honda606

Sorry if this has been covered before. I tried doing a search and couldn't find an answer to my question.

I received my x-brace in the mail the other day and I want to install it. Although there weren't any instructions I'm pretty sure I can figure out the installation. My question is does the car have to be on the ground with the suspension loaded for a proper install or would it make no difference if I jacked the car up from the front with a hydraulic jack and installed it with the two front wheels unloaded and off the ground.

darkknight1999

Jack it up and install, please make sure you use a good set of jack stands, place something behind the rear tires and make sure the e-brake is on and have at it. Always be safe...I sound like my dad hahaha

pierceman

this is a good question, any other comments guys?

Utah S2K

It has been done both ways. I installed mine with 4 wheels down. I used a small jack to jack the X into place and then went corner to corner to torque it in place. But then what do I know? (I ran all the von Meiss stress numbers for Mark before he cut his first chips ). Unfortunately I have not hooked up the strain gauges and piezoelectric accelerometers on a jacked and torqued car vs. a four wheels down car. When Mark was developing the brace I instrumented Electra in the wheels down position and so it was used for a baseline. I'm sure some stresses are induced when jacked but I would assume they are minimal as the brace is extremely rigid! I think the over riding question is yes it can be installed without jacking up the car.......

Utah

honda606

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I guess I will try to do it on the ground loaded first and if too dificult either go to a garage that will let me use their lift or do it jacked up from the front. I would prefer to do it with the suspension loaded as it seems like being proped up would apply some body flex, albeit probably minimal, to the process.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Stratocaster

Lets think about this for a second. The x-brace is a frame mounted brace and not a suspension brace. This is no play in this design at all. It is machined with very tight tolerances. So with that in mind, it will only install 1 way. If you can get all 4 bolts in the correct locations and tighten down, then it is installed right. So you can install it with the car on jack stands, on a lift or on the ground.

Honda606

The torque spec's on the bolts are 37lbs.

darkknight1999

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Stratocaster
[B]Lets think about this for a second. The x-brace is a frame mounted brace and not a suspension brace. This is no play in this design at all. It is machined with very tight tolerances. So with that in mind, it will only install 1 way. If you can get all 4 bolts in the correct locations and tighten down, then it is installed right. So you can install it with the car on jack stands, on a lift or on the ground.

honda606

Stratocaster thanks very much. That was my next question.

Yeah I know its not associated with the suspension at all but each time I use the lift to jack up the front, when the car gets to a certain height, it starts making strange creaking noises. I figured those noises may be minor stress being placed on the frame. I just didn't want to torque down the brace with any kind of stress on the frame....in other words not in its normal loaded position. I didn't think it would matter but thanks for clearing that up Strat.