P7M8

I've read that strut and shock tower braces aren't needed on these cars. I beg to differ. Today while cruising on the interstate at about 80mph a woman in an SUV abruptly cut over into my lane. I had to veer right to avoid her hitting me. As soon as I got into the next lane I cut the wheel back left. The car felt like it was glued to the road with very little roll. I feel that had I not had the braces I probably would have lost it and it wouldn't have been pretty.



They paid for themselves today. I mainly got the strut tower brace for looks and wanted to match it in the rear. Glad I did.

2011 Shelby GT500

imp

I am kinda "out of it" on these newer cars, but relate back very completely to the strut towers of very early Mustangs. I've cut away my share of towers to incorporate a variety of huge wide blocks, like 430 Lincoln, in '63 Falcon, '64 Falcon, '55 Merc (no towers), etc.

How are modern strut towers different? 'Course, back then, we didn't have "struts". The 1st gen Mustang's structure used Falcon's towers basically, with the unusual configuration of having the springs on TOP of the upper A arm. This made the tower a vitally important structural part of the suspension.

Norm Peterson

The towers are vitally important structural parts in both designs, just that the way loads are taken out differs a little.

The main difference is UCA loads from cornering in the 1st gen Mustang are taken out at a lower point, closer to what passes for a "frame rail". Strut-suspended cars take the analogous cornering load out at the top of the tower. Forces in the UCA arrangement are higher, but forces in a tower brace for a 1st gen tower are probably in the same ballpark as brace forces for a Mac Strut tower brace (assuming that there aren't huge differences in the stiffness of the rest of the car structures, anyway).

Spring and shock damping forces are taken out at the tops of the towers in both arrangements.


P7M8 - it's extremely unlikely that the car would have become uncontrollable in your situation had you not installed these braces. But I will give you that the feeling of having more control was real, which does count for something.

I suspect that you've never autocrossed, and suddenly found yourself in a situation that was well outside anything you'd ever experienced before that didn't end up in a crash. In an emergency-avoidance maneuver it is entirely possible to toss an unprepared passenger back and forth (sideways) like a rag doll, even with only the base GT suspension and 235/50-18 all-season tires . . . under full control the entire time. Never mind how I might know this.


Norm
retired structural engineer and unrepentant corner-carver

proeagles

You would never notice the difference if you didn't have the brace in reality. These modern Mustangs are pretty stiff to begin with. I had to remove the brace from my 2007 Shelby when I installed a supercharger and there was absolutely no difference in the handling. I haven't done any testing to prove it but I have raced BMW's for 7 years, won a national championship, and instruct for the BMWCCA.

P7M8

You are correct. No autocross experience here. The only high speed driving I've experienced is behind the wheel of a Crown Vic if you know what I mean. I do notice that car feels stiffer since I put the braces on (maybe it's all in my head?). I've only had her for about 2 months now and this is the first experience where I had to avoid a collision. The back end has tried to come around on me on a couple of occasions .

Nonetheless the way she handled, I'm very impressed...

P7M8

It feels stiffer since I put them on. Maybe it's in my head...

proeagles

If you are happy, that is all that matters. Who am I to argue with someone who drives Crown Vics for a living cause I do know what you mean. Thanks for your service.

Norm Peterson

Got it.


What you're sensing is real.

But I'm pretty sure what's going on is that the brace is forcing a change to the structural vibrations that are always present making the car feel "more solid" (there could be literally hundreds of slightly different vibrations going on, all at the same time), Some low frequency vibrations get reduced in magnitude, or pushed off to different frequencies that aren't as noticeable, or made to peak in different locations where again you don't notice them as much. It's a common mod at the OE level for convertibles to reduce cowl shake, and I've seen them installed as OE on either a Buick or an Oldsmobile sedan (forget which it was I saw, it's been over a dozen years). Anyway, it could be easy to confuse this vibration change with a significant increase in stiffness.

Whatever stiffness gain you do get is probably providing the greatest benefit under hard braking and when the wheels on only one side of the car encounter a bump.

When things start to happen with 500+ HP in a shorter wheelbase than that daily driver you mentioned, they are going to progress a good bit faster than what you're accustomed to. Physics at work, and smoothness at the controls (all of them) is your friend.


Norm

P7M8

You're welcome, but that was a while ago. They're driving Explorers now.

P7M8

So the reduction in "roll" I feel is due to the change in vibrations etc.? There's a lot I need to learn.