C4FDR

Has anyone installed front strut tower braces on a 99-01 996. If yes, did you see the benefit and what kind did you install.

Sloth

From what I have read and come to understand... between the welded fire wall and the factory brace, there is no benefit to an aftermarket unit on the 996... other than a weight savings perhaps.

C4FDR

I've heard that before, then the 02 comes out that is supposed to be 30% stiffer then the early 996's. Where did they stiffen up the 996.

FDR

C4FDR

I spoke to the Racers Group today and they also said that the 996 does not need strut tower braces and their race cars do not have them.

FDR

SPR

While I don't know how true this is, when you are tracking the car, the strut brace counts as 1 point towards mods, or against you because they consider that it actually does something. I believe that it is more befitting a 993 than 996 but they still count it. I just randomly read that in the tech. articles.

BKaran

Hi

I think strut tower brace is a very important and helpful mod. Especially car like 996 carries majority of its weight on the rear half of the car. I had used tower brace on my other cars, you can feel the difference easily, especially if you are planning to take your car to track.
Take a look at this one....
<a href="http://www.type-911.co.uk/images/performance/strut996.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.type-911.co.uk/images/performance/strut996.jpg</a>

Bill Karan

Viken

[quote]Originally posted by BKaran:
<strong>I think strut tower brace is a very important and helpful mod. Especially car like 996 carries majority of its weight on the rear half of the car. I had used tower brace on my other cars, you can feel the difference easily, especially if you are planning to take your car to track.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Bill,

Like the others said, the 996 and the 986 do NOT need a strut tower brace as the towers are already joined by the firewall. A brace will do absolutely nothing to these cars. Now, if you want it there for looks, that's another story...

JC in NY

Bottom line if a GT3 Cup doesn't use it why would a regular 996 need one?

Viken

[quote]Originally posted by JC in NY:
<strong>Bottom line if a GT3 Cup doesn't use it why would a regular 996 need one?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Exactly!

Tool Pants

I never have seen any proof that a front strut brace on a Boxster serves any purpose, but some people love them. See less of a reason for one on a 996 coupe. Hope my pictures so up. The first is the 996 oem braces from the towers to the fire wall. The second is the same car with a Das-Sport brace which has a design different then the rest, and I cannot see what benefit it has over the oem. Jeff

Sloth

[quote]Originally posted by JC in NY:
<strong>Bottom line if a GT3 Cup doesn't use it why would a regular 996 need one?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Just to throw something extra in on that note... the TT's, GT3's, and C4's all include extra reinforcement in the front.

BKaran

JC
Tower Brace, installed between the strut towers increase the steering "feel" and sensitivity by minimizing the flex between the strut towers and the natural flex of the rubber bushings at the top of the strut towers.
I think you shouldn't compare regular 996 with GT3 which is a totally different animal... I raced 4 years for Marloboro group N, I know what I am talking about. If you do not have strong firewall support you will use 3 way tower brace(tower-firewall-tower), you can see them in bigger race cars with lot of body move(mostly not legal in according to racing regulations). Also in this type of cars you have to tie the rear towers too. If you have strong firewall support you will use 2 way tie bar. Like I said earlier if you are not racing with your car you really don't need it. (I don't race my 996 cab, but I use strut brace, since we all know the cabrio is not as stiff as coupe and it needs extra support)

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Viken

When we discuss about car racing I really don't know how much other people know about the issue but I know one thing "stiffer is better" for any car on the race track and I know tower brace gives extra strenght to the front. Especially older model Porsche. If you believe it doesn't, you are doing the right thing with not using it.

Regards

Bill Karan

JohnM

Isn't most of the movement at the top of the strut in the rubber mount? A strut brace does nothing for this, if you want the struts to stay in place under load then monoballs would seem like the way to go.

BKaran

John

The bolts are located on the top part of the strut will go inside the rubber part(has steel housings) than to the strut location, so when you tie them with brace you are eliminating the movement of the rubber part. I hope this will clarify.

Bill Karan

JohnM

Hi Bill,

That is not the case for strut braces on any car I have seen (including my own). The brace attaches to the bodyshell, usually (although not always) using the same fixing points as the strut itself. It has no effect on the isolation provided by the strut's rubber top mounting, nor does it connect the rubber-isolated parts of the struts together (fortunately, as such a coupling would have some very strange and unwanted effects).