Cusco Rear Underbrace Pics as requested

Not the best pics, but you gotta live with it.

http://www.speedoptions.com/members/38458/40461/pic99.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v205/xenonk2828/GT-Car/Img_0070b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v205/xenonk2828/GT-Car/Img_0071b.jpg

Keefe

I installed them myself. I havent figured out how much I would want to charge for this kind of job. It took me about 2.5 hours from start to finish (from the time I jack up the car, to the end where I put all my tools away and take it for a small test drive to make sure everything was tight). The rear end is stiffer and the toe/camber changes during braking and acceleration are more static (meaning that the rear wheels dont change as much as it did before). These braces ties the lateral link ends together to keep the lateral links' pivot points in parallel.

Keefe

no prob, was this what you were looking for? Or do you need something in particular? Like the actual mounting points? It's wet out, when it dries up and once I get the car on jack stands, I 'll take better pics.

Keefe

kind of a noob to the whole suspension thing, so please dont flame me. but do they do anything is it " body roll" wise? i was thinking of getting those and the front or some sway bars... not really looking to get rid of just body roll, but make it more solid...

These parts are really not for body roll, instead they are to help the lower part of the chassis from twisting or distorting from hard driving abuse as such as I do. I did not install the front one because I do recall that the front brace on the WRX didnt allow certain downpipes to fit with it. The downpipe would actually hit up on one of the ladders of the front underbrace.

I wish somebody would measure the maximum deflection on those parts stock... (including shock towers)

As I cant really say for sure for HOW much for the wheels because I dont have my cone cam hooked up on this car (as I actually did like my old WRX), the car will experience chassis flex. I use to have have a camera mounted on my WRX which kept an eye on my suspension parts to see if were deflection and the such when the car was accelerating, turning, and braking.

I guess the easiest way to actually prove this is if I mounted my camera (a cone cam preferrably) to show toe for the rear wheels (where you can actually see the wheels toe in and out during braking and acceleration). That would show you some changes in the process of before and after the brace. The Cusco rear braces actually bolt up to the ends of the major and minor lateral links in the rear and then to the chassis to keep things in parallel.

Over time the car will experience chassis flex if you drive hard like me often. On my 1993 Acura Legend, I didnt install a front strut tower bar until almost 10 years later.. long behold, the tower bar that I bought was a very snug fit. Of course things got worse after the front end accident as the frame had to be pulled out a little. So the bar is warped itself in the process as it's for lateral reinforcement, not sheering reinforcements.

I did not buy a rear strut tower bar for the GT because the entire main rear trunk floor is already a strong enough "brace" for the rear. No sense in me buying something when there is something that holds the two ends of the strut towers in a straight line. The front strut tower, however, is really a tower and a valley (where the motor sits), so I decided to get on to ensure the towers dont lean in and ruin my camber settings in the long run. Same goes for the rear as there will be rear adjustable lateral links for toe and camber adjustments. Under normal driving, most of these braces are really not needed as most people dont drive the devil out of the car, (talk about "exorcising" ok, bad pun) but if you are the kind of guy that plans to drive that hard and want to keep your alignment fairly straight for a long time, these items are recommended.

Hope this sums it all up for everyone.

Keefe

I guess the easiest way to actually prove this is if I mounted my camera (a cone cam preferrably) to show toe for the rear wheels (where you can actually see the wheels toe in and out during braking and acceleration). That would show you some changes in the process of before and after the brace. The Cusco rear braces actually bolt up to the ends of the major and minor lateral links in the rear and then to the chassis to keep things in parallel.

Well if you get the time.... I'd imagine most of the geometry change would be in the bushings.. *shrug*

For the minor, yes, but for the major lateral link, no. The major lateral link is fitted in a slot configuration rather than a pin configuration like the minor lateral link is. I am sure once I get those rear adjustable lateral links, they should have some kind of metal bearings instead of a urethane or rubber bushing like the stock lateral links have.

Keefe

I want them bad!

Any pics of the front one anyone?

What auto-x class have you been in? A mod like this would pretty much put a car in SM or something right?

STU is the class.

ST classes are allowed to run such add-ons.. no one has protested these underbraces yet, so it's ok. With the exception to the M3 with their X-brace (only came on Lightweights and Convertiables) are another issue.

Keefe

I want them bad!

 

Any pics of the front one anyone?

The front one can be found somewhere, just do a search in the suspension forums for "front underbrace".

Keefe