DO NOT buy... review rear strut tower bar

Trying to get back into writing for the mag again... and I'm trying product reviews (Dakota Dash is next)... But for now I tried this (https://lmr.com/item/LRS-RSTBRC/79-0...ck-Tower-Brace)... I'll have the article at some point but:

1) Fitment is a joke, it "fits" but once you install it you will take it off and feel bad.

2) The way it fits provides NO improvement to chassis flex. If you follow the instructions, you need to bolt it to tin-can material (not on the strut mount but the inner fender). The metal is so thin you can bend it with your thumb. In other words, if there is flex, all this will do is dent the inner fender.

3) There's no real need for this product. To prevent chassis flex you'd need some sort of "X" brace around the back pillars / trunk floor where the towers are located or, to be honest, a complete front-to-back system to reduce flexing to be engineered not some kid with a mig welder and a pipe bender.

4) Take the $100 and put it towards a pan-hard bar to improve suspension towards the point of actually requiring to reduce chassis flex lol

I've actually started to design the fix to this product by creating some plates that will be able to wrap around the strut tower (shock will bolt through it) and you can weld or bolt it to the doubled up material which will in fact harden the points between the shocks (not that you have to add rigidity to this point), it will look close to this but material that will wrap front to back as well.

http://store.kennybrown.com/files/im...lled%20alt.jpg

Agreed, only purpose would be to secure a sub or amp box. We've built a few weld in versions out of 2x2 and plate steel. Improvement is immediate and easy to feel.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stangstevers

3) There's no real need for this product. To prevent chassis flex you'd need some sort of "X" brace around the back pillars / trunk floor where the towers are located or, to be honest, a complete front-to-back system to reduce flexing to be engineered not some kid with a mig welder and a pipe bender.

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This.
The rear shock mounts are not strut mounts like the front. There's no lateral forces that require bracing. The rear shocks act in a linear up-down motion, the rubber bushings insure there is no lateral force transfer.


*disclaimer: not a chassis designer. opinions based solely on structural view.

I could see a use for more bracing in this area if you were running coilover springs on the shocks. Fox and SN95 roll cage designs tend to tie in to this area for the downward bars off the back of the main hoop.


cheers
Ed

Difference before and after (not running coil overs) is substantial.

Here's the actual review: https://foxstang.com/rear-strut-towe...hint-not-good/

Is this true for only fox body or all year mustangs?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mavrrrick

Is this true for only fox body or all year mustangs?

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No clue, maybe they started with another year and tried to make "work" for the fox... Do you want measurements?

Was wondering if buying rear tower brace was useless for all stangs.

From '04 up, not at all required.