Best bang for the buck braces?

edfiero1

Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
I've got an a few extra dollars to spend this month.
What is my best bang for the (small) buck in terms of tightening up the body/suspension? GNX Seat Brace? Fender to Core Support Brace? Something else?

Thanks
 
How are your body bushings?
I've always felt a considerable improvement going to poly & putting in the "GNX" bushings.
Not a hard job, just time consuming.
 
How are your body bushings?
I've always felt a considerable improvement going to poly & putting in the "GNX" bushings.
Not a hard job, just time consuming.

Yes, the body bushings are the best bang for the buck. Bar none.
 
Did Body Bushing's last weekend. What should be done next?

Rear seat braces and the triangulated braces up front and you're pretty much done.

Really, if you put poly or solid aluminum in the body bushing locations instead of stock rubber, any additional bracing ends up being mostly extra weight. Rigidly mounting the body to the frame turns the car into a sort of hybrid unibody, with the floorpan providing the torsional stiffness the C-channel frame can't provide by itself.
 
My typical flow chart with braces and body stiffening mods on a bone stock car, are this.

- 6pc lower body bushings
- Front frame braces (two bars from cross member to each frame rail. I don't run the cross brace because of front mount IC pipes.
- Rear seat brace kit
- Underhood brace kit (inner fender to radiator support)

My reasoning is this. The lower body bushings greatly improve ride quality. Front frame braces significantly help reduce frame twisting on hard launches at the track and on a prepped street. Followed soon there after with the rear seat brace kit. The underhood braces help reduce the twisting affect as well. All of them work together to help keep the frame from twisting and cracks from developing on the c-pillar / roof area if it's a hard top or moon roof car.

A driveshaft safety loop also helps slightly stiffen the chassis/body, as well as a major safety item that most forget until the last minute.

Just my O2's worth.

-Patrick-
 
Don't forget to add UMI rear shock tower brace...it helps tie this area together. Also Scot W at GNS performance has a rear frame rail support bracket kit. You install the brackets on the bumper mounts , then measure your distance between (this will vary from car to car due to the exceptional QC back in the day). Weld in a length of tubing and powder coat. Voila...you've got the rear end tightened up now too!
 
GNS Rear Frame Rail Brace installed
 

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UMI's rear shock tower brace
 

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The rear UMI brace doesn't work with some exhaust configurations. Anyone try the SC&C triangle brace up front? The cross bar is moved back to clear the intercooler and pipes compared to Kirban's or UMI's front brace.
 
The rear UMI brace doesn't work with some exhaust configurations. Anyone try the SC&C triangle brace up front? The cross bar is moved back to clear the intercooler and pipes compared to Kirban's or UMI's front brace.

That looks like it just might work for IC pipe clearance. Thanks for the heads up and link.
 
The SC&C triangular front brace won’t clear a Precision SLIC
It may not clear a stretch intercooler. Can't find much info about it. I had a GN1 previous to a FMIC and I had to add a plate to drop the mounting points so Kirban's bars would clear.
 
The SC&C Brace does clear a precision FMIC but IIRC it doesn't clear a ridetech muscle bar. i had to go with GNS front braces and i was equally as happy
 
So an SC&C front brace kit will clear a CAS V4 SLIC? If this is true, I will be getting me one of them real soon. Thanks
I forgot to ask you, but are running a 15 row or 21 row Dequick?
 
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