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As I explained in the other, prior message ("Part 1: ...antisway bars...", second message down below this one), this is to set up a '93 240 (for my daughter, who's a fast highway driver) that's as safe handling as possible (see other, for details).
Another improvement I'm thinking of adding is IPD's Chassis Braces (and this would be in addition to IPD's f&r antisway bars.
I know that these braces are supposed to sharpen the steering response -- but what else (especially negatives) would I (or she) notice, especially on real roads (city potholes, frost heaves) as well as smooth highway?
Also, as with the antisway bars, IPD sells seemingly two versions of their chassis braces, too. One is CU2485 (upper strut brace and lower brace, as a set, "Cherry Turbo"), and the other is CU1240 plus CU1350 (upper chassis brace plus lower tie bars). These are not quite the same -- any advice on distinguishing between their purposes and their effects?
As always, thanks very much all of you for your advice.
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It looks like the braces are worth it, so I'm going to go for it on her car [I and my wife have each had lots of 240's [they all had antisway bar upgrades (though "factory turbo" rather than IPD's extra thick), etc.], but this would be the first that I put braces on, too.
As for tires, that's always been part of my plan. I'm trying to get a set of 15x6" alloys as we speak, and will put on suitable rubber, too. I've always used V-rated, by the way (higher wear is secondary to better traction, cost-benefit ratio considering the costs of an accident :-).
Thanks to all of you for confirming the braces.
Ciao!
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None of this stuff does Didley in normal driving.
Get good shocks(for instance, Sachs Advantage, Boge whatever) and good tires(the list goes on and on...),
TIRES are all that really matters.
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>>"None of this stuff does Didley in normal driving."<<
I guess that depends on what you would consider "normal" ;-)
--
don hodgdon '89 744ti, '81 242t, '71 D-35
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Have you tried a strut tower brace on your car?
I have them on all of our cars (my own design and manufacturefor both 700 and 200 series), and I can say they make a noticeable improvement in the way the car tracks during normal driving.
With a strut tower brace installed, the car will go where you steer it instead of following seams, or tire wear, in the pavement. After you have driven your car with a strut tower brace, and them drive it without the strut tower brace, the car has a loose and sloppy feel when driven without the brace.
--
john
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posted by
someone claiming to be Ken C
on
Mon Sep 20 02:38 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
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Is that the thing that IPD sells that extends from the top of one tower to the other one? [that's in contrast to the alternative, the short pieces that extend from each tower to the firewall?]
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posted by
someone claiming to be Daryl
on
Sun Sep 19 13:09 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
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My 19 yr old daughter also drives a 93 240 sedan. I upgraded it to 23mm Turbo anti-sways bars front and rear. Also Bilstein HD struts and shocks. And Cherry Turbo tower to tower brace PLUS IPD firewall to strut tower braces. The addition of the firewall/tower braces did seem to transmit a tiny bit more road vibration directly into the cockpit. In summary, the car handles very well, EXCEPT the Bilsteins are too stiff for daily driving, in my opinion. They seem to transmit every little imperfection from the road surface into the car, such as pavement joints and the like. Was going to change the Bils out for Turbo Gas units, and that might happen this fall. Having said that, I'm also going to replace the tires on it to Yokohama Avid Touring as a last ditch effort to neutralize some of the transmitted road noise and coarse ride before switching the struts/shocks. I'd really like to leave the Bilsteins in there if at all possible.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Skip
on
Mon Sep 20 04:30 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
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I have always considered the braces to be a final touch to a handling upgrade. Once you have taken care of wheels, tires, bushings, shocks and swaybars (springs are optional), I felt that the braces tied it all together. Considering that all the previously mentioned parts hang on to the front assembly, the braces keep that assembly rigid and let everything work. The upper and lower braces are a good start but the transverse (tower-tower) brace is the most critical. I prefer to use the straightest, largest diameter bar you can get. The Bucina brace is very good but my favorite is a SAM Stefannson one I picked up years ago. It's massive and attaches to each tower with the usual three nuts plus an "ear" that is bolted to the front of the tower. The tansverse bar is about 1 1/8".
Honestly, I never felt there were any disadvantages to the braces. The flexing of the front subassembly was never designed to be a shock absorbing feature. There are other components that were designed to do that.
Skip
'93 850GLT
'83 242TI Flathood
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I have the Avids on my 93 and am pretty happy. Road noise is practically nonexistant.
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Cherry Turbos Lower Brace is superior to IPD copy of OEM GT Lower Bars. Cross brace in CT bar does same for lower chassis that Strut Tower cross brace does for Upper chassis at Shock Towers.
CT Tower brace is good as it is a ladder type structure less prone to twist flex that single tube braces. Not damning Single tube braces which are a good start and depending on driving style will work just fine in normal useage (non rally/street racing and driven by anyone who is not a Bondurant Graduate).
Basics-
Good struts/shocks (KYB or Sachs/Boge for low $ Bilstein Gas (NOT Touring) if you have $$
Bushings- If they ain;t tight then it ain;t right. $$ spent R&R'ing bushings will be best $$ spent. Go OEM or Poly. Avoid Scan Tech rubber. Boge is OK/Same with OEM.
Sway Bars- Get a pair of GT or Turbo bars (23mm F&R) and a set of 700 series bushings and mounts for the front bar. A Turbo bar set can be found for unbder $50 and bushings run $35 a set with mounts.
Rubber- tyres-get the best AW Rubber you can afford from a major chain (NTW), get road hazard policy with same so she can just go there and get it replaced easily. Toss Donut spare and get a good clean 14" steel rim and same type as rest of them, then when she needs to swap the spare and drive 250 miles she can do it without fear. (Also imagine being in snow/rain with Donut on front wheel...)
Firewall to Tower braces - OK addition with Tower to Tower brace.
If it has a White Label 561 Computer get a 951 as a spare, they are cheap and she can hand the tech the part and smile and say "My Daddy said use this one" .
Did same as you for my 2 Nephews and 1 Neice. 4 wrecks and 4 years later they are all AOK and driving other 240s.
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