H@xtGSX
10+ Year Contributor
- 1,093
- 9
- Aug 9, 2011
-
Carlsbad,
New_Mexico
This weekend I decided to make a set of front fender braces because of all the positive reviews they have received from other people. I used a gas shielded MIG welder, a 12" miter chop saw, a drill with a 3/8" carbide bit, and ~$25 worth of steel tubing from Lowes, plus a bit of 3/16" plate I already had in the garage to make it. They took about 2 hours to measure, cut everything up, drill the bolt holes in the door hinge tabs, and weld. More time was spent getting the fenders off and back on again than fabricating. I made them so that the knee brace was at a 45 degree angle, as close as possible to the inside lip of the wheel well. This made it so the horizontal arm could extend halfway down the fender. The front most section of each brace is welded to a piece of 3/16" x 2" flat bar stock 6" long. The 6" plate was then welded to the sheet metal of the chassis, futher extending the brace past the center of the front tire. The rear tabs are attached with the door hinge bolts, on top of the hinges, so the door can still be removed if needed.
I have been driving with these braces in place for a couple of days now, and it is true... these make more difference than any other suspension modification I have done. They stiffen up the front end so much that the slop you feel when driving through a corner, even slowly, is gone. The whole car no longer shakes when it hits a rough spot in the road. It's actually quieter when it does hit those rough spots, and the struts also recover faster. There's no bounce like before. It makes the steering feel very solid and responsive... really connected to the road, not mushy like it is normally. Coupled with a front strut bar, the combination make the car drive like you would expect a sports car to drive. Now that I've felt the difference, I would highly recommend fender braces as one of the first suspension modifications that should be done to a 2g car. It is by far the most bang for the buck.
I shot a picture with my phone... sorry for the crappy quality. I didn't take any other pictures before getting the fenders back on because I was tired and just wanted to get things put back together as fast as I could. This was taken right after I sprayed the steel with black engine paint to seal it up from rusting. It was painted in place, so the welds were covered too... that's why it's kinda tough to see everything, but I hope it helps encourage any of you thinking you might want to try them to do so. They were not hard to make.
I have been driving with these braces in place for a couple of days now, and it is true... these make more difference than any other suspension modification I have done. They stiffen up the front end so much that the slop you feel when driving through a corner, even slowly, is gone. The whole car no longer shakes when it hits a rough spot in the road. It's actually quieter when it does hit those rough spots, and the struts also recover faster. There's no bounce like before. It makes the steering feel very solid and responsive... really connected to the road, not mushy like it is normally. Coupled with a front strut bar, the combination make the car drive like you would expect a sports car to drive. Now that I've felt the difference, I would highly recommend fender braces as one of the first suspension modifications that should be done to a 2g car. It is by far the most bang for the buck.
I shot a picture with my phone... sorry for the crappy quality. I didn't take any other pictures before getting the fenders back on because I was tired and just wanted to get things put back together as fast as I could. This was taken right after I sprayed the steel with black engine paint to seal it up from rusting. It was painted in place, so the welds were covered too... that's why it's kinda tough to see everything, but I hope it helps encourage any of you thinking you might want to try them to do so. They were not hard to make.
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