Strut tower brace

[Hammer Down]

Is there a benefit to the strut tower brace? I found one new for
$75. Its BBK brand. I was comparing it to the maximum motorsports model and the design is a little different. Also, the MM website states their brace may not fit with aftermarket intakes and distributors of which I have both. The bbk unit is close by so I could drive I over and dry fit it to check for clearances etc.
Is there drilling required in the firewall and strut tower? What's the best way to fasten them? Self tappers?

[gmatt]

When I have a question about installing used parts, I usually search for the installation instructions on-line. Most companies have pdf files available on their websites. It helps to know the part#. http://www.bbkperformance.com/instal...structions.php

[wraithracing]

A quality made strut tower brace does help the Flexible Fox Body when installed properly. The issue with so many STB's are that they are not designed properly and therefore add little to no structural strength to the uni-body.

Any STB that bolts or screws to the flat sheetmetal of the upper firewall/cowl area provides little to no benefit. This is because the 3 mounting point is nothing but a thin sheet of metal that will bow and flex with any pressure. Even adding an additional plate behind the mount does little else again because you are not attaching to a structural point on the vehicle.

The Maximum Motorsports STB attaches with 4 points rather than 3 and the 2 points on the firewall attach to the pinch weld where the firewall and cowl come together. This is a very strong and stolid point in the engine bay and provides the structural strength needed to actually stiffen up the uni-body. The MM STB fits with many of the aftermarket intakes depending on how they compare to the OEM design, although there are no guarantees. What intake and distributor are you currently running?

Personally I would pass on the BBK unit, yes it is cheaper than the MM unit, but it will only provide the looks of a good STB rather than any of the strength benefits. You can also email or call MM and ask them if their STB will fit with your setup. They are very knowledgeable and helpful group. Good Luck!

[BMW Rider]

My MM brace was a close fit with the RPM Air Gap intake and MSD distributor. Basically the only issue was I could not use the wire retainer on top of the distributor cap.

[gr79]

Could possibly add a hd gauge right angle brace to the firewall style bar also linking it to the pinch?

[erratic50]

I've had both pinch weld and firewall styles on my car.

HP Motorsports firewall style. I ran it for 20 years
MM pinch weld style - put it on last year due to intake interference

The firewall style works but primarily in the way that it transfers load to the tower on the other side of the car like a 2 point over time.
- In some SCCA classes only a 2 point is allowed on our cars. A good friend had a FMS brace we installed with only strut bolts. You could see evidence of 1/4" of movement or more in the scuffs on the firewall from the brace.
- mine had a backer plate and was installed with grade 8 bolts torqued to the moon. The holes in my firewall after 20 years of use are still oblong showing the exact same 1/4"+ of movement
- I've broken the drivers side strut tower on my 86 before. It carostrophically failed when the car was 9 years old and had 140K on it for reasons I cannot explain. But the brace and welded up repairs combo held up on my car for 300K miles just fine so the brace does have its place

Dont get me wrong - the firewall type feel great when initially installed and you could add metal plate and hardened bushings to make a firewall style work "correctly" long term.

That being said my son put the firewall type I took off on his car - free performance parts being the very best performance parts at times. I discouraged it but in the end helped him install it. I will say they do for sure help with handling.

When I went to a Typhoon EFI intake my lower would clear the HPM bar but no chance for the upper. Useless... I didn't want to run without a brace so I went to the MM. The difference having taken off the HPM and put on the MM is night and day. No contest.

Also the MM bar clears intakes in situations when most others will not.

If I had I would not put on another firewall type brace on any fox body -- period. The holes they leave behind may be a wear hole but are more likely a tear hole - they look like CRAP. Most of them on the strut towers get covered with a MM brace but the ones on the firewall are there to stay. I wouldn't do the firewall type again on my car.

one other comment

I have MAF on my car. It was installed with an 89 bracket in the factory location. The intake tubes would not clear. Also I had to decide between installing spacers behind it or cutting up the bracket to make everything fit. I used a 4" metal slip sleeve to "solid" mount my 70 MM MAF to my air box then loosened up the air box and let it rotate. I can't comment of airfilter access - it's a K&N and was recently freshened when I did this and isn't due to get played with again for a very long time.

I put spacers behind the MAF bracket at the strut tower attachment point. My MAF is lower than factory now but my 4" intake tubes all clear.

[Hammer Down]

Well i went and looked at the BBK brace(it fit nice with plenty of clearance)and it didn't impress me plus the seller had none of the hardware, so I passed on it. It seems like Maximum motorsports is the way to go. After looking at the pic posted above it definitely looks much more structural than the BBK unit. One problem I see is all my wiring runs along the firewall and may interfere. I may just have to order it and see. I'm running a VR jr intake and MSD billet 8582 distributor......after taking a closer look at the pic above with the max. Motorsports brace it looks like it attaches to be shock mounts. I have caster camber plates installed now, wonder if that would interfere or not?

[Jerry peachuer]

Hammer down -where is your vaccum source for booster going ? Do you have a remote canister? Or is it just looped and comes back to tree

[jules]

Here's my setup. The MM strut bar attaches to the strut towers with 3 bolts per side and to existing holes on the pinch weld on the firewall. It does not mount or touch the caster camber plates. The MM caster plates are taller than most and the bar clears it. Yours should be fine.

Edit:
Hammer. I see now what your talking about. The upper flange on the MM brace extends 1" from the front face of the strut tower. Hope that helps. Not sure which caster/camber plate you have, but just check that you have a least 1" from the front of the strut tower.

Jules

[erratic50]

Caster/camber plates will be fine.

[Hammer Down]

Thanks everyone for the pics and info. I'm definitely ordering the MM brace, .....My vacuum pump is in the inner fender well behind the driver front tire. I have to pull the wheel and inner fender to service it. It really sucks.

[Jerry peachuer]

[QUOTE=Hammer Down;1847387]Thanks everyone for the pics and info. I'm definitely ordering the MM brace, .....My vacuum pump is in the inner fender well behind the driver front tire. I have to pull the wheel and inner fender to service it. It really sucks.[/QUOTE

Thanks I knew something was unique I wasn't tryIng to divert your post apologize on that my eye was on bigger cam(low vaccum) and being your looking to open track yours I was curios about your booster /brake setup was why I asked (most I seen go to manual setup)but I saw your line running away off of booster and coming back

Cool to know thanks

[Hammer Down]

It's all good. This is car talk. I'm running Lunati voodoo solid roller 279/285. See you on Woodward.

[Mgino757]

Would the MM strut tower brace help reduce cowl shake that us convertible guys get with the top down?

[Patrick Olsen]

The STB and their 4-point K-member brace will both help reduce cowl shake.

[erratic50]

I would avoid the three point strut tower brace that hooks to sheet metal rather than four point that hooks to pinch welds. The three point helps but the cowl shake is still there on my sons ragtop. It's simply less obvious.

MM STB for the win.

[Mgino757]

I would avoid the three point strut tower brace that hooks to sheet metal rather than four point that hooks to pinch welds. The three point helps but the cowl shake is still there on my sons ragtop. It's simply less obvious.

MM STB for the win.

Looks like the 4 point will make a better improvement and is the way to go.

Definitely going to get one when the time is right.

[xctasy]

As long as it has a combination of stitch and fillet, you can just front mount. There's maybee just enough room.


The issue with capping off the admirals hat is vibration feedthrough, and what happens in a bigger highway smash. They are frangiable, and designed to bend in the 200 ton, 50 mph cement block test. The modern STB's don't create issues in a smash.

But triangulation always works for strength.

Its not MM, but Saleens from 88-0564 after a smash.

Look at how well it held up!





In sedan racing, its common to use a two point link bar, and use the roll cage for the rest.
How it was done by Zakspeed's 1983-1984 German prepared cars.




And with the lid on

Gotta love Ford Engineering...

oh, and one other

http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...-OPTIONS/page2