Shock tower braces?
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,606
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From: Pittsburgh
Shock tower braces? I know a lot of people feel as if shock tower braces don't do anything on T Top cars but what about convertibles? Has anyone felt a difference?
Yes, when I first bought the car of course I wanted to go see how it handled, man did the front end flex and wash out under hard cornering. My STB was the first mod I made and deff. helped out. Added an adj PB and J&M LCA's now she corners very well, plan on the koni/strano soon to take it to the next level. Will it slove all our handling issues no but it's deff. one of the peices of the puzzle to make them handle better,imo.
The major deficiency of the convertible is the longitudinal chassis flex because the top isn't a structural member of the car. While a 3 point STB might help a bit toward eliminating "cowl shake", a common problem with 'verts, a pair of subframe connectors would be a much more worthwhile investment.
People have reported cracked windshields with the 3 pt shock tower braces, so be careful.
I put a shock tower brace on my car within the first year of ownership. Does it make a difference? I'm not sure. I can't say that it does or does not, but it was cost effective, and I bought an aluminum one to keep the weight down so if I'm wrong it's not that much of a penalty.
I put a shock tower brace on my car within the first year of ownership. Does it make a difference? I'm not sure. I can't say that it does or does not, but it was cost effective, and I bought an aluminum one to keep the weight down so if I'm wrong it's not that much of a penalty.
I used to be one of the people that said they were a waste of money. However, I have recently changed my mind. The springs support the weight of the car. They bolt directly to the top of the shock towers. There is nothing up there to keep the tower from flexing.
Does it flex a lot? Probably not, or else you'd see torn metal. But, if the outer tower on a turn leans out even a half inch, that's going to negatively affect your camber gain, and give you worse cornering ability.
So, here's my conclusion:
Does an STB help on a convertible? Yes.
Does an STB help on a T-top car? Yes.
Does an STB help on a hardtop car? Yes.
Does an STB help on a gutted, caged racecar? Yes.
Does it flex a lot? Probably not, or else you'd see torn metal. But, if the outer tower on a turn leans out even a half inch, that's going to negatively affect your camber gain, and give you worse cornering ability.
So, here's my conclusion:
Does an STB help on a convertible? Yes.
Does an STB help on a T-top car? Yes.
Does an STB help on a hardtop car? Yes.
Does an STB help on a gutted, caged racecar? Yes.
People have reported cracked windshields with the 3 pt shock tower braces, so be careful.
I put a shock tower brace on my car within the first year of ownership. Does it make a difference? I'm not sure. I can't say that it does or does not, but it was cost effective, and I bought an aluminum one to keep the weight down so if I'm wrong it's not that much of a penalty.
I put a shock tower brace on my car within the first year of ownership. Does it make a difference? I'm not sure. I can't say that it does or does not, but it was cost effective, and I bought an aluminum one to keep the weight down so if I'm wrong it's not that much of a penalty.
