Torque Box Braces

[Bob F]

How important are torque box braces on my 88 vert 5 speed? I have 4.10 gears, welded frame connectors with Stifflers web bracing, Strange adj. Shocks and struts, upper and lower control arms with poly bushings, and lots of bolt ons. Not big hp, I'm guessing maybe 270-280 hp at flywheel. Tires are 285/40/17 BF Goodrich regular tires NOT drag radials and they spin pretty easy. I think It's time for drag radials. I also plan on a 4 point roll bar and figure doing the torque boxes at the same time makes sense. Any ideas on labor costs for each mod? Thanks.

 

[84Ttop]

Torque box reinforcements can be welded or bolted in place. Depending on the bracing that you get (there are lots of options) will determine labor costs. I think that it is a good idea to do both the uppers and lowers as there is no harm in reinforcing them. Bolt in parts will be more than fine in your application and are something that you can do with basic hand tools and a drill in your driveway on a pair of jackstands. Plan on a 4-5 hour project if you're doing both upper and lower reinforcments

 

[mikestang63]

HP isn;t the only reason torque boxes rip. They are only spot welded into place and excessive burnouts or hard launches can cause them to fail. I;ve seen stock mustangs with bad torque boxes. It all comes down to how you drive it. If you are going to hit the car hard, I would highly recommend you weld in a good set of upper and lower reinforcements like the ones sold by Wild Rides... You'll need to remove the rear seat, carpeting, and rear control arms.

 

[Bob F]

Thanks guys. I'm thinking welding them in wont take much more time then bolting? I'm a big believer in welding most things that have an option of weld or bolt in. The only exception is my rear shock tower bar is bolted in cause it doesnt really have much stress on it especially with the other chassis mods. I would rather overbuild and then if i wake up one day and say " I'm putting on those heads, supercharger, and ported intake" I wont have to worry about it! Any idea how hard it is to install a 4 point roll bar in a vert?

 

[Bob F]

Torque box reinforcements can be welded or bolted in place. Depending on the bracing that you get (there are lots of options) will determine labor costs. I think that it is a good idea to do both the uppers and lowers as there is no harm in reinforcing them. Bolt in parts will be more than fine in your application and are something that you can do with basic hand tools and a drill in your driveway on a pair of jackstands. Plan on a 4-5 hour project if you're doing both upper and lower reinforcments

Thanks 84 TTOP but I am too old, fat, and busy to do that kind of work myself! I can make a car look great (I used to have my own detail shop) and I can do basic repairs from the top but even that stuff I don't have much time for anymore.