Bye Bye Understeer

[mrsmr2]

Just to drift the topic a bit further:

A hardtop seems to be very good for stiffening the chassis.

I've just checked various bits of footage shot from my camera mounted to the windscreen.  Results are:

a)  With the hardtop on there is absoutely no movement of the camera - the windscreen wipers and bonnet stay rock solid in the image, e.g. there is no flexing of the windscreen and body.  I didn't even have to use the image stabiliser for filming.

b)  With the softtop up there is a lot of movement.  I had to use the image stabiliser and in the image you can see the windscreen wipers moving up and down.  This shows the windscreen is flexing.

c)  With the softtop down there is more movement but not significantly more that with the softtop up.

for b) and c) I had the antiflex plate on.

Jason

[kanujunkie]

dont say that Jason, i may have to bite the bullet and buy a H/T now  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

[mrsmr2]

It also elimates nearly all vibration through the steering wheel.

The downside is that when it's on - you want to take it off and feel the open air.

Jason

[Anonymous]

This post seems to mention the front strut brace making an improvement, but what are peoples thoughts on a rear strut brace?

Dom

[kanujunkie]

This post seems to mention the front strut brace making an improvement, but what are peoples thoughts on a rear strut brace?

Dom

the rear strut brace does make a difference, but after driveing with the TRD one for about a year and then removing it for re-powder coating, i cant say that i would bother if i was doing it again, looks nice though and does stop a small amount of sideslip at the back end.

[Anonymous]

As the TRD Front brace is the only MOD i've done on the chasis, maybe I notice the difference more than others.

Even though quite expensive, I feel that it's well worth the money.

The only thing it didn't live up to in my eyes, was reducing scuttle shake that much.

But the car feels a lot more stable, especially on the crappy surfaced Scottish roads and it was worth doing to clear the understeer away.

For me, the TRD Struct Brace, Cokey's plate and decatting is all I have planned mod wise!!   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[kanujunkie]

For me, the TRD Struct Brace, Cokey's plate and decatting is all I have planned mod wise!!   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

yeah right, like a famous advert said "once you start, you cant stop"

addictive this modding lark  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[Ernie Ball]

For the last 2 days I've been driving with the hard top off.  I must say there are loads of rattles that aren't there when the hard top is in place.

[kanujunkie]

seems like its a never ending task to try and stop em  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

[Anonymous]

I've been looking for a pic of the Cusco brace install - thanks a million!

Re: Corky's plate - if you combine it with front lower arm bracing, bye-bye scuttle shake. I'm testing a Sustec FSB at the moment and I like what it does, but it prevents the use of the spare tyre cover and that's a big minus in my book. I'm shooting for the setup shown above.

Although I never had understeer at any point during my upgrade path, with the stock arrangement the car would correct for oversteer with extremely harsh feedback. Each mod (corky's, che's brace, FSB) has led to progressively controllable oversteer. When the back end breaks loose, I can feel when and how it's happening and it snaps back in more predictably.

From what I've gathered, stiffening up the back with a RSB or rear lower arm braces might negate this level of control. Over at SC, btw, we've pretty much established that the first suspension upgrade any owner should make is an anti-flex plate (aka: breastplate), which definitely offers the most dramatic improvement across the board.

[Anonymous]

I've been looking for a pic of the Cusco brace install - thanks a million!

Re: Corky's plate - if you combine it with front lower arm bracing, bye-bye scuttle shake. I'm testing a Sustec FSB at the moment and I like what it does, but it prevents the use of the spare tyre cover and that's a big minus in my book. I'm shooting for the setup shown above.

Although I never had understeer at any point during my upgrade path, with the stock arrangement the car would correct for oversteer with extremely harsh feedback. Each mod (corky's, che's brace, FSB) has led to progressively controllable oversteer. When the back end breaks loose, I can feel when and how it's happening and it snaps back in more predictably.

From what I've gathered, stiffening up the back with a RSB or rear lower arm braces might negate this level of control. Over at SC, btw, we've pretty much established that the first suspension upgrade any owner should make is an anti-flex plate (aka: breastplate), which definitely offers the most dramatic improvement across the board.

[kanujunkie]

I've been looking for a pic of the Cusco brace install - thanks a million!

great but thats a picture of a TRD install  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

From what I've gathered, stiffening up the back with a RSB or rear lower arm braces might negate this level of control.

havn't found this, in fact i think it makes it slightly more controllable by not snapping back so hard

Over at SC, btw, we've pretty much established that the first suspension upgrade any owner should make is an anti-flex plate (aka: breastplate), which definitely offers the most dramatic improvement across the board.

Same over here

[Ernie Ball]

I've been looking for a pic of the Cusco brace install - thanks a million!

great but thats a picture of a TRD install  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

I think he was referring to this picture from earlier in the thread:

[/img]

[kanujunkie]

I think he was referring to this picture from earlier in the thread:

Doh, missed that  s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

[Ernie Ball]

That cusco brace really looks like it allows the front hatch to continue to be used.  Anyone know if it does?

[kanujunkie]

pm Sean (Slacey)

i think he has one

[Tem]

That cusco brace really looks like it allows the front hatch to continue to be used.  Anyone know if it does?

Yeah, you can keep it. You can't fully open it though, but you can open it enough to pull it off.

[Anonymous]

What about getting the fluid top off? Is that possible with the CUSCO? Just deciding which to go for, i know the cusco is cheaper, but the TRD looks better IMHO.

Dom

[Chris]

apologies for the slow response guys, i've got no internet access at work at the moment!!

Anyway, to the questions...

Cutting the plastic was the hardest and longest part, partly due to me having a fairly small and none too sharp stanley knife, and partly due to the fact that the supplied templates weren't quite right!  The circles they show to match up to the bulges in the plastic (over the strut tops) aren't quite big enough or in exactly the right place, so i just used trial and error and kept refitting the plastic cover to see where it fouled, until eventually I had enough cut out.  I reckon it would be easier with a sharper knife/mini dremel or similar.

While the bin lid does fit, it only lifts by about 3" or so, so is not really usable.   I'm still contemplating just doing away with it or not...  I got the brace via groupbuy from japanparts and it cost about £150 or so in the end, once i was hit for import charges and the like.

I haven't tried the brake fluid lid yet, but i reckon that there is just enough room to get it off.  Failing that, it's only a simple allen key thread holding the middle bar on, so a quick loosen would enable better access.

It has firmed up the front of the car, making the steering feel weighter and less fidgety.  I've also noticed a reduction in the bobbing I used to get crossing the joints on the concrete sections of the m25.

[heathstimpson]

When I fitted my front Cusco recently I noticed that you have to be carefull that it doesn't foul the bonnet as it sits quite high up. I originally had the strut rings underneath and had to remove them. I also had to slightly relocate the onside washer hose as it crushed against the strut preventing it from working. This is easily done with a piece of insulation tape to hold it away. I have left my plastic compartment lid on, pulling it forward off the hinges when I want to use it. I found the same problem with the cut out stencils but just extended the size of their suggested cut section slightly.

[Chris]

Interesting, I'll have to check mine, as I left the rings on as well, but don't seem to be having any problems with bonnet clearance...  My washers are ok so far as well, just wish the wipers were the same!   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[heathstimpson]

Interesting, I'll have to check mine, as I left the rings on as well, but don't seem to be having any problems with bonnet clearance...  My washers are ok so far as well, just wish the wipers were the same!   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Did you leave the rings under the strut or place them on top of the mounts  s:?: :?: s:?:

[Anonymous]

I took mine off altogether.

[roger]

Don't know if its the same with the Cusco, but I took the rings off on my TRD because IMO the nuts weren't screwed sufficiently on to the strut bolts to guarantee a good hold.

Might have been of course, but I was advised (by somebody here) that this was the norm, and that this did not cause any problems.

[kanujunkie]

Don't know if its the same with the Cusco, but I took the rings off on my TRD because IMO the nuts weren't screwed sufficiently on to the strut bolts to guarantee a good hold.

Might have been of course, but I was advised (by somebody here) that this was the norm, and that this did not cause any problems.

if you leave the rings on then there isn't enough threads comeing through the nuts to keep them in saftey i.e. to allow them to do they're job properly, so take em off

there is enough room for thin washers however