[89Domindart]

just wondering..

[1slo5.0]

Maybe if you road race or like how they look. They do stiffen the front end up. Enough that you can feel the rougher ride.

[89Domindart]

wow, darrell, lemme tell you man, your right with me, I kindof do like the way they look.

My ride will get stiffer? holy shit, I dont need that. with the low front end on my ride now its pretty stiff.

what the hell, my ride is a muscle car.

will it make the chassis stiffer, creating less flex? as in when I turn or hit bumps whateverah?

[EscortSportage]

they deffently stiffen up the front end, for handling around turns , but if ur building a drag car no need

[89Domindart]

I love this- the last thing they say about the gaining edge in traffic, hahaaaa thats funny

thats why I need this brace.

anyways,

good info here-

Strut Tower Braces will reduce body roll keeping you out of the wall at high speed turns. Strut tower braces are most effective when used with front and rear anti sway bars. Strut tower braces allow you to strengthen the car frame and suspension. Braces on the strut tower allow the car strut towers to share the weight load which will reduce chassis flex in the car suspension. Unifying the car chassis and suspension is accomplished with the strut tower braces by combining the struts, sway bar and the strut tower brace to be uniformed and provide better weight transfer in the car suspension. Adding front strut tower braces is a simple task remove a couple of nuts, put on the strut tower brace, and reinstall the nuts then ready for racing your car with the improved suspension. Rear strut tower braces may require drilling of holes to install the brace but still quick and easy for a car suspension install. Strut tower braces are a great addition to a car that is lowered or stock the strut tower braces can help any car to gain the edge in traffic or at the track with the suspension.

from Car Strut Tower Braces for Suspension

anyone know if I can put a rear brace in too? hmmm

I have holes where there was someone else that put a brace in (previous owner) on my car. guess I gotta find one that fits those holes..

heres another question: will I be able to put caster camber plates on while using a brace?

[89Domindart]

IM not building a drag car.

I guess by the look of your sig, escort, I can put a rear brace in.. hmm

[89Domindart]

here is some more useful info about the strut brace-

Maximum Motorsports :: The Leader In Mustang Performance Suspension

The MM Strut Tower Brace will make your car's handling more stable and predictable by stiffening the front portion of the chassis. Our unique strut tower brace design provides a load path between the two individual strut towers and between each strut tower and the firewall. This keeps the strut towers from moving relative to each other. Flexing of the strut towers, both fore/aft and side-to-side, causes unpredictable handling because the flexing causes alignment changes and a lack of roll coupling. A MM Strut Tower Brace will prevent the alignment from changing during hard braking and cornering. An additional benefit of increased chassis rigidity from the strut tower brace is a reduction in firewall and dashboard vibration, metal fatigue, and noise. Ford finally recognized the benefits and started installing strut tower braces beginning with the 1994 models.

Unique Features of Maximum Motorsports Strut Tower Braces:
MM STB main tubes are made of rigid 1-1/4" diameter DOM seamless tubing. This tubing is twice as stiff as the generally used 1" tubing, and DOM seamless tubing is 30% stiffer than the more commonly used ERW, seamed tubing.
The firewall mounting point for the rear support tubes is the pinchweld that runs the width of the firewall. When attaching something to sheet metal, the best mounting point is at a joint or a corner, such as the pinchweld on the Mustang's firewall. The pinchweld on the firewall was formed by folding together three pieces of metal (the upper firewall, the lower firewall, and the floor of the cowl), and then welding them together. This provides an extremely stiff mounting point for our Strut Tower Brace.
Nearly all other strut tower braces attach to the center of the firewall, its weakest and most flexible portion. Attaching there adds little stiffness, and leads to cracking and tearing of the firewall.
On 5.0L Mustang engines, MM Strut Tower Braces allow the use of all popular intake manifolds because no part of the brace passes over the top of the intake manifold.
MM Strut Tower Braces are designed to allow the use of MM Caster/Camber plates.
MM Strut Tower Braces are attached with high quality grade 5 hardware.

[flyin ryan]

I have a mm one on my 88 daily driven hatch and felt a difference.. I remove it and unhook the front swaybar when it goes to the track or if I have a run on the street otherwise I love it for daily driving. It does make a difference and welding in some subframes does as well which should be everyone's first mod with these cars really.

[M L Struck]

Originally Posted by flyin ryan I have a mm one on my 88 daily driven hatch and felt a difference.. I remove it and unhook the front swaybar when it goes to the track or if I have a run on the street otherwise I love it for daily driving. It does make a difference and welding in some subframes does as well which should be everyone's first mod with these cars really.

Can I ask why you take it off to drag race (weight?)

[flyin ryan]

Originally Posted by M L Struck Can I ask why you take it off to drag race (weight?)

Mainly because of the weight factor because mm's like all there stuff is heavier then others out there but I see better sixty foot times without it in place with my shitty nittos then with it in. I don't really know why and never really sat down to figure it out but it's only three bolts on each strout tower and two on the fire wall and she comes out.

You can pick them up used pretty cheap, got my mm for $50 with all hardware. It has a few scratches on it but I could just touch it up but doesn't bother me much.

[5.0 street stanger]

Taking the Front sway bar off transfers weight from front to back of the car where it needs to be during launches. It will pick up the front end a little more with it off. I've heard mixed reviews about having it off on the street. some say it doesnt make a noticeable difference and some say the body roll sucks with it off on the streets. Probably depends on the setup. it you have sub frames, torque boxes, strut tower braces. etc. maybe having the sway bar off with some stiffening parts it wouldnt be so bad on the street.

[89Domindart]

where are the torque boxes?

[flyin ryan]

Originally Posted by 5.0 street stanger Taking the Front sway bar off transfers weight from front to back of the car where it needs to be during launches. It will pick up the front end a little more with it off. I've heard mixed reviews about having it off on the street. some say it doesnt make a noticeable difference and some say the body roll sucks with it off on the streets. Probably depends on the setup. it you have sub frames, torque boxes, strut tower braces. etc. maybe having the sway bar off with some stiffening parts it wouldnt be so bad on the street.

Removing your front swaybar does help a bunch on a pretty stock car and also removes 20 plus pounds off the front end.

Originally Posted by 89Domindart where are the torque boxes?

It's where the upper and lower control arms off your rear end connect to the body.

[89Domindart]

the sway bar weighs 20 lbs??? wow

[EscortSportage]

ive removed both front and rear sway bars.... NO FUN on street body roll is worse than a late 80's cady... horrible and yes the front swaybar/swaybar end links and bolts/nuts its probably way over 20lbs..so for drag racing taking all that out deffently will help just like taking out foglights and brackets for them...i also did the foglights, foglight housing (behind the lights) and the metal bracket that connects them together is probably close to 20 lbs as well... (remember this is stuff from the 80's) old cheap heavy metal... but back to the strut braces... Carriage House Engineering CHE Performance Products sells a rear strut brace (the one i have) i bought my front one off of ebay its a basic 3 point brace, probably take that off and sell it when i get my MM one...

i figure, full length subframe connectors, front and rear strut brace, plus a 10 point cage....my fox should be stiff enough!

[EscortSportage]

and torque boxes from www.wildridesracing.com

those are a must for drag racing/hard launches

o yea and you can use the camber caster plates with the braces on

[CAMN89GT]

Originally Posted by EscortSportage ive removed both front and rear sway bars.... NO FUN on street body roll is worse than a late 80's cady... horrible and yes the front swaybar/swaybar end links and bolts/nuts its probably way over 20lbs..so for drag racing taking all that out deffently will help just like taking out foglights and brackets for them...i also did the foglights, foglight housing (behind the lights) and the metal bracket that connects them together is probably close to 20 lbs as well... (remember this is stuff from the 80's) old cheap heavy metal... but back to the strut braces... Carriage House Engineering CHE Performance Products sells a rear strut brace (the one i have) i bought my front one off of ebay its a basic 3 point brace, probably take that off and sell it when i get my MM one... i figure, full length subframe connectors, front and rear strut brace, plus a 10 point cage....my fox should be stiff enough!

The CHE rear end 8.8 brace is ok. I don't have rear or front swaybars, and I drive my car on the street with slicks and skinnys. it isn't as bad as you all say it is.. my car IS a "RACE" but street car. but removing excessive weight, you can do alot of that... armrest/console, doorpanels, foglights, etc etc.. list goes on an on. i used to have a stb on my 89 gt, and darrell is 100% right, you CAN feel it stiffen up and for what i use my car for, its garbage.

[EscortSportage]

keep in mind i have Stock old warn out struts and shocks....garbage...its scary going around a corner at 40 lol and i was talking about the rear strut brace

[1slo5.0]

Originally Posted by EscortSportage keep in mind i have Stock old warn out struts and shocks....garbage...its scary going around a corner at 40 lol and i was talking about the rear strut brace

You don't have struts in the rear........

[grnstang]

yeah how can you have a rear strut tower brace?