MidnightTorker

OK. I am in the process of building a strut tower brace for the front. I also just got the 2x2 boxed tubing for SFC's.

I'm going to strenghten the front by installing a crossmember behind the radiator (frame rail to frame rail).

I was thinking, would there be any benifit to making a REAR brace to strenghten the rear shock mount area???

I'm not sure how much flex is back there.. I was just thinking of simply welding a brace along the whole rear area where the shock mount to (not covering the shock mount holes of coarse)

Just wondering if anyone knows how much flex is back there..if any.

Scrapped the ladder bar idea... and i've convinced my girlfriend that an aftermarket torque arm is A MUST!!! for safety reasons ya know

Going to be boxing the rear LCA's also...

Can't wait to feel this car after all this.....

Rob.

colonboy14

iTrader: (7)

No, the design of the rear suspension does not put much lateral load on the upper shock mounting points. I'm pretty sure this has been discussed before. Try a search and you may find more info.

MrDude_1

if you wanted to laterally brace the rear, you'd want a aftermarket panhard rod, strengthen the mount that the rod mounts to, and replace the brace above the panhard with a stronger one..

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

On a different note, in all your ventures with strengthening the car, do let me know what I can do in the front end since I can't run a strut tower brace with the stealth ram!

MidnightTorker

I've seen a couple of f-bodies with a bar that connects the front 2 frame rails... Mounts near the power steering box... also seen cracks develop there because of stress... but not major...

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

Yah, the wonder bar. All Iroc's had them (at least 87 up!)

90firebird

looking at the suspension design back there, I wouldn't think a brace like that would help in a way that can be felt.. however, I'm strongly thinking about getting something put together to bolt between the two upper seat belt mounts in the back to quiet down as many of the creaks and rattles as possible.. pretty much the only purpose I see to installing a brace back there..

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

I HATE how the hatch sqeaks!

90firebird

here's my rear bar.. it actually quieted down SOME of the squeaks, but not all. just figured i'd post some pics up.

Dale

iTrader: (12)

Thats kinda what I was thinking about doing, but with a different mount plate.

What did all them parts come from? All look bought, not home fabbed.

spartyon

the mount he has looks similar to the mount off of a caster wheel.

JPrevost

Thank you for that! I knew it looked familiar, lol.
I say brace the snot out of the car where ever you can put bracing do it. The front end of our cars NEEDS that "wonder" bar. It helps a lot with the fact that our steering is bolted to the frame rails and not the k-member. Doesn't help any that our radiator support is just a huge flexing mess (another thing that could be chopped off and redesigned).
As for the rear stiffness, the panhard and bracing of the support beam are the best areas to focus your efforts. If you want to just decrease the rattles than the bar from the seat belt mounts will help, especially with a little pre-load.

MidnightTorker

Yeah, Now thats what i'm talking about. Nice job. Jeez now I can't just throw in some tubing... I'll have to do it like that ...


Sometimes the car feels like a top fuel car bouncing.....and flexing........


....

90firebird

if you guys can piece something like this together, then by all means do it. I bought the bar from a local import shop.. it was the widest one they had. The close up pic shows a section of steel tubing welded in to extend the thing to the width needed.. I had that done at a local exhaust shop.

RTFC

You want real rear bracing and a better rear suspension link then check this out.
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...45#post2253745

I posted that because of talk on this post about rear bracing