Ive decided the first thing i want to do is imporve the handling of my GT. Im pretty sure the first thing im gonna do is a strut tower brace as there nto too expensive and should imporve the stiffness. Ive been looking around and want some suggestions... what did ya'll use what would you consider the best, the best for the money, and ones to avoid at all cost. i'ld like to spend under 150 but if those are all crap i'll spend more...

some ive seen:
Ford Racing ($200)
steeda (185)
UPR (100) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005-...spagenameZWD1V

and some random no brand ($75) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/05-06...spagenameZWDVW

any suggestions or better deals?

 

fixed as requested

 

Will the Polished stainless clear the Ford plenum cover installed on an 05 GT?

 

My single Granatelli STB cleared my Ford plenum cover with some clearance. Have a look, I had to do this.
http://www.granatellimotorsports.com/pdf/manual74.pdf

 

I pis-sed away $180 on a FRPP strut tower brace. Didn't do anything discernible to improve handling.

If I were you and I was set on getting a STB I'd get the cheep Granatelli one.

 

Then end this thread. Seriously, a strut tower brace is purely for underhood looks in these cars.

You can get a nice adjustable panhard bar with firmer urethane bushings for just over $100. This will give a noticable change in feel in the back--less squirm in the turns.

You could get a set of lower control arms for just over $100, and not only will these help your traction from a standstill, but they will also tighten up the rear end feel a little.

You could also get a nice set of springs for $200-$250 which will give a tremendous improvement in handling, and your car's stance will improve as well.

Next up, a set of Tokico D-spec adjustable dampers. More pricey at ~$500, but the improvement in handling when coupled with springs is well worth it.

Or you could even get a set of sway bars for ~$400 and stick with the stock springs/dampers. Again, a noticable improvement in handling.

Just don't throw any money at a strut tower brace unless you realize it is a cosmetic mod.

 

I agree with the above. BMR stuff is quality and is better priced. Go with steeda springs.

 

thanks... i think you jsut talked me out of geting the brace... if its just cosmetic then i dont want it... im still noobish when it comes to suspension so i was wondering if you can put differnt spring on the stock dampeners? also what brands (links woudl be nice) do you suggest for panhard bars and LCA's?

 

what do yall think of these http://www.sportcompactonly.com/prod...29&l=2&mk=Ford

 

I could feel a noticeable difference with a strut tower brace on my car, as have dozens of other owners. The car feels much tighter and firmer and more planted. I think I'll start a poll to see who has felt a difference and who hasn't.

 

that will be a matter of opinion, but i would do a search. i had the Eibach Pro-Kit springs for about 10 months before I installed the tokico D-specs and now I wonder how I managed that long - sure, the car is driveable, but the ride and handling was horrid with just springs and stock shocks.

if you're going to do springs, budget for shocks too. try and find some cheaper resellers, or once in a while people sell them used. if you only have a bit of money to spend right now, do as others suggested and replace smaller things like the panhard bar, control arms, sway bars etc.

good luck

 

fixed as requested

 

The brace is a big help - Granatelli is not "Cheap" - more like cost effective

 

I've never heard of that brand. Not to say it's bad, just never heard of them either way. What concerns me is this part:

"These springs are designed to be used with OEM or OEM replacement shocks/struts."

If they mean "OEM replacement" to be 'aftermarket', then it's one or the other. Aftermarket shocks (unless they are adjustable like the D-Specs) are almost always more agressive then stock, and work better with the more agressive spring rates on aftermarket springs. For a suspension system to work properly, it has to have properly matched parts. That's why, in my opinion, running aftermarket springs with OEM shocks is .

**However, they might mean OEM replacement to be shocks with the same spec as OEM, but a no-name brand, in that case, I feel a bit better about them. still, 1.5" drop is significant.**

Also, I assume those springs are linear, not progressive (unless I missed something on the website) - that will be harsher, esp with the OEM shocks.

Keep digging and see what you can find.

 

I must respectfully disagree with this post. A strut tower brace on a S197 car makes a difference. It all but eliminates front tortional twist caused by chassis flex. You must remember these cars don't have a frame to keep them straight. Each part of the car relies on another part to keep it in line. I DO AGREE a strut tower brace (to some degree) is just that a simple brace so If better handling and steering feel is all you want then our simple bar does the trick

 

fixed as requested

 

Whoops, sorry, poor word choice!

I should have said, "...get the INEXPENSIVE brace..."

 

Thanks for the notes Granatelli, I found a noticable improvement especially in hard long sweeping corners like clover leaf highway intersections, the car is flatter through those corners. I don't have a Granatelli, rather a Strange Development bar that I'm quite happy with but for the $50-75 the Granatelli bars are, it seems to be a rather inexpensive element to a whole solution.

 

JR, I sent you an E-mail today asking this very same question and your answer was 'NO,sorry". Iwould rather buy the double on sale for$99.00 than buy the single for $50.00 and pay $45.00 to have it custom painted.If I order the double and it doesn't fit will you sell me the single for the sale price?

 

Thanks for the post, Granatelli. I didn't mean to imply that the other suggested suspension parts addressed any percieved front end deficiency--just that they were better ways to spend a limited budget toward suspension upgrades.

I also appreciate your comments on sway bars--that's why I've been holding off on them. I wanted to make sure everyone has figured out the proper diameters. They can have a dramatic effect on suspension articulation (sorely need for our live rear axle) if done wrong.

As for your thoughts on the strut tower brace, I guess I just need more convincing. When people say it makes such a noticable difference I just have to question it.

Can most people tell the difference if somebody changed their camber or caster by a few tenths of a degree and didn't tell them? I doubt it--especially not on street tires.

I can't see, based on the engineering and connection points, how the solid strut tower brace adds to any resistance in vertical movement of either tower. The flat mounting points just don't seem to be subtantial enough. I'm open to a rebutal on this, though (engineering specs, load calculations taking into consideration the material used, etc...), if you have the data.

As for the braces with spherical ends, they can't possibly provide any resistance to vertical movement. The bearings allow articulation. This design actually makes less sense to me, even though they look cooler and cost more!

Next, the brace should in theory keep the strut towers from spreading apart from each other, or from closing in on each other, in a hard turn, with the outer tower in a turn taking the brunt of the force. The solid or bearing equipped brace should function the same with this respect.

Going back to sensitivity to camber change mentioned above, realistically, how much are these towers really deflecting? Are they deflecting 1/4" or more?? That's probably how much movement you would need to affect front end camber in a way that is noticable on a street driven car. Think about how much you have to move the top of the strut to noticably change your camber...

Now go pop your hood and look at those strut towers and how they are tied in to the rest of the body and subframe. Do you really think they are deflecting that much??? I would almost bet that if there is any deflection, it is in the fraction of a millimeter range--imperceptible. It would be easy enough to model in the real world, and plenty have done it on other chassis (the old piano wire trick, modeling clay trick, or even telescoping tubes). Again, please provide the data if you have done it--I'm open to convincing.

Another sidenote is that the FR500C cars *don't* have a strut tower brace. Most AI and AIX cars don't either. I'm sure the intakes get in the way, but there are easy enough design arounds. I guess I just have to ask why they don't if it really makes a difference on this chassis--and they are running much firmer spring rates and R-compounds!

I'm hoping Granatelli can provide some good data to back up the claims. I would like nothing more than to add another effective suspension/chassis component to improve my car's handling. I just need to be convinced that adding 5-15 lbs. up front is worth the trade-off.