue stress in this area by “sharing” the forces. This tying [connecting] together of two opposing strut towers reduces a vehicle&#39;s chassis flex and body flex. And, as so connected, as a single solid unit, it provides for added stiffness and transmits the load of each strut tower during cornering via tension and compression of the strut bar which shares the load between both strut towers and thereby reduces chassis flex. 
     Because the tops of such strut towers on cars sit high in the engine compartment, a typical strut bar is a basically linear piece attached to the tops of the struts tying the two together. 
     In trucks, such cannot be done because the shock and strut towers sit deep and well below the lateral plane of the engine. Consequently, no strut bars are available in the industry of which the applicant is aware. Trucks have shocks inside shock housings having a cap covering and holding this shock therein. The strut bar of this disclosure has a horizontal cross member with a downward extending member on each end of the cross member. At the end of each downward extending member is a mounting member adapted to mount on the housing cap of a truck&#39;s shock tower. 
     Each downward extending member is of a sufficient length to permit the mounting members to affix to the shock tower housing caps. In this regard, the strut bar of this disclosure is easy to install and vastly improves truck road manners, suspension, and its handling characteristics. 
     The mounting members are fitted to work with the factory suspension components of all types of trucks to thereby fit directly the shock tower of the truck and onto the exposed stud on top of the shock tower whose housing is generally welded to the chassis of the truck. All truck shocks are housed in this type of shock tower with a cap at the upper end of the shock tower. The cap fits over several exposed studs on the upper housing of the shock tower and aids to hold the shock under it in place. The cap is held in place by nuts tightened over the exposed studs. 
     Mounting the strut bar of this disclosure requires merely removing the nuts from the studs using a conventional tool [crescent wrench, box wrench, open-end wrench, socket wrench, and the like], placing the mounting member onto the studs, and replacing the nuts onto the studs and tightening them thereat. This will securely hold the strut bar of this disclosure. 
     The improved features of the strut bar of this disclosure include: 
     a. Directly bolts onto an existing shock tower without modification or special tool requirements. 
     b. When driving on off-road conditions, allows the existing shock to operate properly. 
     c. Virtually eliminates body flex and chassis flex. 
     d. Provides the driver with more linear control and situational control of the truck. 
     e. Stabilizes cornering; particularly, heavy cornering. 
     f. Increases structural rigidity of the chassis. 
     g. Improves overall handling. 
     h. Creates a more positive steering response. 
     It is the single or multi-bar [cross member] structure combined with the integrated support brace therebetween, and to some extent the top plate, which greatly improves handling, driveability, and control when properly mounted to shock towers of trucks. The spaces defined at various connection points [pivot space and plate space] allow for some flexibility of the overall strut bar combination. 
     The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the strut bar of this disclosure. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the strut bar of this disclosure. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed strut bar of this disclosure in a different manner or by modifying the strut bar of this disclosure within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the strut bar of this disclosure may be had by referring to the summary of the strut bar of this disclosure and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the strut bar of this disclosure defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     The above-noted problems, among others, are overcome by the strut bar of this disclosure. Briefly stated, the strut bar of this disclosure contemplates a strut bar having dual cross members each with downward extensions terminating at a pivot point and mounting member. The mounting members are adapted to fit directly over existing shock towers and strut towers using the studs on the respective towers upon which to attach. A diagonally disposed support brace connected to the cross members and downward extensions along with a top plate on each cross member adds greater structural support for the strut bar and enhanced operability. 
     The foregoing has outlined the more pertinent and important features of the strut bar of this disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood so the present contributions to the art may be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the strut bar of this disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific embodiment may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures and methods for carrying out the same purposes of the strut bar of this disclosure. It also should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions and methods do not depart from the spirit and scope of the strut bar of this disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the strut bar of this disclosure, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the strut bar of the present disclosure as illustrated from one end. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the strut bar of the present disclosure as illustrated from the top. 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the strut bar of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan top view of the strut bar of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , reference character  10  generally designates a strut bar constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. It has a first cross member  16  and a second cross member  26  with each cross member  16 ,  26  having at each end a downward extension  18 ,  28 , respectively. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the horizontal plane of the cross member  16 ,  26  is represented by reference character A. The downward diagonal plane of the downward extension  18 ,  28  is represented by reference character B. The angle is represented by reference character AB and can range from about 40° to about 75°. For ideal performance, ease of mounting, and ease of maintenance, angles from about 65° to about 72° are best. 
     Each downward extension  18 ,  28  must extend well below the respective cross member  16 ,  26  and, consequently, well below the uppermost horizontal plane of the vehicle&#39;s engine. Typical lengths of the downward extensions  18 ,  28  will range from about 4-inches to about 20-inches. Typical ranges for most engines will be about 5-inches to about 10-inches. 
     The end or terminus of each downward extension  18 ,  28  is attached to a pivot member  14 . Attached to the pivot member  14 , in pivotable fashion, is the mounting member  12 . The mounting member  12  has a central aperture  13  and a plurality of mounting apertures  11 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , these respective apertures  11 ,  13  are adapted to fit over studs  111  and hub  113 , respectively, on the shock tower  100  and cap  112  on the housing of the shock tower  100  of a truck. After the mounting apertures  11  are fitted over the studs  111 , previously removed nuts  115  are replaced on the studs  111  and tightened. 
     When the strut bar  10  is mounted to a truck&#39;s shock tower  100  in this fashion, and in operation, the mounting member  12  is rigidly affixed to the shock tower which in turn is welded to the chassis. As hard driving is experienced, with flex and sway, this pivotal connection  12 ,  14 ,  18 ,  28  ties the truck&#39;s two shocks/struts together in pivotal fashion, and allows for a more even distribution and some absorption of forces encountered in the driving and cornering being executed. 
     To enhance the structural integrity of the strut bar  10  and more securely “tie” the two shock/strut towers together for greater operation capability, a support brace  24  is connected at one end [first end or top] to each cross member  16 ,  26 . The connection point is designated as reference character SB 1  as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The second end or bottom of the support brace  16 ,  26  is connected to each downward extension  18 ,  28 . This connection point is designated as reference character SB 2 . This connection point SB 2  is located above the terminus of each downward extension  18 ,  28  and below the horizontal plane A of each cross member  16 ,  26 . In this regard, if the length of each downward extension is Y-Y′ [as illustrated in  FIG. 3 ] then connection point SB 2  is approximately 30-Length % to 70-Length % of Y-Y′ as measured from Y′. 
     As so connected it can be seen that the second end [bottom] of the support brace  24  is connected to each downward extension  18 ,  28  above and separate from the pivot member  14  and also defines a pivot space  15  therebetween. 
     A top plate  32  is also connected to each cross member  16 ,  26  at the approximate center or middle of each cross member  16 ,  26 . The center of each cross member  16 ,  26  is designated as reference character CL. The top plate  32  extends outward therefrom to end points designated as reference characters D 1  and D 2 ; each of which are short of the full distance of each cross member  16 ,  26 . 
     The first end [or top] of the support brace  24  connects to each cross member  16 ,  26  adjacent to, but separate from, the end points D 1 , D 2  of the top plate  32  defining a plate space  35  therebetween. The connection points are designated by reference character SB 1 . The location of SB 1  on each cross member  16 ,  26 , as measured from the respective sides of each cross member  16 ,  26  is approximately 10% to 30% of the entire length of each cross member  16 ,  26 . In this regard, if the length of each cross member  16 ,  26  is X-X′ [as illustrated in  FIG. 3 ] then connection point SB 1  is approximately 10-Length % to about 30-Length % inward [toward the center] of X-X′. 
     For some vehicles, for proper performance and installation and structural integrity, it may be necessary to eliminate the single support brace  24  and to use instead a direct support brace  124  which connects directly to the first cross member  16  and its adjacent downward extension  18  and another direct support brace  124  which connects direction to the second cross member  26  and its adjacent downward extension as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     As measured downward from Y′, the location of the direct support brace  124  on respective downward extensions  18 ,  28  is approximately 10-Length % to about 30-Length % of the total distance Y-Y′. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the downward diagonal position of each support brace  24  in relation to the horizontal plane A of each cross member  16 ,  26  is designated by reference character C. The downward angle between horizontal plane A and diagonal position C is designated by reference AC. In this regard, AC generally ranges between approximately 20% to about 45%. Best angle for performance, structural integrity, installation, and maintenance is about 30%. 
     The present disclosure includes that contained in the present claims as well as that of the foregoing description. 
     Although this strut bar of this disclosure has been described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts and method steps may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the strut bar of this disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the strut bar of this disclosure should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 
     Applicant[s] have attempted to disclose all the embodiments of the strut bar of this disclosure that could be reasonably foreseen. It must be understood, however, that there may be unforeseeable insubstantial modifications to strut bar of this disclosure that remain as equivalents and thereby falling within the scope of the strut bar of this disclosure.