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Pic Thread: Post your chassis braces!

114K views 224 replies 103 participants last post by  pineda_92 
#1 ·
As the title states, post up pics of your current sub-frame setup front and rear. I know most people don't have access to lifts but if you've had the chance to crawl up under your car I'd like to see what's going on with your chassis reinforcement solutions.

1. Who makes/made it?
2. Where'd you get it?
3. How do you like it?

And.. go.
 
#2 ·


1: FM frame rail reinforcement kit.
2: FM.
3: Love it. The extra stiffness is noticeable. Far less hardtop squeak/rattle. The doors sound different when they close. And they protect the delicate frame rails. Total win. I'd put them on any Miata I owned. And a huge plus is being able to use the whole frame rail as a jacking point.


That's it for me aside from the factory NA bracing. And I'm thinking you'll get a lot of rollbar posts in this thread. :)
 
#4 ·
1: FM frame rail reinforcement kit.
2: FM.
3: Love it. The extra stiffness is noticeable. Far less hardtop squeak/rattle. The doors sound different when they close. And they protect the delicate frame rails. Total win. I'd put them on any Miata I owned. And a huge plus is being able to use the whole frame rail as a jacking point.


That's it for me aside from the factory NA bracing. And I'm thinking you'll get a lot of rollbar posts in this thread. :)
I would believe ANYTHING you say, so this post you made translates to GET FRAMERAILS

it makes me happy to know I will have made the right decision in the last group buy,

but since this is a pic thread & I'z gots no phizotos . . . guess I'm out - at least until they come in from FM.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I've got the 949 Racing Subframe braces which I guess are a copy of the BSP braces.
I love them. Everyone should have them.
They're only about $100.
It takes about 10-15 minutes tops to put them on both the front and rear.
Tightens up the car and feels more planted.
Really seems like a no brainer item for these cars.

Oh and I really hate having to follow rev when posting pictures.
 
#7 ·
revlimiter- awesome i never thought the frame rails without the butterfly brace would make much of a difference. good feedback.

iroadster- ur 949 brace is upside down. lol, i know you probably did it for better clearance if you are slammed. never seen it installed that way!
 
#8 ·
I guess it looks nice for having more then a year's worth of dirt and grime stuck to it.
The 949 brace are nice because you can mount the rear one upside down like in the picture as some exhausts will make contact with it if it's flipped over and hangs downward.
 
#9 ·
Does anyone have the BF Frog arms that 949 sells? Curious to see how much of a difference those make.
 
#12 · (Edited)
This might take a while ...



1. Mazdaspeed 6 Point NR-A Rollcage
2. Yahoo Japan
3. It's Great! really stiffened the whole car up, Great design too, Much better then my previous rollbars. They don't come up often though, I haven't seen one since I purchased mine. It's still one of my favorite mods to date, Not only does it do it's job of stiffening the car and offering roll-over protection, It also looks great!



1. Carbing Strut Brace
2. Tetsuya Garage
3. It's ok, slighty stiffened up the front end, looks cool with the engine cover too (which is kinda why I bought it).



1. Flyin Miata frame rail reinforcement
2. Local forum group buy
3. Originally I bought the complete butterfly brace, but the centre piece didn't fit my car. Anyway turns out it fits on an NA so I guess I got the dud out of the GB. I noticed a massive difference when Installing these, the car was much more stable and it removed alot the chassis shudder these cars are known to have. I decided to keep the frame rails to protect the beat up factory rails.



1. Racing Beat rear subframe brace
2. Local forum
3. To be honest, I bought it for the bling. But I did notice a difference with it installed, Seemed to tighten and stabilize the rear end a tad.



1. Beatrush/Laile PPF Brace
2. Beatrush/Laile
3. It's great! got rid of my drivetrain shudder when turning (this is caused from my locker). Still need to tidy up the install though.

*edit*

Now I've installed the PPF brace properly (removed rear subframe bolts, used other bolts supplied in kit with new nuts and aligned them accordingly), It's made a great difference to drivetrain shake. It's bascially killed it, The car feels like it has an open diff again. Shifting has become somewhat easier as there is less shudder too. I highly reccomend this piece.

My gearbox/Diff does seem to whine a little now, And is noisy under acceleration. But I don't mind ... everything is noisy in my car :fab:

Next on the cards (bracing wise) would be a rear strut brace. I seem to have an addiction to bracing lately, Very keen to see what everyone else has and their brief reviews, I might get some more!
 
#15 ·
*ppf pic*

1. Beatrush/Laile PPF Brace
2. Beatrush/Laile
3. It's great! got rid of my drivetrain shudder when turning (this is caused from my locker). Still need to tidy up the install though.

Next on the cards (bracing wise) would be a rear strut brace.
Wanted to add to this as I have one as well.

**Not my pic



1. Beatrush PPF Brace
2. PreRacing.com
3. I really like it. Really tightened up shifter feel with the 6-speed. Hard to explain, but when cornering the ass-end just feels more tied in to the shifter. BUT...There IS increased diff noise on acceleration. It doesn't bother me, but may bother some. (Not for slammed guys. I had to bring my car to MOD-slammed just so i could run this. It hangs about 1.5" lower than the stock rear brace (NB2).
 
#14 ·
I want your roll cage! That is interesting to see that the rails still made a difference even though your caged. Maybe just tie your rear shock towers to the cage with some custom fab work? It would probably be alot more beneficial then a rear rear brace, hell I'd try to connect both front and rear towers to a cage if i had one. Should beat the hell out of all these fancy braces.
 
#17 ·
My frame rails have had a hard life, Some parts are completely wedged in, So it does make sense that these do stiffen the car. It help seemed to reduce my drivetrain shake a little too which I wasn't expecting.

It would be a good idea to try tie the cage to the rest of the car, But being a daily driver and cages being illegal on the road here, I'd rather keep it a bolt in then start welding things.

Now I've installed the PPF brace properly (removed rear subframe bolts, used other bolts supplied in kit with new nuts and aligned them accordingly), It's made a great difference to drivetrain shake. It's bascially killed it, The car feels like it has an open diff again. Shifting has become somewhat easier as there is less shudder too. I highly reccomend this piece.

My gearbox/Diff does seem to whine a little now, And is noisy under acceleration. But I don't mind ... everything is noisy in my car :fab:
 
#16 ·
Im thinking about making some chassi bracing like that racingbeat rear subframe. Doesnt look to hard, im a weld something together and see what happens.
 
#20 ·
to the white miata & roadstergarage:

thank you for being so informative on the beatrush diff brace. I've been contemplating buying this, but have been hesitant. I'm pretty low & so appreciate the added 'not ideal for the slammed crowd' and furthering that explanation with an accurate clearance loss due to the piece.

I also think it's cool that it's effects were explained very similair by both of you, yet (LOL) with insecurity on whether those effects could be understood without modifying the readers car in the same manner.
 
#24 ·
#36 ·
you can get those for $140 shipped all day..they're called a trailer hitch here ;)

seriously...just put a hitch in the same friggin holes...same concept with increased usability....don't want to see it? get the hidden one.
 
#29 ·
1. Mazdaspeed front upper strutbar
2. local shop
3. "like" rating = 10 (scale of 1 to 10)


1. Beatrush rear upper strutbar
2. Japanparts.com
3. "like" rating = 10


1. Cusco rear lower tiebar
2. Japanparts.com
3. "like" rating = 10


1. Cusco front lower tiebar
2. Japanparts.com
3. "like rating = 10


1. Custom additional front lower tiebar
2. n/a
3. "like" rating = 10 (coz I made them)


1. Ultra Raicng Rear frame brace
2. DZ Racing (local shop)
3. "like" rating = 8

*borrowed pix from website, had no time to take pictures of mine installed :)

1. FM butterfly brace
2. FM
3. "like" rating = 11!
 
#82 ·
Keep this going...

This is with 205/50/15's at 11.5" F/R Hub to fender

(see my post above)

195/60/14, 12" all around. and the oem "step" of the ladder brace was removed for a bit more ground clearance. Maybe 3/16" more room.







 

Attachments

#32 ·
FM rails...from FM.
Felt the difference but not as dramatic as some say, but my '97 has very low miles so maybe that's why.

pic taken during install
Vehicle Car Auto part Automotive exterior Wheel
 
#37 ·
^ yeah David, you're right. thanks for the simple logic void in my earlier post.

FM rails...from FM.
Felt the difference but not as dramatic as some say, but my '97 has very low miles so maybe that's why.
well that sucks! I helped push the rails onto your build if I'm correct & then you don't even feel the payoff? feelin' the need to apologize eventhough I'm confused. when I installed mine, it was DRAMATICALLY stiffer of a chassis; about as much so as a full poly bushing replacement (28 polyurethanes).

if I remember correctly, you were at stock ride height? if so, is the effect minimalized or am I wrong here guys in my amazement at the frame rails? either way, it WILL still protect your frame rails before you slam ;)

the white miata- Why dont you take off the oem brace? You would gain like 1/4in by removing that and the washer.
agreed!
 
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