Suspension Ireland (and Mason Engineering) Underbody brace review
#26
12-08-2010, 09:29 PM
4th Gear
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Raleigh, NC
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As for clearance, my track car has been lowered 0.75", and it has hit twice on the road. But both times were unusual. The last time, there was a bubble in the road, that was under the middle of the car, and it hit it. But rather that that the gear casing right ?!! The other time, I was doing a night TSD Road Rally, and had pulled way off the road at a checkpoint for a course worker, and had the two right wheels off the road and on dirt.
But on a car that has not been lowered, it should be fine, as Andyroo points out, the horizontal "little lip skirt thing" is lower - (you can see that if you look close on the pic I posted above... )
Skid plate should be fine going over the x-brace.
But on a car that has not been lowered, it should be fine, as Andyroo points out, the horizontal "little lip skirt thing" is lower - (you can see that if you look close on the pic I posted above... )
Skid plate should be fine going over the x-brace.
#27
12-09-2010, 01:08 PM
I agree that is is probably overkill and not a cheap set up either... but it looks as if they would work together well.
#28
12-17-2010, 06:32 PM
2 days later I found the other side. same thing...in the driveway. I dont understand I threaded them into the subframe as far as they would go. When I mounted the bar, washer and bolt there was proabably less then a quarter inch showing. Has anyone else had this problem?? Its weird how both times I find the bolt in my driveway
#29
12-18-2010, 07:21 AM
PA-MCS
See post #12. I had the same problem, but only one sheared off.
Steve
See post #12. I had the same problem, but only one sheared off.
Steve
I got my hardware and installed my lower stress bar. install was pretty easy I thought. the bar has been on for about 2 weeks. Tuesday I noticed something in my driveway...a bolt. I picked it up to inspect it and it was the bolt from my bar. The threaded insert was sheered off 2 days later I found the other side. same thing...in the driveway. I dont understand I threaded them into the subframe as far as they would go. When I mounted the bar, washer and bolt there was proabably less then a quarter inch showing. Has anyone else had this problem?? Its weird how both times I find the bolt in my driveway
2 days later I found the other side. same thing...in the driveway. I dont understand I threaded them into the subframe as far as they would go. When I mounted the bar, washer and bolt there was proabably less then a quarter inch showing. Has anyone else had this problem?? Its weird how both times I find the bolt in my driveway
#30
12-20-2010, 05:19 AM
Also, is anyone have this brace plus a skid plate?? I havent done a test fit yet, but Im wondering which should be mounted first. should I mount the skid plate on top of the brace...incase I need to remove the skid plate for whatever reason??
#32
02-20-2011, 11:26 AM
When I originally purchased mine from MM I recieved all the hardware. It only consisted of two studs and nuts for the front mount. Their was no mention of replacing the controll arm bolts but it is something that you should replace as it is a one time only use because of the stretch factor. The first time I mounted it I used the included hardware. When putting my car up for the winter on stands and doing my annual under carriage cleaning and re torqueing of fasteners I noticed that the supplied studs were all rusty and one had sheared off. My remeady for this was to remove the supplied hardware from both front locations and utilize OEM bolts (which are plated to prevent rust) used for the front controll arm bushings. In order to use these bolts I had to measure the correct depth, just short of bottoming out, and shorten the bolts accordingly. Since then I have had no problems.
Steve
Steve
I got my hardware and installed my lower stress bar. install was pretty easy I thought. the bar has been on for about 2 weeks. Tuesday I noticed something in my driveway...a bolt. I picked it up to inspect it and it was the bolt from my bar. The threaded insert was sheered off 2 days later I found the other side. same thing...in the driveway. I dont understand I threaded them into the subframe as far as they would go. When I mounted the bar, washer and bolt there was proabably less then a quarter inch showing. Has anyone else had this problem?? Its weird how both times I find the bolt in my driveway
2 days later I found the other side. same thing...in the driveway. I dont understand I threaded them into the subframe as far as they would go. When I mounted the bar, washer and bolt there was proabably less then a quarter inch showing. Has anyone else had this problem?? Its weird how both times I find the bolt in my drivewayOne of the forward studs sheared off and is now stuck in there, hopefully I'll be able to get it out. Very disappointing.
I temporarily replaced the rear bolts with the OEM ones I had removed last fall.
So the brace is off and I'd like to get it back on (with hardware that isn't crap). Any options for those front two studs? Why in the world did they use a stud there anyway?
- Andrew
#33
02-21-2011, 09:06 AM
Andy
As I said in my previous post I shortened and reused the original bolts that I took out of the lower controll arm brackets. That is a stretch bolt and should be renewed for the controll arm brackets. Just measure the total depth and shorten the bolts slightly less than the depth. I have used these for two years now and they still look like new.
Steve
As I said in my previous post I shortened and reused the original bolts that I took out of the lower controll arm brackets. That is a stretch bolt and should be renewed for the controll arm brackets. Just measure the total depth and shorten the bolts slightly less than the depth. I have used these for two years now and they still look like new.
Steve
#34
02-21-2011, 09:25 AM
Ah, missed that. Thanks! That should work out well.
My advice for anyone getting one of these braces is dump the supplied hardware in the trash and use your current control arm bolts for the forward mounting points (after shortening them) and get a new set of control arm bolts for the rear mounting point/control arm.
- Andrew
My advice for anyone getting one of these braces is dump the supplied hardware in the trash and use your current control arm bolts for the forward mounting points (after shortening them) and get a new set of control arm bolts for the rear mounting point/control arm.
- Andrew
#35
02-22-2011, 11:26 AM
#37
02-22-2011, 01:20 PM
6th Gear
I got my hardware and installed my lower stress bar. install was pretty easy I thought. the bar has been on for about 2 weeks. Tuesday I noticed something in my driveway...a bolt. I picked it up to inspect it and it was the bolt from my bar. The threaded insert was sheered off 2 days later I found the other side. same thing...in the driveway. I dont understand I threaded them into the subframe as far as they would go. When I mounted the bar, washer and bolt there was proabably less then a quarter inch showing. Has anyone else had this problem?? Its weird how both times I find the bolt in my driveway
2 days later I found the other side. same thing...in the driveway. I dont understand I threaded them into the subframe as far as they would go. When I mounted the bar, washer and bolt there was proabably less then a quarter inch showing. Has anyone else had this problem?? Its weird how both times I find the bolt in my driveway
#39
02-22-2011, 02:45 PM
#40
02-28-2011, 11:22 AM
Just wondering which of the two x-braces (Ireland/Mason or TSW) would work better. Both are 'X' style and look reasonably sturdy. I think the biggest difference is the mounting point; one is mounted closer to the center of the car while the other is mounted closer to the front.
In a different thread, a member used the analogy of an upside-down Altoids tin. So using that analogy, would an x-brace be more effective against flexing if placed closer to the end or closer to the middle?
In a different thread, a member used the analogy of an upside-down Altoids tin. So using that analogy, would an x-brace be more effective against flexing if placed closer to the end or closer to the middle?
#41
02-28-2011, 08:23 PM
The reason the X brace makes a bigger improvement is cause it is further back and stiffens up the open area under the car. The other brace systems have a majority of the bracing following the subframe, which doesn't need stiffening. My challenge still stands. If someone has one of the other braces, try the TSW and see the difference, if there's no difference I'll let you return it.
#42
03-01-2011, 01:56 PM
#43
03-01-2011, 07:41 PM
#44
03-01-2011, 09:09 PM
6th Gear
#47
03-09-2011, 10:21 PM
The reason the X brace makes a bigger improvement is cause it is further back and stiffens up the open area under the car. The other brace systems have a majority of the bracing following the subframe, which doesn't need stiffening. My challenge still stands. If someone has one of the other braces, try the TSW and see the difference, if there's no difference I'll let you return it.
#48
04-21-2011, 09:24 PM
replacement bolts
As we all know the bolts that come with the brace are crap. I found that the bolts are 10 mm 80 mm long and tread pitch of 1.50. I found them online in a grade 10.9 (grade 8) at www.boltdepot.com
#49
04-22-2011, 01:42 PM
#50
06-20-2011, 04:42 PM
Glad I had the Mason X Brace
Because I hit a 6 inch rock coming around a turn at 65mph in the mountains in California (in an area with no cell phone reception)
As you can see from the photos the steel x brace got bent pretty bad. The front bar, and the X Brace section behind it.
How would you feel if hit by a rock at 65mph?!!
But the point is, it protected my aluminum transmission housing, which absolutely would have cracked and we would have been stranded for a long time.
I had just enough time to say this was going to hurt, and WHAM !! Front two wheels came off the ground as this rock met the steel.
We would have been stuck for hours, as we were about an hour out on an obscure road and would have required stopping a random car driving by. (It really was a road less traveled)
After checking for leaks and damage, we were able to drive for 6 more hours that day.
This bar has really helped in Autocrossing, and gave it's life so that my car didn't get hurt.
Skid plate will be next on my list.
Very thankful for that strong well made steel X Brace from Mason Engineering!!
As you can see from the photos the steel x brace got bent pretty bad. The front bar, and the X Brace section behind it.
How would you feel if hit by a rock at 65mph?!!
But the point is, it protected my aluminum transmission housing, which absolutely would have cracked and we would have been stranded for a long time.
I had just enough time to say this was going to hurt, and WHAM !! Front two wheels came off the ground as this rock met the steel.
We would have been stuck for hours, as we were about an hour out on an obscure road and would have required stopping a random car driving by. (It really was a road less traveled)
After checking for leaks and damage, we were able to drive for 6 more hours that day.
This bar has really helped in Autocrossing, and gave it's life so that my car didn't get hurt.
Skid plate will be next on my list.
Very thankful for that strong well made steel X Brace from Mason Engineering!!
Last edited by MadHatter; 06-20-2011 at 04:51 PM.