Installed mine last week and honestly I feel it more in the clutch engagement. Having a fairly aggressive clutch this took a lot of wiggle room out of the engagement. It’s almost in or out now. Makes slipping the clutch much harder.

 

We are not welding the MC to the shock tower. The base of the foot is smooth. Hell if you want to not have any preload on there at all and just set the foot to act as a stop like on a shifter, you can do that if you want.

This does't cause any damage, there is nothing it can hurt. And if you guys saw how much your aluminum calipers flex you'd not be worried about much more robust Master Cylinder.

 

I installed mine yesterday, and just had one small issue I thought I'd give people a heads up on. I don't have a strut tower brace so I was using the spacer plate that Sam provides under the two front feet, but due to the height of it I only had a couple threads left on the strut mount studs sticking out. It wasn't enough to properly engage in the nuts, so I ended up removing the spacer and using a couple flat washers stacked up to take up the space instead.

I have aftermarket strut mounts, so my guess is the studs have fewer threads than the OEM mounts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming the design or the product - it can't be designed for every combination of aftermarket parts out there. But just more as a heads up to anyone installing that has aftermarket strut mounts to be aware of. You might end up having it improvise a bit.

 

I noticed that as well and went and got new lower profile locking nuts.

 

We have found a few brand of those aftermarket strut mounts do use shorter studs for some reason. There always has to be something to make it harder.

 

The studs can be removed and replaced with longer ones.

 

That sounds like a GoPro challenge someone needs to perform.

 

looks like another part to add to my upcoming upgrades

 

Finally had a chance to have a friend get in my car and push the brake pedal HARD....my firewall barely moves at all....I would say 1/4" at most.....its pretty much rock solid.

Brake booster......sits almost perfectly still.....no movement.

No idea why some cars have so much play in them.....strange.

But before I got home to see if my firewall really flexes like some cars do...I bought a bracket that does this same fix......but it allows me to keep my Hotchkis STB......so I'll install it some day.

.

 

Finally home from deployment and installed the brace. I do feel a noticeable difference. I'm anxious to combine it with fresh brake fluid, new stainless lines, and new front calipers. Works perfectly with the founders performance shock tower bar.

 

My studs were definitely short. I think I have a bmr brace. Not sure . But I just realized I didn't put that little tab into the strut tower... So mines crooked lolol oops.

 

I"m glad you like it. it's one of those things with no downside, and it works with most common STB's that are tubular and don't lay back to the firewall, and aren't flexy fliers to start with. Like the kind with a bolt at each end, those just allow the end to pivot relative to the STB cross bar which kind of defeats the point anyway.

Have plenty of red in stock, black due in next week.

Also, if you want to see how much things move, make sure the car is running. The lack of power assist when it's not makes it much less obvious.

 

I am really excited about this find and think it will be helpful to my Camaros. However, my SS has the polished Hotchkis STB and it is the best looking one for these cars, IMHO, how hard is it to engineer an updated version to work w/Hotchkis STB too? Hint: if you don't, another vendor will, so why not gather the benefits yourself?

Another question, haven't seen answered, is this mild steel, chromoly or what metal?

 

The Hotchkis STB is funky in the way it mounts, and kind of cumbersome and it takes up much of the same room the MC brace does. Mine won't work with the Hotchkis brace and it's stands, and I have no plans to make one that fits with the Hotchkis brace, just not enough demand.

It is steel, nothing fancy. ChromeMoly is only lighter sometimes because you can run less of it for the same strength. Given the small size of this, it's not worth the extra material cost and welding time to make this from anything but steel.

 

But then another vendor will, so why not gather the benefits yourself, as first to market?!

Will this item work with the BMR STB (one of the few [only?!] that fits V6 F-Bodies), which is the other one I have?:
http://m.bmrsuspension.com/?page=products&productid=289

Sure looks like not, as the V6 one kicks back toward the cowl a bit to clear the top-passenger alternator mount location on V6s. It is a shame, I was about to send you an order for two.

 

Easy fix!: Buy UMI strut tower brace, buy Strano MC brace, sell old STB.

 

This. Plus the added improvement of a STB.....the contribution it makes to the suspension... my goodness! And using it to hold the engine in place with straps during K-member install.....

/sarcasm

It does none of those things but it looks good and that's what matters. How does the saying go? It's not worth going fast if you can't look good while doing it?

 

UMI does NOT offer an STB which fits V6 applications for my RS. In other words Strano's part works for no V6 applications that I am aware of.

For my SS, I really like the looks of the Hotchkis polished STB, UMI one, nothing to look at.

 

My brace will work for any V-6, just not with YOUR STB. Let's not get it twisted now. Why don't I? Do you run a business? The best way to end up not having one is making something that takes R&D time and costs, and then costs to build and shelve, and have it not sell.

Let's be realistic here, the numbers just aren't there. I'm very sorry but I can't always do everything that every person wants, it's just not feasible.

 

Ok, which V6 STBs work with this MC Brace? Sadly I don't think there is any.