There are only two pieces under the hood... K brace and strut brace. There's another under the frame on PP cars, under the oil pan with a flap to get at the oil filter.
That comes on the PP cars. I chose to not install it as I didn't want to tear up that much stuff, and just the k-brace and strut tower brace did a lot.
My bad, I've never seen it before. Where does it go on the car... any pictures? It's not part of the Ford Racing strut tower kit.
I'll add my guess as to why the 20" wheel option also includes the triangulated strut brace. Per the Ford dealer order guide the PP and the 20" wheels have the same 40' turning radius, which is larger than all other GT's. That larger turning radius may have different chassis loading.The full black brace comes with the 20" wheel option, not the silver Strut Tower Brace.
We have made guesses, but nobody really knows the reason why.
I wonder if that could also be the reason Ford won't offer the spare tire with the 20's. (yes, everyone already knows the reason for it on the PP is the large brakes)
Ok, so my car will be delivered in about 5 weeks. This bracing and stiffening is the first upgrade I want to do on my car as I'm positive it will have a significant effect on the dynamics of the front end.Make sure your car has this piece too if you want full strength from the upper K brace and strut tower brace.
The turning radius has nothing to do with chassis loading. They limit how much you can turn the wheel as the tire gets wider to ensure it doesn't contact anything. When you have the wheel turn to full lock you are going slow and are not loading the chassis as much as you are at higher speeds with less than full lock.
No, the real reason (aside from pp brakes) is that the PP and 20" wheels use summer tires and the spare is all season.
Okay, does anyone know what the funky little "above pictured bracket" does? It doesn't appear to function as bracing, and isn't included in the Ford Racing Strut Tower Brace kit (which bolts firmly to the firewall without it), so do we need it? Any insights from the group out there?
Also a very good price.
It is most positively is a brace. The firewall next to the engine is a flimsy piece of sheet metal the frame around the windshield is the upper edge of the real strong firewall so without that brace you are significantly reducing the effectiveness of the entire system. Triangulation is the key to strength and not tying the towers to the real firewall is a waste of money.
