Which brace?

[Petrus]

Lowering more than 30mm is just stupid on a road car IMHO.

Have you seen/measured by how much the TTE brace ´lowers´ the car?! That was my point. That ánd the art of the compound flex/harmonics of suspension and chassis. One of the things I like so much about the car is how .... euhmmmm... expresssive it is about even small. Like Dev´s door braces leading to various percepcions ánd illustrating that the driver too is part of the system. Lóve it.

Yes as I've had 2 of them and much prefer the car with than without.
Sorry if that disagrees with your science.

You´re missing the point; I can´t do with their hanging that low. Háve you measured?
So if lowering >30 mm is silly for the road...

Or not reading; they work I wrote.
I also indicated why the TTE works differently than the Corky/Snelbaard and that thus combining also works.
Infact most braces work. It is however ever so brace too much for the rest of the set up and create a wórse to drive car that also lugs needless weight.

But hey, no offence intended and it´s lovely weather here. The car having a fold down top is thé usp on days like this, regardless of braces. Have a nice day!!

[shnazzle]

Lowering more than 30mm is just stupid on a road car IMHO.

Have you seen/measured by how much the TTE brace ´lowers´ the car?! That was my point. That ánd the art of the compound flex/harmonics of suspension and chassis. One of the things I like so much about the car is how .... euhmmmm... expresssive it is about even small. Like Dev´s door braces leading to various percepcions ánd illustrating that the driver too is part of the system. Lóve it.

Yes as I've had 2 of them and much prefer the car with than without.
Sorry if that disagrees with your science.

I'm with Scotte on this one. I put the brace on before I did any other "handling" mods and to this day it's the first modifications I would add to any MR2. 

The only question I have at the minute is Snelbaard/Corky vs TTE. Which one?

[Petrus]

I'm with Scotte on this one. I put the brace on before I did any other "handling" mods and to this day it's the first modifications I would add to any MR2.

The only question I have at the minute is Snelbaard/Corky vs TTE. Which one?

As, for mé, the TTE is not op option because of ground clearance and lack of homologation docs. (the TTE will get frowned upon by TüV, ITV if not entered in verhicle specs.) thus Snelbaard/Corky for mé.

If the above is not an issue, then the choice is really not a choice either: Both have a different effect but the Corky/Snelbaard only improves upon already fitted braces whereas the TTE adds a function, so TTE type it is.

Remains a specifc measurable; how much lower is the TTE type, the mid section sheet, under the floor?

[shnazzle]

If you imagine the two higher sides of the tub, so, where the TTE attaches, the brace sits about 1cm lower than that

[Petrus]

Meaning it is quite neatly tucked up between the two chassis rails. Almost on par with lowest of the front bit of the rear pastic.
I can imagine it not being too much of a hindrance up north.

Just the mid section being 4 / 5 cm. ? lower than the OEM brace, that would ground me; literally, to the point of not being able to get home.

[shnazzle]

Meaning it is quite neatly tucked up between the two chassis rails. Almost on par with lowest of the front bit of the rear pastic.
I can imagine it not being too much of a hindrance up north.

Just the mid section being 4 / 5 cm. ? lower than the OEM brace, that would ground me; literally, to the point of not being able to get home.

Yes I can imagine if you need that clearance down the middle of the car to get down the farm tracks, then putting somethinf there would scupper you

[Petrus]

My own track stopped me at the entry when I brought it home from buying. Had to sort it first 

Most of Andalucia is quite hilly, not to say mountainous (up to 3500 meter!) and even road side restaurants can catch you out.
The one last Sunday I had to leave over the entry at a very shallow angle and I still scraped the plastic; the passenger did it 

It really is drivers´ paradise but off (literally) the provincial A-roads you need to be aware of the space underneath.
The MR2´s ´long´, relatively speaking, wheelbase is a thumbs up with a caveat.

I´ll try take a snapshot of the access to the local B-road from the hamlet just beyond our access. It is a perfect real world example as it is not even extreme.
It was only when town hall repaired and put tarmac over that previously broken up concrete access road that a more sporting car could be consídered.

[Petrus]

From our path, over the bridge, the new tarmac access road.
Past the hamlet you can see that the access to the B-road is from the outside of a cambered corner.
The access is now simply pérfect.
It used to be an accute ridge like the first house has to the parking; the layer of tarmac now makes it smóóth and accessible!

[1979scotte]

Family have owned property on the Costa Blanca for 30 years and I can honestly say that the roads there used to be awful. Dirt roads all over just off the main drag.
Now it's tarmac paradise.

[Chilli Girl]

Shame we don't have tarmac paradise in this country.  Driving from Somerset into Wiltshire today, Somerset roads were so much better!

[Petrus]

Family have owned property on the Costa Blanca for 30 years and I can honestly say that the roads there used to be awful. Dirt roads all over just off the main drag.
Now it's tarmac paradise.

I live in the mountains; ´the interior´. The road network is áwesome. The Junta and ayuntamientos have used the European funds for infrastructure, rural development and conectability of remote regions to perfection and thén some by making it work. 
Where Í live the network of caminos is exceptionally well maintained because the governing party is not politically ´coloured´; it´s independant and only for the region´s interests.
Andalucía is truely drivers´ paradise.
Am now underway to Madrid and taking the Spanish route nacional and it´s a true joy.

I have done two years of ralley with my son, all over the back roads of the entire peninsula. About 4000 kms/year of which soem 2500 kms of camino. That apart from crisscrossing Spain on leasure trips over national routes and B-roads with charming company.
I find it one great joy. Good roads through a stunning, varied country, with véry little traffic. The only ´but´is hat one needs to take care as the governing bodies do expect you to have and use common sense. One example is not to blindly crash off/ontp tarmac. The country is HÚGE so they cannot make a nice smooth ramp for lowered MR2s éverywhere.

[Petrus]

North of Madrid now. Took áges, despite lack of traffic or traffic lights, but that is both the reward and price of enjoying national/regional roads.

Between Montoro and Ciudad real we met two British coiuples travelling in an MGA (twin cam) and MGB from the UK to Málaga off highways. They were ab-so-lu-te-ly lýrical about the roads, scenery and almost absolute lack of other traffic. Yes, they were véry careful exiting/entering the road again 

[Snelbaard]

It's been a while, but my first Japanese bit came in today! I'll start fabbing up a jig soon. So now there's two projects simultaneously as you can see.

[Snelbaard]

baby steps..

[shnazzle]

baby steps..

Hey, don't knock it. It's progress! Appreciate the effort

[Snelbaard]

Today all the braces finally arrived! Progress on the smaller brace is coming along nicely as well.



As I alluded to earlier, the braces that I will not be using are for sale here: https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?topic=67916.0

[jonbill]

baby steps..

Where does that brace go?

[1979scotte]

baby steps..

Where does that brace go?

Rear subframe.

If not front subframe.

[Snelbaard]

From a few pages back:

[jonbill]

From a few pages back:

Interesting. Thats the mounts for the rear toe arm isn't it? Surprised there's anything worth bracing there!

[Snelbaard]

Yeah in all honesty I can't really see how it would contribute much of anything, but apparently Tom's thought it would..

[jvanzyl]

The only thing with that part of the toms brace setup is that ultra racing do a version as well (not the x brace which is going to be great) I don't know if you've seen their version and if the economics would work out for you?

[Snelbaard]

Do you mean this one?



I've seen them go for about 170 dollars. I can beat that price.

[jvanzyl]

Yup that's the one!
Actually saw it fitted today on marks car... That's cool if you can do it for less and in aluminium..

[Snelbaard]

Well, it is going to be in steel. Dev, who has experience with Tom's steel bracing and Corky's aluminium reproductions has a preference for the former. A bit heavier, but also much stiffer. And I can weld them myself which is a clear pro.

On a side note I'm rather intrigued by this lower front brace, also made by Tom's Racing:



There are really very few pictures I can find of it, and none where it's mounted to a car. Does anyone here have this brace?