Rear Seat Brace Kit

[86 TR]

Thinking about getting a rear seat brace kit. Does this really help anything or just save my money?? Buddy of mine put them in his T with T/Tops and says it stiffened the car substantially. My car is a hardtop so I don't know if I should spend some cash or just buy some more go fast parts.

 

[RUQWKNF]

Absolutely, 100% without a doubt, Yes.
I ran all of them on my old grey car from mid 11's down to 10.teens with no roll bar. I know, I know, very foolish. But, the point I'm trying to make is, if you plan on racing your car, and not putting in a roll cage, you gotta put all the braces on the car. The most important being rear seat braces and front frame braces, not too mention the lower body bushings. My car would leave straight and true whether it was foot braked or trans braked and no cracking of the C pillar either. The feel is definitely stiffened up when you do all the brace kits (under hood, front frame and rear seat brace kits) and the 6 piece lower body bushings.
I 100% highly recommend that you do these braces.

Patrick

 

[UNDER-PRESSURE]

It is money well spent.

 

[Adam Connell]

Ok, can anyone send me a link to these braces and bushings kits... Im getting some cracking and I want to get the chassis as stiff as possible before I really tweak it...

 

[Gary Wells]

Ok, can anyone send me a link to these braces and bushings kits... Im getting some cracking and I want to get the chassis as stiff as possible before I really tweak it...

----------------------
Kirban's Performance
GBodyParts.com (when they open back up)
Full Throttle Speed & Style

Almost all of the tb.com supporting vendors/suppliers handle at lease some of the items that you are looking for, Kirban's Performance handles all of the items.
HTH

 

[Adam Connell]

Thank ya sir!

 

[Project TNX]

I think I am just going to make my own, $70.00 seems alot for 8 pressed ends and 2 bends, but I do consider them a mandatory mod.

 

[UNDER-PRESSURE]

Check your local junk yard. Many other G-bodies came factory equipped with braces.

 

[2QUIK6]

You can make the braces with thick electrical conduit tubing from Home Depot, cost $10 and about 2 hours of your time if you have a vice to smash the ends. I think the instructions how to do this are on gnttype.org

 

[hanly2]

Is this a mod worth doing for just a street cruiser, not a race car?

 

[BRAD_PADGETT]

This kit either homemade or bought is critical in stopping B-pillar cracks. I even put on the two front end ones as well (not the one in the engine compartment). Go for it. Brad

 

[2QUIK6]

Is this a mod worth doing for just a street cruiser, not a race car?

Yes, my car developed B-pillar cracks before I did a single mod to it from just street driving at less than 40k miles.
Body shop fixed the cracks and I installed the braces about 10 years ago and no cracking now and it produces 400+ rwhp now.

 

[TKMBUICK]

You can go to your local bone yard and fine an old cattie and the under the hood braces will work with a little mods look and work like kirbans.

 

[SloGN]

the oldsmobile cutlass 84-88 has the upper underhood and the lower frame braces from the factory.



the rear seat braces all one needs to do i go get some 1/2-3/4 heavy guage conduit at the hardware store and cut to length and flatten the ends and the ends and drill the holes.

 

[diomedes]

Any pics???
Especially of any rig ups from the hardware store?

 

[turbofabricator]

Most of the rear seat brace kits are made from Home Depot stuff. Electrical conduit is what they are made from. I personally do NOT like the design of the dual "X" brace kits. One large "X" will have ALOT more strength than two that meet in the middle. The center support is just spot welded in place, and is subject to cracking, too. Every time you bend a tube, it becomes weaker in compression. If you are REALLY serious about frame strength, install a well engineered roll bar. Frame bracing is also needed in critical areas under the car. I could spend hours going over the weaknesses in a G-body, but my fingers can't keep up with my thoughts.

 

[86 TR]

I think Im gonna save some money and try to make my own. Cant be that hard.

I'll get the parts and a 30-pack of beer to help it along.:biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[Dreamcar86]

Most of the rear seat brace kits are made from Home Depot stuff. Electrical conduit is what they are made from. I personally do NOT like the design of the dual "X" brace kits. One large "X" will have ALOT more strength than two that meet in the middle. The center support is just spot welded in place, and is subject to cracking, too. Every time you bend a tube, it becomes weaker in compression. If you are REALLY serious about frame strength, install a well engineered roll bar. Frame bracing is also needed in critical areas under the car. I could spend hours going over the weaknesses in a G-body, but my fingers can't keep up with my thoughts.

Out of curiosity do you believe in subframe connectors? It would be interesting to see you post the weak spots on a g body. Could be helpful for alot of us.

 

[jcj53115]

Does anyone have a pic of these braces? And are they actually all made out of conduit type material? The reason I ask is cus the seat brace on my car is far from tubular of any type. Wonder were mine came from? Seems like this type would be ALOT stronger then what you guys are explaning.

 

[turbofabricator]

Your brace kit is the one that Kenne-Bell use to sell. He based it (loosely)off of the original GNX one. I think that the sheet metal one is probably stronger.

I installed subframe connectors on my old GN, years ago. I took a jack and studied the weak spots on the frame. I jacked it up in several points and made observations as to what the chassis and suspension did. I welded an 1 5/8 bar from the lower control arm attatch point on the frame forward diagonally to the trans mission cross member point on the frame (kinda like an internal frame rail), then welded in a section of square tubing forward of the cross member to the front frame section. (I had to do some sheet metal "massaging". aka hammering, to allow the bars room under the floor behind the front seats.)The down bars went through the package deck and then had an "X" under the package deck inside the trunk. (By the way, that car was stolen and if you see a car that has an "X" inside the trunk and frame connectors that are diagonal, call the police and then PM me.) I also added diagonal braces from the main hoop down to the frame connectors, to give the car more diagonal bracing. I then welded bars from the main hoop back to the upper control arm attach points through the seat halves. (the seat remained stock) The stock rear spring perches are really weak. When installing the down bars I was holding them in place and noticed that they were moving when I pushed down on them with the down bars . That's why I welded in the "X" brace under the package deck. (The down bars were welded to the spring perches.) If you watch a really strong running car with a mediocre roll bar in it you can see some amazing things happen. REAL scary actually. A weld in rear sway bar helps alot, though. If you have the A-pillars welded right, they won't crack. If you are making enough power to actually crack the A-pillar, you NEED a roll bar just to save your own bacon, or noodle, which ever food type you consider yourself.:biggrin: