Digrappa, Spoon, Whiteline, Cusco - Which Lower Brace to chose?

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Sep 19, 2002 | 02:48 PM

#41

Tedow

Former Moderator

Joined: Jan 2001

Posts: 2,751

Likes: 1

From: Arlington, VA

Quote:

Originally posted by GEARHEAD
Another consideration is that some tubular steel X-braces have a fairly tall profile, are heavy, and rust when the finish gets chipped off.

All of these braces are aluminum, correct? Anyone got weights?

Sep 19, 2002 | 03:11 PM

#42

GEARHEAD

Joined: Mar 2002

Posts: 588

Likes: 7

From: Bellingham

Quote:

The 'X' style offers no greater advantage from an engineers point of view (I've discussed this many times with the manufacturer of the Whiteline brace).

As a mechanical engineer (that has worked in OEM Motorsports), I disagree. Think of a cardboard box with the top and bottom opened up. If you place it on its side it will fold over very easily. A square brace relies on the strength and stiffness of each joint. When a brace is triangulated, the force is applied to the members in tension and compression which is exactly how you want to load a beam. I'm certainly not trying to argue, I'm just trying to help inform from an engineers point of view.

Quote:

All of these braces are aluminum, correct? Anyone got weights?

I believe the spoon brace and import development brace are steel.

Sep 19, 2002 | 05:24 PM

#43

Muz

Former Sponsor

Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 9,081

Likes: 0

Quote:

Originally posted by Tedow

All of these braces are aluminum, correct? Anyone got weights?

Some are aluminium, not all.

1.7 Kg for the Whiteline aluminium brace. (About 3.7 lbs I believe)

Sep 19, 2002 | 06:00 PM

#44

Muz

Former Sponsor

Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 9,081

Likes: 0

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GEARHEAD
[B]

Sep 19, 2002 | 06:58 PM

#45

Triple-H

Registered User

Joined: Feb 2001

Posts: 58,680

Likes: 2

From: West Henrietta UPSTATE NY

1st off let me say I have a slightly used Spoon X-brace I will sell for about 1/2 of the original retail.

2nd let me say the Mux brace has me wondering if the back passenger side brace that runs up to the front crossmember is not directly under the gap you reach up into to get the oil filter off???

3rd the Neuspeed brace is the best design I have seen if you do not want to spend the money on the absolutely beautiful DiGrappa brace. And yes, Neuspeed has yet to update their web site but they have a great new X-brace with welded supports front to rear, not side to side.

Sep 19, 2002 | 07:38 PM

#46

Muz

Former Sponsor

Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 9,081

Likes: 0

I believe AusS2000 also has a Spoon brace and is offering it as an exchange to anybody who buys and sends him a Whiteline brace.

Check this thread...

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...&threadid=80500

Sep 19, 2002 | 07:57 PM

#47

SECRET AP1

Registered User

Joined: Mar 2002

Posts: 2,133

Likes: 0

From: Northern California

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Muz
[B]

Me either, and your input is welcome.

Once it gets to the engineering debates though I have to rely solely on the manufacturer's years of experience in R&D.

Sep 19, 2002 | 08:48 PM

#48

Muz

Former Sponsor

Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 9,081

Likes: 0

Quote:

Originally posted by SECRET AP1

Which is exactly why I cannot bring myself to trust in this manufacturer. This is not to say you are not an honest retailer, it's just an opinion regarding your choice of manufacturers to back. If they're telling you that their bar is "engineered" to perform better than the Spoon X-Brace under the conditions that the brace is intended to be loaded, then you have to wonder what exactly was "engineered" here. I think GEARHEAD hit it dead on with the cardboard box example.

With all due respect I think you're jumping to conclusions.

I don't recall Whiteline ever claiming it was 'better' than a Spoon X-Brace or any other brace. Perhaps you're referring to AusS2000's offer to swap his Spoon brace for a Whiteline one?

Whiteline have merely designed a brace that does it's job as well as any with the advantage of easy access for oil changes plus it is relatively lightweight compared to steel braces.... and it is a good price. Like most braces it's designed to be stronger than need be but it doesn't need to hold up buildings.

I'm not an apologist for Whiteline but I think your mistrust is unfounded and while I appreciate your comment about my integrity as a vendor I still find it confusing that people are quick to offer such conclusive assessments on products that they have never tried.

As I said earlier, it's all conjecture... but I'm not suprised because on the Internet everybody is an expert and we all had exactly the same conversation about Strut Tower Braces a while back