Custom Trunk Brace W202

[speedybenz]

I finished my rear chassis brace today. It was not too hard to make just a little time consuming to make sure all the bolt holes line up and the bar was sized to the right length.

I have not had the opportunity to go out and put the car through some corners, but I am looking forward to it.

http://www.joeyandmona.com/albums/speedybenz-c43/Trunk_Brace.sized.jpg

[moebiusgold]

So what is the tube wall thickness, Dia. and material? Looks Sweet. Are you going to keep the trunk liners out for weight?

[Renn 208]

shit man, it looks like you could safely hang your car 100 ft in the air off of a hook and chain attached to that bar!

Does the front end seem soft in comparison? Holler when you take the time to feel it out.

OT: but I showed your rear camber arms to a friend of mine and he started drooling and babbling in strange tongues. He works at Topline Automobile in Burlingame and would love to check out your car some time. Something to think about. BTW, any chance of you coming out to the GTG on the 24th?

[speedybenz]

The brace is Stainless Steel, 2.25" diameter and 0.090" wall thickness. No I will put back the liners today, they don't weigh enough to really matter.

Jeff

[MRP Motorsports]

Jeff, looks tight.

I wish I had pics of the Titanium braces I did for a customer with a Evo I in Denmark. You could swap out that cross bar for Titanium for $72 (McMaster or Future Metals) for 2" x 36" with .035" wall and save some weight.

It looks something like this (can't link pics from Ebay):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=33590&item=2454898661&sspagename=STRK%3AMESSE%3AIT

The cross member is 1" dia. with .125" wall.

[Brabus]

Wow, those are BEEFY!!

[Andrew C280]

nice i think i will pull out my tig and weld me up a nice rear brace like that but dont you think i would be better if it went up to the top of the trunk and then across your giving up trunk space like that, any ideas how strong or effective it would be if i bent a nice piece of aluminum tube so it did not take up as much trunk space

I have been looking for some aforable mods and i have not done a welding project since i did the floor pans in my dads 1969 cutlass 455 HO which will blow the doors off any of these merecedes other than the AMG 55's its got 650HP and more in Ft lbs

[MRP Motorsports]

Originally posted by Andrew C280
nice i think i will pull out my tig and weld me up a nice rear brace like that but dont you think i would be better if it went up to the top of the trunk and then across your giving up trunk space like that, any ideas how strong or effective it would be if i bent a nice piece of aluminum tube so it did not take up as much trunk space

I have been looking for some aforable mods and i have not done a welding project since i did the floor pans in my dads 1969 cutlass 455 HO which will blow the doors off any of these merecedes other than the AMG 55's its got 650HP and more in Ft lbs

A bent tube of any kind does not support as well as a straigh tube under compression. A bend becomes a weak point with out proper cross bracing.

The rear shocks are not loaded as a stressed member of the suspension support structure. There is not an extreme amount of bracing necessary to improve shock responssiveness. Very little is added to tortional stability of the chasis with a cross member.

The rear suspension is all tied into the rear subframe with the exception of the rear upper shock mount. The weak point of the factory design is the rubber OEM shock bushing. Undampened wheel travel wil result from the soft rubber especially if you are running firm sport/race shocks and struts.

The solution was to use a urethane bushings to mount the rear shocks to the chasis and a tie bar to link both upper mounting points. This has allowed for increased rear wheel traction, no wheel hop, and a completely controlled suspension dampening. Also roll in and corner speed and control is increased. A corner is the worst place to loose traction.

Race shock are mounted using a solid metal to metal pillow ball or rodend. This is too harsh for most, and race shocks typically have user controlled valving. So any loss in dampening is a calculated change. Th objective is to have a critically dampend response.

[kameraguy]

Holy S#$#@%

That thing is huge!

When I look at mine...it makes me feel so....inadequate :( :p

[Denlasoul]

Looks like I could hang a part of my wardrobe on it! Awesome.

Have you measured any G improvements?

[Rocky]

Originally posted by kameraguy
Holy S#$#@%

That thing is huge!

When I look at mine...it makes me feel so....inadequate :( :p

Nothing a Swedish p3nis enlarger won;t fix :D

[speedybenz]

It's very possible my penis brain designed this brace. My wife went nuts with lust after she saw it for the first time.

Jeff

[Luwin1026]

Dang - it's HOT :D