RalliartN

iTrader: (1)

I can't tell if I need braces but want to make some for the experience. If they can be felt actually doing something, that's gravy.

I always thought that placing braces against or very near existing structure was ridiculous. Hmm, what do we have here? Protuberances that are some distance away from the chassis shell, under the trunk near the gas tank. A brace here might actually stiffen something.


After this pic I sanded the one face down to bare metal.


I fabricated a 2"x3" steel bracket to sit flat on the chassis. The base has holes so I can plug weld using a MIG welder. Plug welding is when the top part has holes and the bottom part it's welded to is solid. You just fill in the holes and the parts stick together. The bracket has flanges that will bolt to the cross brace. It looks cobby but thats just a bad pic highlighting grind marks.


Here is the assembly I made. The tube is diameter 1" cheap seamed steel tube, about 30" long. Into one end goes an insert that is threaded 5/16-24 to accept a swivel ball joint; it allows changing bar length which makes life real easy later. Into the other end is an insert to fit between the bracket flanges and accept a 5/16-18 bolt.


Both tube inserts were plug welded into the bar. Dress the welds a bit.




Assembly.


Bracket MIG welded to car. Now do other side the same. Cobby as hell but should work fine - was welding while on my back on the floor, no room to manouever. Spray my favorite car colour.


Install the bar. Brace done. The swivel ball joint 's threaded end allowed for exact length installation.


Will report later, haven't driven yet. Italy vs. Germany is on!

Note: if you don't have a welder and stuff, I'm sure this could be made simpler and still structurally sound:
Use pop rivets and/or structural adhesive to join the brackets - made from angle iron or channel - to the car.
Smash flat the ends of a pipe, drill a hole in each end, and bolt to your brackets.

bakuro117

iTrader: (5)

Another awesome how to! Nice work man. Let me know how this works out for you. Seems like a good location for a brace.

bakuro117

iTrader: (5)

Anything to report on this brace yet? Im interested in how it does.

RalliartN

iTrader: (1)

Okay, have some track time now on the braces. Unsure how to put it, let's say the car is "less noisy" when hammering around corners. Literally - small little rattles and shakes are subdued. And by feeling - handles even more like one solid piece. It is noticable enough I'm happy to have put in the thought, time, and labour to install them.

The chassis is super nice without them - this fwd car drifts the back controllably - but something good has resulted.

bakuro117

iTrader: (5)

Good deal man!

On the brace you installed in the front, were you aware that the Evo IX uses two of those? It has one in a similar location to where you placed yours, and another further forward that is also connected to the sub frame. Next time I have my car up in the air I will take some pics for you if you're interested.

RalliartN

iTrader: (1)

Thank you Bakuro. I've since looked for, and found, a pic of an evo with the two braces you mentioned. I'll work on more for the RA!

bakuro117

iTrader: (5)

I was changing my oil over the weekend. I noticed that the ones on the evo are not so much chassis braces, as they are sub frame braces. They tie together the aft of the sub frame and then closer to the front. I guess where the frame has the arch for the drive shaft and exhaust they wanted to sort of close all that in some how.

RalliartN

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for that explanation. I'll try for a sub-frame brace design - gotta trust that the Mitsu engineers did the research and put that brace where it matters.