Wonderbar Steering Brace

[Genopsyde]

Can anyone give me some info on these things like, are they worth buying, and if so, how easy/hard are they to install

[89IROC&RS]

is that a strut tower brace????? as in it bolts to the tops of your shock absorbers and goes across the top of the engine? if so, i have heard great things, especially when coupled with subframe connectors. makes the chassis much stiffer, and therefore more responcive.

[Genopsyde]

no, it's a steering brace that goes on the bottom, i think between the front sway bar and the front subframe.

[89IROC&RS]

never heard of it, couldnt tell ya.

[Genopsyde]

here's what the website says:

The Steering Brace (also known as the Wonderbar) performs two functions. First, it ties the left and right sides of the frame together under the front of the car, which maintains the correct geometry of the pitman arm and idler arm during cornering. You can think of it as a Strut Tower Brace (STB) for the bottom of the car. It actually improves the handling of the car more than a STB does. Second, the Steering Brace strengthens the chassis and takes stress off of the steering gear box mount. It is common in ThirdGen F-Bodies for fatigue and stress cracks to form around the steering gear box mounting location.

The brace has been re-designed and improved to fit all years of F-Body. Some early 1982 F-bodies had sway bar brackets with a straight bolt pattern. This was changed mid-year to the offset bolt pattern that was used through 1992. Previously those of you with a 1982 F-body would either have to modify one of the mounting holes per side (which TDS never recommended) or be disappointed and return the product. This new version of the 105021 Steering Brace is the first and only one available that is designed to fit all years of the F-Body (Excluding the 89 TTA), which will has it's own version being designed. Another important change is that the mounting pads now attach with three bolts per side, rather than the two all other versions use.

What does this mean? The existing designs of Steering Brace, (including our original version), mount between the sway bar mount and a bracket that is bolted to the frame. The newly redesigned version includes a third mounting hole that takes advantage of another threaded hole allowing the brace to be bolted it directly into the frame itself. So it no longer relies solely on the strength of that bolted-in bracket.

and here's a pic of it installed on a car:

[89IROC&RS]

sounds intruiging, i think that just got added to my list of suspension upgrades

[PowerCrazy]

i think it's a smaller, less connected, cheaper k-arm. cause it looks like it does the same purpose and bolts into the same spot. but i might be wrong.... the only reason i say this is i was just looking at k-arms for my car today and it looks like it might be similar

[PowerCrazy]

K- Member , sorry, not bar it's a k-member

[1992RS]

It does about the same thing as a strut tower brace. It just ties both sides of the car together to keep it from flexing, as for installing, it's cake should take you like a half hour if you don't have a lift, and 15 minutes if you do, providing you have the right tools. It's a good investment.

[Chevyracincamaro]

dont see why it wouldnt work, the physics of it look sound to me...where'd you find that thing?

[Genopsyde]

www.hawksthirdgenparts.com