they dampen things... duh...
haha..
I found this via google.. about a damper on an STI.. I assume its the same thing..
"The Performance Damper is added to the trunk as a strut-tower bar and to the front underpinnings as a lower arm bar. This damper, developed jointly by STI and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, is designed to operate much like a strut bar inasmuch as it reduces expansion and contraction of the body where it is mounted. As for the damping feature, it begins attenuating expansion and contraction as soon as they begin. Because of this, oscillation of the body is greatly reduced and handling is improved during the moments following initial turn-in as well as during lane-change maneuvers. This causes the car to feel much more composed and adds to the quality handling feel of the car."
Its actually more of a "streetable" item than a hardcore track nut option
When you stiffen the chassis, you increase response since there's less flex absorbing energy that would otherwise be used to have the car change direction. However, that flex also adds a "fudge point" between when things happen. This means that the stiffer car will be less progressive in its behaviour. An ultra-stiff car will be very "snappy" at the limit, and there's not much in it between just below the limit of grip and just above.
What is true for your suspension is also true for chassis bracing.
What these dampers do is add a bit of fudge factor into the chassis, while not leaving it as weak as if no bracing was present at all. Consider it as the difference between ultra-stiff track coilovers, and softer street coilvers.
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