suckerv
IG: @amelias550
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2015
- Threads
- 41
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- 545
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- Location
- Brentwood, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2015 Mustang GT PP Deep Impact Blue
- Thread starter
- #1
Got myself the Steeda Ultralite 2-Point G-Trac Brace today and thought I would write an install and first impressions thread. First off, I don’t track my car, and I probably never will. What I like to enjoy are the numerous twisties around where I live, and honestly I just want the best handling experience I can get. So any impressions I have about this brace are going to be only what I notice on the streets, and not in any track situation.
With that being said, I was THIS close to buying the Extreme G-Trac brace when this 2-Point system came out for a fraction of the price, two less anchoring points, and a nice little weight reduction. The Ultralite comes in at 5.5 lbs, and I’m thankful it’s super light because I dropped it across my face when I was doing a test fitment.
You will need:
•Jack and jack stands (obviously)
•File, chisel, or a dremel (which I used)
•22mm socket
•22mm wrench (or an adjustable wrench which I used)
•Torque wrench
First thing you should do is pop open the package and make sure everything is there. I’m glad I double checked because the spacers had separated from the main piece and were left in the box. No biggie, but if I were distracted, it would have been a pain looking for them.
Once everything is laid out, pop your car up on some stands, and crawl under to do a test fit. The holes on the brace should line up perfectly with the outermost holes on the subframe. It mentions in the instructions that there might be some leftover slag in those holes that could make inserting the spacers problematic, so if you have any, simply shave them off with a files or chisel. I didn’t have any issues with the holes themselves, but there was a small amount of metal within the subframe “tube” that I had to shave down with a dremel in order to get the spacers in there. Take the spacers and shove them through the larger hole next to the outmost ones, and line up the spacers with the outermost subframe holes.
Once the spacers are lined up, hold the brace up to the holes and insert one of the bolts up through the hole until it protrudes out the top of the subframe. Grab a nut and hand tighten from the top. Repeat for the other side.
Once your brace is in place, grab a 22mm wrench or adjustable wrench, and hold the nut in place while you tighten the bolt from below with a 22mm socket. I used an impact gun so this part went pretty quickly. I torqued each bolt to 55-60 lbs. The instructions don’t mention this, but in the install video for the Extreme brace, they suggested this torque rating, so I just did it for shits and giggles. Once all is tightened, clip off the wire handles on the spacers, lower the car, and enjoy!
I took the car out after installing the brace for a quick jaunt through the neighboring hills. DOes it feel any better or faster through the corners? I’d lying if I responded with “ZOMG everything is so much better!!!!” But I’ll put it this way; I’ve driven these roads hundreds of times in this car in mostly the same conditions and at the same(ish) speeds. At this point, I pretty know what each corner is “supposed” to feel like, so with that being said, adding the brace DOES feel much tighter. I’m not really going any faster into each corner, but the turns feel tighter with less body roll. I can only imagine how this handles on the track.
Long story short, it was a super easy install, and the car appears to handle corners better than stock.
With that being said, I was THIS close to buying the Extreme G-Trac brace when this 2-Point system came out for a fraction of the price, two less anchoring points, and a nice little weight reduction. The Ultralite comes in at 5.5 lbs, and I’m thankful it’s super light because I dropped it across my face when I was doing a test fitment.
You will need:
•Jack and jack stands (obviously)
•File, chisel, or a dremel (which I used)
•22mm socket
•22mm wrench (or an adjustable wrench which I used)
•Torque wrench
First thing you should do is pop open the package and make sure everything is there. I’m glad I double checked because the spacers had separated from the main piece and were left in the box. No biggie, but if I were distracted, it would have been a pain looking for them.
Once everything is laid out, pop your car up on some stands, and crawl under to do a test fit. The holes on the brace should line up perfectly with the outermost holes on the subframe. It mentions in the instructions that there might be some leftover slag in those holes that could make inserting the spacers problematic, so if you have any, simply shave them off with a files or chisel. I didn’t have any issues with the holes themselves, but there was a small amount of metal within the subframe “tube” that I had to shave down with a dremel in order to get the spacers in there. Take the spacers and shove them through the larger hole next to the outmost ones, and line up the spacers with the outermost subframe holes.
Once the spacers are lined up, hold the brace up to the holes and insert one of the bolts up through the hole until it protrudes out the top of the subframe. Grab a nut and hand tighten from the top. Repeat for the other side.
Once your brace is in place, grab a 22mm wrench or adjustable wrench, and hold the nut in place while you tighten the bolt from below with a 22mm socket. I used an impact gun so this part went pretty quickly. I torqued each bolt to 55-60 lbs. The instructions don’t mention this, but in the install video for the Extreme brace, they suggested this torque rating, so I just did it for shits and giggles. Once all is tightened, clip off the wire handles on the spacers, lower the car, and enjoy!
I took the car out after installing the brace for a quick jaunt through the neighboring hills. DOes it feel any better or faster through the corners? I’d lying if I responded with “ZOMG everything is so much better!!!!” But I’ll put it this way; I’ve driven these roads hundreds of times in this car in mostly the same conditions and at the same(ish) speeds. At this point, I pretty know what each corner is “supposed” to feel like, so with that being said, adding the brace DOES feel much tighter. I’m not really going any faster into each corner, but the turns feel tighter with less body roll. I can only imagine how this handles on the track.
Long story short, it was a super easy install, and the car appears to handle corners better than stock.
Sponsored
Last edited:
:cheers: John
