Best Bolt In Strut Brace?

[A.T.]

What's the best, most sensible bolt in strut brace? I'm a believer in triangulation. Access to my battery in the smuggler's box would be nice too.

My new car came with a Stable Energies unit installed (incorrectly). But even after rectifying it, besides blocking the smugglers box door, the geometry of the two cross bars still doesn't make sense to me. If I've got it right the plate linking the two cross bars has a flange that drops into the gap on the leading edge of the SB door. I'd considered just leaving the door off but noticed that when tightening up the cross bars the plate would shift back over the SB opening. That made me wonder if with the door in place, under cornering stresses it's actually the small SB door hinge screws (and SB door) holding the cross bars and plate in place. Bolting the plate down might make some sense but also more holes.

I was leaning toward an Elephant Racing brace, the basic unit. I'd had one in another car but can't remember how it effected the process of aligning the front end, ie camber adjustments. Do some braces complicate that? I think the smuggler's box door is still an issue here but the geometry seems more effective.

Any opinions?

Thanks again.

A.T.

[John Z Goriup]

Tough to answer that without knowing more about your car. If it is a stock early 911, or close to stock ( i.e. without having its stock camber plate replaced by a spherical bearing unit) then a strut bar won't really do much because loads transferred into the top strut mount will be absorbed by the rubber, because there simply not a lot of tendency for the inner fender to move about. Forgive me for being somewhat skeptical about the benefits of strut braces on stock 911s, but the majority of the structural portion of the body of a 911 is constructed of 1 millimeter thick steel ( approx. .040" thick) whereas the inner fender aprons which house the top strut mounts are 1.25 mm steel with additional re-inforcement at the camber plate mount, so it's really sufficiently rigid.....even if you opt for stiffer shocks and mildly larger dia. T-bars.

Basically, what I'm suggesting is that stock 911s don't need a strut brace, but if you wish to indulge yourself and install one anyway, then any of them will probably do, because they will primarily be an appearance item. Elephant would be as good choice as any.

If however, you are contemplating modifying your machine with hard, zero-play spherical camber-plates ( the principal component which would cause movement of the towers) , stiffer torsion bars, AR bars and shocks and possibly even Poly-Bronze suspension bushings........then of course the picture changes drastically and a more comprehensive support structure starts to make sense. Under those circumstances stresses transfer directly into the cars monocoque and distortion in various axes will be an ever-present factor. A properly designed and installed set of structural supports will certainly benefit handling and the longevity of the chassis.

If that is your current suspension set-up, or is something you're contemplating for the future, then the Elephant bar really shines because of its modular nature. You can start with the plain bar, and add components at any time.

See their products at: www.elephantracing.com

I know you specified "bolt-in" but just for illustration, the attached photo shows what I think is far & away the best, strongest, lightest and most enlightened solution to front "strut braces" I've ever seen. No idea where I got that photo, but my next car will have that exact installation. Elegantly done !

Good Luck

PS: re the bin door, if the bin is where your battery is mounted, I'd just leave the door off altogether.

[Flieger]

I would like to put in my plug for the Rebel Racing item: http://www.rebelracingproducts.com/S.../Steering.html (third product from the top of the page). You can do the basic bar or triangulate. You can pre-load the chassis if so desired with the thraded rod ends. If you have the RSR style mounting bosses (like I do), you cna have a custom-sized bar made for that length. I will vouch for the quality of materials and attention to detail in manufacturing. Clint has a 1970 911T that serves as his development prototype so the parts will fit longhoods well.

[911pcars]

Here's my modified WM strut bar. I replaced the heavy steel WM crossbar and rod ends with aluminum versions, then added an add'l mount to support a second, triangulated bar. A hot rod-sourced mount is sandwiched to the floor of the trunk with a support plate underneath.

The smugglers door opens without interference.

Sherwood

[Flieger]

So, what are you smuggling that you need access to?

[911pcars]

So, what are you smuggling that you need access to?

Errrrrr....... ballest?

S