Strut tower braces - what's the best?

[kstar]

I know the jury is still out on the need for a strut tower brace, especially in coupes, but I have heard enough and have decided to buy and install one.

I will be putting this brace in a '72 with a hot rod, Anderson style 2.7 - stock t-bars and 22mm sways front and back.

Here are the braces I am considering:

1) Weltmeister style - $185 at Pelican
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/911E/por_911E_suspen_main.htm
***has mounting piece that encircles top of tower


2) AJ-USA style - $234.00
http://www.ajusa.com/cgi-bin/inventory/view_product?prod_id=0000000129 )
***looks like just the front (or back) bolts attach from tower to brace

3) Rennline style - $135+
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=597770251&r=0&t=0
***Looks quite similar to AJ-USA style

4) Cross brace style with mounts to trunk floor - Price Unknown!?
I have seen this style in the archives and I think Black Forest in San Diego sells them - convenient as Black Forest is now sorting out my Motormeister rebuild as well as installing aluminum trailing arms, adjustable spring plates with Neatrix bushings and full suspension set-up.

So, if you have already drank the strut brace 'kool aid', which is the most effective brace to stiffen the front chassis and eliminate/reduce the spread of the shock towers?

TIA!

Regards,

Kurt

[Randy W]

Hi Kurt, I know that a company called Vision made a triangulated front strut brace like your option 4, and it is probably the most rigid choice, but not legal in all classes. I have had the Weltmeister, which is a good brace, and it makes a difference even in the coupes, though not as big an improvement as in a Targa. I have a TRG (The Racers Group) front strut brace now that ties into their front shock tower monoballs and it is superior to the Weltmeister. What you will notice with a brace is that your steering inputs are more direct and turn in is much faster. Have fun!

Randy Wells

[Wayne 962]

There are a bunch of people who make these (heck they're just bars bolted across), but the Weltmeister one (and the rest of the brand) is pretty well made. The hardware is good, and the custom brakets fit well (see my book for an install article on the subject).

Cheaper ones are out there, but they don't look as good (remember this thing sticks out like a sore thumb in the front trunk). Basically they are almost all the same performance-wise...

-Wayne

[andyu911]

Kurt, I have seen this one installed in my fellow racer's car. It's a triangular type. Here is the link http://www.stable-energies.com/stable/camber.html

[mjc76]

Kurt I would go with the monoballs first then get the strut tower brace. Look at either the TRG or smart racing products. Alot of the strut tower braces won't work with monoballs unless they were designed to. Hey Wayne how come you don't sell more of these performance parts?

[don911]

I'm also looking at braces. I'm probably going to go with the TRG monoballs and brace. I would also like to put in the TRG adj. sway bars.
Wayne...any chance you will sell TRG products in the future?

Don
87 coupe

[Wayne 962]

I believe that we do carry them - they are just not in our catalog quite yet...

-Wayne

[stlrj]

"Designed to maximize your car's suspension control, the Camber Truss will give you an incredible increase in cornering and braking capabilities."

Can this be true or more marketing hype? Has anyone actually experienced this "incredible increase..."?

Joe

[Joe911]

I have the Stable Energies brace on my 1969 and a Rennline on the 1984. The SE unit adds more torsional stiffness - both make a "small" but noticeable difference - mostly on turn in.

[PanAmeriCan]

Joe,
With regard to the Stable Energies' Camber Truss;
What do the additional tubes (as compared to a conventional brace) mount to?
The photos didn't show that particular detail.
Thanks,

[targa88]

I have a Targa, so the strut brace IS an improvement. It really depends how much money you want to spend, along with the application: serioius performance driving, etc.
The Weltmeister and Rennline variety are simple and efficient.
The cross bracing of Stable Energies offer better rigidity.
However, once you graduate to monoballs and TRG components you are dealing in a different class.

[collier]

In researching chassis stiffness for my present project, I have refered back to my European Car magazine October issue page 116.

It shows in there several examples of rear cross-member reinforcements; front strut tower reinforcements, front sway bar reinforcements, etc.

One thing that I found interesting is that the chassis prep included a welded ~1.5" tubing from one front strut to the other.

What is everyone's opinion on this? I would think that you would want some adjustability to compensate for unsprung tension...???

Or maybe just the option of adjustment period?

I feel that the design that minimizes the most "potential" mov't. would be a triangulated model?

The article is very helpful outlining some chassis stiffness that I will implement to my car; of course, I will update the list with pictures and posts

chris

[Oldporsche]

I believe that all of the strut braces work the same. The ones that attach somehow to the floor of the trunk will be the most rigid. I have seen some of those that were removable in case someone wanted to carry luggage in there. (Wonder why?)
Some are crude and effective, such as a piece of angle iron and a couple of big sheet metal screws. Others are plated and finished very well. (big dollars)

If you have a pre-74 car, it will help the most. In '74, Porsche started making the car stiffer with modifications in the floor.

My first car was a '72 Targa. I worked a lot on the suspension and alignment. I found that the front strut towers had to be pushed out towards the wheels to get enough camber. To keep it there I had to use a strut brace. This resulted in a slightly larger gap between the front fender and hood at the strut location. I often look at pre-74 models to see if this gap is even, bowed or narrowed. This gives me clue about the alignment and flexability of the chassis of that particular car.

Good luck,
David Duffield

[Oldporsche]

I believe that all of the strut braces work the same. The ones that attach somehow to the floor of the trunk will be the most rigid. I have seen some of those that were removable in case someone wanted to carry luggage in there. (Wonder why?)
Some are crude and effective, such as a piece of angle iron and a couple of big sheet metal screws. Others are plated and finished very well. (big dollars)

If you have a pre-74 car, it will help the most. In '74, Porsche started making the car stiffer with modifications in the floor.

My first car was a '72 Targa. I worked a lot on the suspension and alignment. I found that the front strut towers had to be pushed out towards the wheels to get enough camber. To keep it there I had to use a strut brace. This resulted in a slightly larger gap between the front fender and hood at the strut location. I often look at pre-74 models to see if this gap is even, bowed or narrowed. This gives me clue about the alignment and flexability of the chassis of that particular car.

Good luck,
David Duffield

[spinner]

For a coupe, IMO, I would stick with monoballs first then weld in a bar between the towers. Monoballs will give the bigger and more immediate improvement over any strut bar. Assuming this is more for track use rather than everyday street motoring....

[speeder]

Will strut brace be noticable improvment on '82 coupe driven on the street? I definitely twist the steering wheel pretty hard sometimes. Also I remember reading once that unless they are triangulated type they don't really do much, however someone like Randy W. would know from actual experience. I guess you would lose the WHOLE trunk with these. Anyone know for sure?

[stlrj]

" I found that the front strut towers
had to be pushed out towards the wheels to get enough camber. To keep it there I had to use a strut brace. This
resulted in a slightly larger gap between the front fender and hood at the strut location."

Please correct me, but by pushing the struts outward seems like it would reduce negative camber in the direction of positve instead of increasing it.

Is increasing negative camber is what you are after?

Joe

[JMPRO]

ALSO CHECK OUT THE TARGA BODY BRACES AT PELICANPARTS
JERRY

[CRH911S]

Kurt:

Rennline has my vote because it is a well designed and made part. It looks nice and is easy to install.

The strut should be installed while the car is sitting level. As a reference point I installed mine with no preload. Following installation I test drove my car and noticed a world of difference in the way the car handled.

Good luck....

Clinton
1977 2.7 911S Coupe
Anchorage Ak

[tobluforu]

I would go with what spinner and randy states. I have seen the racers group configuration on a few cars and it looks top of the line. Pricey though, but you will probably never have to replace either of them again. Alignment will be precise with this setup.