To strut tower or not to strut tower?
 

That is my question. I'm not quite sure they'll be any benefits (at least the ones I'm looking for): launches? 1/4 mile? I'm not too concerned w/ cornering, but I'm sure it helps stiffen up chasis roll. Also, does it matter which one or type you get?

A strut tower brace will only hurt your ETs.


It will, however, make a huge difference in cornering, even on the street.

That's kind of what I thought. It wouldn't matter if it's lightweight alloy or a regular brace? Why is it that it would hurt ETs?

In my opinion, a 8-10lbs brace that strengthens the body and helps to reduce power loss in twisting the body is a good modification. I'm not saying that it's a "must have" mod for a near stocker, but is a good addition to higher horsepower or corner carving Mustangs.

E

The only thing that would make a tower bar slow you down is the weight, which is minimal. Having a stiff chassis is always good regardless of the car's purpose. A stiff chassis simply allows the rest of the suspension to do it's job the way it's supposed to without input from chassis flex. I'd say it probably has no noticeable effect going down the 1/4 mile.
The main reason to get a tower bar is the fact that on a Fox stang they have measured as much as 1/2" of deflection between the two towers under extremely hard cornering loads, which is not good for smooth, predictable handling.

hey blue00GT how has your experience with Maximum Motorsports been? I have been thinking about picking up thier subframe connectors and strut tower brace. i have seen thier strut tower brace before and it looks sweet and the owner highly recommended it.

Later,
Nick

Nick,
I also have the Maximum Motorsports Strut Tower and 4point lower. I highly recommend them both. The Strut Tower brace allows for such a large variety of intakes to fit without a single problem and it also gives plenty of room to work on your car without getting in the way.

What? are we all Maximum Motorsports boys around here? hehe...They make really nice products, but I'm telling you, their service is crap. At least in my experience..."they ship tomorrow" on numerous occassions for caster/camber plates turned out being about a full month. Oh well, I'm happy with the set-up now. Nice and stiff. No more flex out of this convertible. Probably pulling better g's than the stock Vette set-up... :) out of a convertible. anywho, going to work final kinks out of the system via Griggs parts, though, they just make more of them sad to say. Need to lighten the front, and find a better way to gain more traction in the rear. Originally, wanted an all-around performance suspension, but after heavy thought, leaning towards turning it more 1/4 mile suspension. :) Drag anyone? Heh, have to really think about this though, because I'm loving the way the car takes turns now. When you think it's to the limits, it's still taking turns as smooth as a Cadillac. Nice, and boat-like...in a good way. :D

OK....if you say so :D. Thanks alot guys for your input.

MidNiteBlu 5.0: I have been very happy with the quality and performance increase with all the parts that I have bought from MM, and so far have not had any bad customer service experiences.
Tinseltown349: I would highly recommend getting a tubular k-member and control arms to lighten up the front. I can't believe the turn-in my car has now. As long as I do a solid weight transfer going into the corners, it just turns. Since I haven't been able to afford the panhard bar and torque arm yet to finish the rear suspension, I can actually turn in fast enough to break the back loose without using the throttle.