[ReverendDexter]

Read through all of that thread. I know it's long, but it's worth it.

Basically, the consensus is yes, they do something, but that something isn't increasing grip or decreasing lap times.

[1SICK5.0VERT]

Originally Posted by reverenddexter read through all of that thread. I know it's long, but it's worth it. Basically, the consensus is yes, they do something, but that something isn't increasing grip or decreasing lap times.

i agree with you 99% they can increase traction but will not drop lap times significantly. Its just a brace and helps out with unwanted flex. I know a few guys that race scca comp and over time the spot welds will actually break in high stress areas on unibody cars without proper bracing. Think of it like this. If you take a piece of sheet metal and keep flexing it from side to side it will eventually crack or break clean through. The strut tb and the shock tb will help in these areas especially in high stress situations. Lets face it, if your not racing your car on a closed course, road track or autocrossing you really dont need the braces. But if you plan on taking your ride through the twisties more often then not, they are great upgrades.

[1SICK5.0VERT]

Originally Posted by The_Mustang Do the 94-98 verts come with those bolt in subframe connectors like the 99 ups have? I have them on my car, they are kinda thin walled but better than nothing I suppose. I do intend to do full length subframe connectors on my car eventually but the ride is nice as it is. My K member X brace wouldn't bolt up after I swapped the 5.0 K member in so I need to source one from a 94/95.

no they dont. there must have been a problem with chassis flex for the factory to add subframe connectors 5 years down the road on the same chassis. why else would they add them?

[ReverendDexter]

Originally Posted by 1SICK5.0VERT no they dont. there must have been a problem with chassis flex for the factory to add subframe connectors 5 years down the road on the same chassis. why else would they add them?

To reduce NVH.

If you want to know why the factory does ANYTHING on anything that's not a premium model, it's to satisfy the consumer reports crowd. To add anything else just costs them profit, which isn't very good for business.

[99FiveOh]

How important is the X brace? Does it make a big difference on vert models? Whenever I get on the gas in my car, I can hear my radio bezel rattling and a noise that sounds like it's coming from my left pillar. I can hold the bezel and it stops rattling but I can't seem to pinpoint the noise coming from the pillar area. I was thinking maybe the lack of an X brace is causing this.

[01KnightRiderGT]

Strut braces on our year cars are dead weight. They do not make a difference as you claim they do. Sorry

[1SICK5.0VERT]

Originally Posted by 01KnightRiderGT Strut braces on our year cars are dead weight. They do not make a difference as you claim they do. Sorry

TO EACH HIS OWN. IF YOU THINK THEYRE NOTHING BUT DEAD WEIGHT THATS YOUR OPINION. IM NOT CLAIMING THAT THEY WORK, I KNOW THEY DO. ITS ALL IN BLACK AND WHITE IN THIS POSTING. THE PROOF IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET AS WELL. YOU CANT ARGUE FACTS... IM NOT TRYING TO BE A KNOW IT ALL OR ANYTHING BUT I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT THINK THEY ARE NOTHING BUT DEAD WEIGHT PLEASE READ:

The suspension in your car is designed to work with a static geometry; in other words, strut towers aren't supposed to move but do. When the strut towers bend inwards or outwards, the geometry has changed; when this happens the camber of your wheels is altered, which alters how much of your tires are in contact with the ground -- generally reducing traction. A strut tower bar is essentially a metal bar that runs from the top of one strut tower to the other. The idea is to keep the suspension geometry constant by tying the strut towers together.

How does tying them together help? There are two ways the strut towers can deflect: towards each other, or away from each other.

When hitting a bump, the strut towers want to bend inward. A strut tower brace forces each tower push against each other. This means most of the force of the deflection is cancelled out, preventing the geometry from being altered significantly.

When a car is cornering, the explanation gets a bit complicated. The strut towers are actually being pulled by the car towards the outside of the corner. Most of this force is centered on the outside strut tower, so it is deflecting the most. The inside tower isn't deflecting very much, as the forces aren't as great. The strut tower bar makes the outside strut tower pull on the inside strut tower. This pull helps keep the outside strut tower from bending outward, while bending pulling the inside strut tower inwards. This "steals" some traction from the inside corner of the car while giving more traction to the outside corner of the car. Remember that the inside corner of the car isn't working very hard in the first place; the net result is more available traction through a turn.

[1SICK5.0VERT]

Originally Posted by 01knightridergt strut braces on our year cars are dead weight. They do not make a difference as you claim they do. Sorry

nice car btw!

[01KnightRiderGT]

Thanks buddy

[Macunicorn]

Hmm maybe I can take mine off then.