LaughaC

Any advice?

Edgy01

The factory strut brace is a smart move for an older 911. I suspect your 77 has at least 100,000 miles on it by now. As a monocoque body, they do tend to lose some of their tightness over time. I found that it helped my 1981 when I installed it in about 1986.

911vet

My advice is "don't listen to me because I really don't know of what I speak..." but I'm gonna speak anyways.

I put a 4-point bolt in roll bar in my Cabriolet and the difference in the twisties was significant. I had a BMW Z3 roadster prior to the 911. All the Z3 people agreed that strut tower braces (and rear butt struts) improved handling.

Get the brace on that car. Just the psychological advantage will make it handle better.

Heck, when I put in metal race pedals, my car gained 20 hp, 5% more torque, and the oversteer decreased

theiceman

especially given the fact these cars do not have a front firwall to aid in rigidity at the front. It just can't hurt.

3.2SLANTNOSE

I guess that I am in the strut brace camp. I have had the car about 10yrs now, and have never had any problems that could be related to the strut bar brace. I actually don't know how the car would feel without it, being it was already installed, when I purchased the car. I do know that comparing it to others that I have had, and others that I have been able to drive without the bar, it really does make a difference in the handling and feel. Just my $0.03

jimq

just remember if you hit something with one wheel wth a side impact the shock will travel thru the bar possibly damaging the other side at the same time.

justinsrx7

Which brace did you get? I am considering one for my cabriolet.

LaughaC

Too friggin cold to install so far!

Looks like it's the JL brand.

Alan Herod

Targa or Cab, put it in. Coupe doesn't matter until you put it on the track and it interferes with trunk loading. I don't know what JL looks like; but, mine has two legs. The diagonal blocks the smuggler's boot. Works well; but my sunroff delete coupe has a welded in cage so other flex is reduced.

I did not install the brace until well after the cage and by then I had 23/33 T-bars and JRZ shocks. The most pronounced difference is more even tire wear.

My conclusions - if for street use only, it's inexpensive bling. More important for autocross or track use, really irrelevant for street use. Follow the directions that come with it and it is about the easiest thing you will do to your car. I think that Jim pointed out the other potential downside.

Cheaper to put it on then to send it back and you can't buy track time for the cost of this piece.

sjanes

Hmmm, I doubt it. I buddy of mine hit a gigantic pothole with the right side if his 930. It broke the wheel, front shock and the front monoball at the top of the shock (and some rear suspension parts). He had a strut brace installed and it caused no damage or alignment change to the left side.

I track a targa and I have used three different types of strut braces (single bar, steel "camber truss" triangulated brace and now an aluminum Elephant Racing triangulated brace). On the track, and even on twisty back roads, there was a noticeable difference in having the single bar over nothing. The difference between the single bar and triangulated brace was noticeable on the track, but not really on the street.

porsche930dude

I just made this one from a tie rod from a chaparal snowmobile bycycle frame a lug nut and a cut up bracket from an old IH tractor I havnt driven it yet to tell a difference but i also got another tie rod with the same ends if i decide to triangulate it.

Chuck Jones

Porsche930dude has more expertise than a lot of the 930 folks in that he can make up what he needs. For us less innovative folks, we buy the strut braces already made up. There is a fellow on eBay who makes them up for $129. (bought mine there)...and they look a lot like 930dude's setup, just a little more refined....but they do work and essentially they all do the same thing....so there's nothing really to be gained by spending $250 for a carbon fibre or turned aluminum one when the $129 one will do the same dogone thing. It did make a difference in my cab.

r911

Why does a monocoque body tend to lose some of its tightness over time?

What type of body would not?

Chuck Jones

Sorry....you have me on "monocoque" so I defer to your mechanical vocabulary. I'm guessing unibody? All I know is that the cabriolets flex a lot....and I can feel the difference in flex as I drive it in and out of my driveway when it didn' t have a strut brace as opposed to how it feels now with it installed.

r911

Edgy01 had said that above. I'm not sure what he's talking about.

I agree re the cabs.