How much bracing!!!

[Comer]

Now I'm keen to stiffen the underside of the car to improve the handling and reduce scuttle shake but it seems that there are a lot of extra braces (red) available from Tom's Racing.  

Is it all necessary?  Are some alternatives for others?  

I'm trying to work out which would be the most effective.

[Comer]

Bugger.  The server hosting those pics seems to be down!

[Anonymous]

That's a lot of bracing! I not have seen anything on TOMs bracing before but maybe one of the rear options may be worth it having a pre-03 car.

I presume they produce slightly different effects depending on where they are strengthening etc.

[Anonymous]

I think TOMS are probably one of the best places for performance Toyota parts, they make great stuff.

[Anonymous]

Now I'm keen to stiffen the underside of the car to improve the handling and reduce scuttle shake but it seems that there are a lot of extra braces (red) available from Tom's Racing.

The simplest, and cheapest, option, esp if you only do one thing, is an AntiFlex plate, IMHO. On the pictures above, it's a single large flat plate that sits right in the centre of the chassis, replacing (and joining) the two small braces that can just about be seen.

[Anonymous]

Having fitted the front and rear member braces on a '01 model, I found an improvement over the previous scuttle shake, but it did not eliminate it.

The main reason I installed the member braces was because I had fitted much stiffer anti-roll bars (TTEs), and I wanted the car's wheel and suspension geometry to be more rigid.

Fitting strut braces would rigidify the front part of the chassis (and to a lesser extent the rear structure) As a result chassis flexing and twisting will be concentrated at the floor level and scuttle shake made even worse.

I find the best way to "tighten" the whole car and eliminate flexing and scuttle shake altogether is to fit the hard-top.

The hard-top is also a very useful safety feature if you use your MR2 on circuits (many circuits do not allow roadsters without roll-bars or hard-tops anyway).

I think the member braces are worth while installing (even Toyota thinks so as they demonstrated by adding them into the stock 2003 model).

John H

[Anonymous]

The hard-top is also a very useful safety feature if you use your MR2 on circuits (many circuits do not allow roadsters without roll-bars or hard-tops anyway).

The hard top is fiberglass isn't it? That isn't going to offer much in the way of protection...

[SteveJ]

The hard-top is also a very useful safety feature if you use your MR2 on circuits (many circuits do not allow roadsters without roll-bars or hard-tops anyway).

The hard top is fiberglass isn't it? That isn't going to offer much in the way of protection...

AFAIK the reason the hardtop isn't available in the US is because it fails to meet safety regs (US residents please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) - hence they are the experts in retro-fitted hardtops.

[Anonymous]

Don't tell Lotus drivers! If they find out most of their car bodies are made of GRP (fibre-Glass Reinforced Plastic) they might get scared ;o)

Maybe that's why the Elise could not be sold in the states (but personally I think it's because it had to be fitted first with a proper engine: a Toyota MR2 Engine!!  :-) :-) :-) )

Hillclimb and slalom races are the rage here. Rolling off a mountain is not a good experience; particularly in a convertible. Many people race MX-5s and other roadsters (even a few '2s -- the ones always at the front of course!!). The rules are usually always the same: as a minimum: helmets and hard top on; in a few cases, *real* roll-bars/cages are compulsory (the fake "decoration" roll bars are forbidden as they can increase the danger of injury.)

I don't know anybody who's been unfortunate enough to roll their roadster. I must admit that eventhough the MR2's hardtop feels very solid, I wouldn't like to try it (not even with proper roll-bars!)

The positive side though, is that it totally changes the MR2 into an ultra tight, 100% rattle and shake free car.

But I wouldn't have bought a convertible in the first place if I wanted a coupe. So I only use the hard top in the winter and on circuits.

So if anyone has found the definite cure against scuttle shake on the MR2 that does not involve putting something over your head, please let me know.

Wouldn't change the '2 for any other roadster!  s;-) ;-) s;-)

John H.

[markiii]

The elise is getting the 2zz for release in the states not the 1zz as fitted to the roadstre.

And the elise has a structural roll bar inside the galssfiber foll bar so it's not realy the same thing.

[MadMigMR2]

someone on spyderchat allready have that braces and he is installing them.

braces and weights
http://www.spyderchat.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=5597


Pics of some installed
http://www.spyderchat.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=5606