strut brace questions???

[kdog_x]

Just received my strut brace today, I put it in for a test fit and it seems OK, but it seems like I'll have to flex it a little bit to get all of the bolt holes to line up, but I figure thats probably normal. I'm just wondering about the part that bolts to the firewall, is there anything on the other side I have to worry about drilling into? Anyone know what size bolts I should use?

Here's some pictures of it lying in place, does it look like everything lines up right.

http://www.wideopenwest.com/~kevinrush1/fullview.jpg
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~kevinrush1/rightview.jpg
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~kevinrush1/leftview.jpg
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~kevinrush1/backview.jpg

 

[kdog_x]

bump

 

[ratrapp]

what brand brace are you using?it looks like it fits way better than the piece of crap bbk brace i bought.it fit so bad i didn't install it.

 

[kdog_x]

I'm not sure what brand it is, I won it off of ebay for $40. I was looking at a few online shops and they say that there is a different model for a coupe and convertible, maybe thats why your BBK didnt fit. This guy said he was gonna install it on a hardtop, but I figured there couldn't be too much of a difference so I bought it anyways. I went and got some "mean" threaded bolts for it, I'll probably try and install it tommorrow, it looks like it should go in with no problem.

I'm still wondering if there's anything I have to worry about drilling through on the center of the firewall, anyone know?

 

[PonyBoy90]

I just got my MAC chrome brace professionally installed. I looked at the job the mechanic did (Mustang expert by the way). I asked him about the firewall drilling. He said there's nothing but sheet metal that you have to drill through. 2 holes. You'll have to disassemble your cowl vent grill and wipers to get there but I figure you already know this.

By the way, with that brace you got on ebay, you should have gotten the metal "back-plate" for where the brace mounts to the firewall. The bolts should go through the 2 holes on the brace, through the holes you drilled in the firewall sheet metal, then throught the back-plate and then bolted right up. You need this.

How does your brace line up around the camber plates on your strut towers? From your photo it lookes like the brace may be resting on them. This isn't good if that's the case. The brace should be resting nice and flush on the strut towers else you could be damaging your camber plates. The MAC brace I have was designed to totally clear the camber plates and was bolted flush to the towers.

 

[PonyBoy90]

As for bolt sizes, check out www.macperformance.com and ask their online techs what size bolts to use. Else take the brace to a autoparts store and find the snuggest fitting bolts you can find.

 

[kdog_x]

Yeah, I was wondering about that. After I drilled through the firewall, I was thinking to myself that it wouldn't support much under any stress. I'll have to go get some steel and make a backing plate for it.

Looks pretty good with just the 2 sides installed though. Got some pics below, it clears well everywhere except it's a little close on the drivers side. I'm gonna have to take it off and cram that AC line underneath it though, dont know what I was thinking.

http://www.wideopenwest.com/~kevinrush1/front.jpg
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~kevinrush1/left.jpg
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~kevinrush1/right.jpg

 

[PonyBoy90]

Looks like it clears pretty good to me. When you say driverside, are you talking about the driverside strut tower clearance? Like I said, it looks like it's bolted down pretty flush to the metal on the driverside.

Interesting that you managed to hide/move the wires to run underneith the brace. Mine go over the top of the brace and then down. I've got good clearance though and I've seen many others like mine with the same thing.

How the heck did you manage to climb under the car into the strut tower? Did you put the car up on jack stands or a hoist or something???????????

 

[kdog_x]

How the heck did you manage to climb under the car into the strut tower? Did you put the car up on jack stands or a hoist or something???????????

Nah, for the moment I just made the holes slightly smaller than the bolts and drove them in. I'm gonna redo it this weekend when I have an assistant to help from the underside of the car.

Those wires barely fit under the brace, but I can still move them though. I think I'm gonna make a hole or something and try to run them through the strut tower if I can to keep the engine compartment looking better.

 

[PonyBoy90]

I'd very very strongly advise AGAINST drilling anything into or through your brace. The brace was constructed into the shape it is to balance and distribute "loads" place upon it via flexing from sharp cornering etc. By drilling into it, you're changing the load distribution which in turn will hamper the braces ability to resist flex, thereby rendering it's application pointless, and in turn, may eventually warp and snap the brace.

The way you have the wires now is fine.

 

[kdog_x]

I'd very very strongly advise AGAINST drilling anything into or through your brace. The brace was constructed into the shape it is to balance and distribute "loads" place upon it via flexing from sharp cornering etc. By drilling into it, you're changing the load distribution which in turn will hamper the braces ability to resist flex, thereby rendering it's application pointless, and in turn, may eventually warp and snap the brace.

The way you have the wires now is fine.

I wasn't talking about making a hole in the brace. In the back of the strut tower there is a hole big enough to fit the wires through it, I was gonna push the wires through and then make another hole in the front to pull them back out. Basically I was just gonna hide some wires since I've got about 10 million of them running over the top of the strut tower.