GT Strut Tower Brace

[jonrjen]

I will add that this kit took 3 days and 45 minutes to install. 3 days of procrastination and video watching and 45 minutes to do the installation. The video watching did pay off in learning that the bolts hidden under the cowl cover can be removed and reinstalled without removing the cowl cover itself.

Once you have removed the stock OEM cowl brace made of formed plastic you can see what a joke that part really is. The replacement is made of a nice heavy steel power coated perfectly designed part. One work of warning, the back under edge of the cowl brace is not rounded or beveled resulting in a sharp edge just waiting to slice an unexpecting finger open.

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[Jetnoise]

Thanks for the tip!
Hope you didn't spill blood on your fender ....

 

[jonrjen]

Thanks for the tip!
Hope you didn't spill blood on your fender ....

Working on one of the vehicles on a Texas 106 degree day is the absolute perfect set up for a little Blood, Sweat and Beers!!! Life just doesn't get much better than that.

 

[Rash]

Jonrjen - did you have to remove the wipers? If so, what removal tool did you use?

 

[jonrjen]

Jonrjen - did you have to remove the wipers? If so, what removal tool did you use?

No need to remove the wipers. Once you remove the plastic pins holding the plastic cowl cover you can lift it up with ease and remove the two bolts that are under the cover. If you have a 13mm ratchet wrench it is a breeze. If you have a standard wrench it can still be done with ease, just a little more wrist action required.

 

[Rash]

Got a link to that video you watched?

 

[jonrjen]

Not on hand at the moment. I went to YouTube and searched Ford Mustang cowl and strut tower installation. There was one from CJ Pony Parts and another from American Muscle that were good to watch. There was a few others from individuals available.

 

[TexasRebel]

I'm sure that they do flex, yes, but my observation is that the strut tower brace that comes with the car is only fastened with two (?) bolts on each side and the strut tower brace at this point is really just sheet metal. It's positioned at the top end of the tower, so I am thinking that the only force the brace could effectively negate would be side-to-side flexure (i.e. shortening or lengthening the the brace along it's length). That doesn't seem to be the major forces that are exerted on the towers. So I just wonder that the strut tower braces are largely cosmetic. Like I said, the K-member is much stiffer stronger metal and probably contributes a significant stiffening effect by comparison.

Just my thoughts, I'm no expert on this. I'd be happy to stand corrected by someone knowledgable.

In a corner the strut towers are what makes the vehicle change direction, and it's all side load. Tying the towers together allows them to share the load instead of only loading up the one on the outside (less flex). However, without the K brace as well, they aren't as effective.

 

[ChaoticFury09]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I am going to pick up the Ford Performance kit with the K-brace. When I opened my hood the other day I noticed that it has a brace already in it, but I doubt it will be as good as the one in the kit. I guess I will remove it and then add in the new pieces.

 

[Nagare]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I am going to pick up the Ford Performance kit with the K-brace. When I opened my hood the other day I noticed that it has a brace already in it, but I doubt it will be as good as the one in the kit. I guess I will remove it and then add in the new pieces.

All the cars come with a plastic piece there, the kit comes with a metal one that is much sturdier.

I also recommend the firewall extension brace as mentioned by other people. I did need to pull the wipers to get it in, but it makes sense to do it all at once instead of duplicating the majority of the install to do it later on.

edit » check this thread for a good overview as well

 

[xraystyle]

I've got a 2016 Eco Premium, came without the tower brace or the k-brace. I bought and installed them and I noticed a difference. The front end just feels a bit less "squishy" when you throw it into a turn. I would describe it as, before the brace, there felt like there was a slight lag time between when the outside vs the inside of the front end would start to corner in a turn. Definitely worth the upgrade.

When you install it, you don't need to remove the wipers. You can just lift up the cowl and prop it up with a wadded up rag or something.

Also, that BS plastic thing that looks like the k-brace comes out completely, it's garbage. You replace it entirely with the solid steel part.

 

[Norm Peterson]

In a corner the strut towers are what makes the vehicle change direction, and it's all side load. Tying the towers together allows them to share the load instead of only loading up the one on the outside (less flex).

It is all about side loads . . . and the difference between the side loads, one side vs the other. In a corner, both strut towers will try to deflect - in the same direction but by different amounts. Tying the two together will help the more heavily loaded outside strut tower (and the camber at that corner's wheel) more than it hurts the lightly loaded inside corner. So, net gain even though both towers are still moving laterally with respect to the cowl/firewall.

Getting the direction change started is really more about the front lower arms or lateral links and where they attach than it is about the towers themselves.

But from having done a fair amount of dynamic analysis in day jobs now gone by, I'm confident that the biggest advantage of a strut tower brace comes from its effect on chassis vibrations - IOW the shapes of these vibrations and their frequencies. Chase a few of the more noticeable vibrations off to locations and frequencies where they aren't as noticeable and the chassis then feels "more solid". So you trust it better, and find it easier to drive hard without feeling vaguely uneasy.

FWIW, a STB also works against structural displacements that occur during hard braking, where the towers are moving in opposite directions.


Norm

 

[Jay-rod427]

I'm sure that they do flex, yes, but my observation is that the strut tower brace that comes with the car is only fastened with two (?) bolts on each side and the strut tower brace at this point is really just sheet metal. It's positioned at the top end of the tower, so I am thinking that the only force the brace could effectively negate would be side-to-side flexure (i.e. shortening or lengthening the the brace along it's length). That doesn't seem to be the major forces that are exerted on the towers. So I just wonder that the strut tower braces are largely cosmetic. Like I said, the K-member is much stiffer stronger metal and probably contributes a significant stiffening effect by comparison.

Just my thoughts, I'm no expert on this. I'd be happy to stand corrected by someone knowledgable.

Right, but wrong. The strut tower brace also limits the vertical changes in the strut towers as the chassis twists. Since vertical seperation would also require horizontal seperation which is limited by the cross brace. In corners with body roll the front end in front of the cockpit wants to twist from the forces, the strut brace helps limit that.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I have my doubts about a STB with only 2 bolts/side end connections being able to develop enough stiffness against bending moments at those connections to do what you're suggesting.


Norm

 

[TexasRebel]

I have my doubts about a STB with only 2 bolts/side end connections being able to develop enough stiffness against bending moments at those connections to do what you're suggesting.


Norm

I think it depends on the planes/lines those bolts are in. If all four are co-planar it would do much less than each side having the two bolts in different planes. If all four bolts are colinear (not coaxial)... well that'd just be useless.

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