Cusco Rear Chassis Brace, 952492REN.

For one thing, this is so far aft of the rear suspension attach points could there be any way to measure or feel any difference?
The twist beam rear suspension is designed with flex to allow camber/caster changes under side loads.

Save your dollars on this flashy bit of anodized aluminum.
Buy an American-made steel trailer hitch kit and have something useful ( bike rack, small trailer, small camper, etc.) and it will stiffen that end of the Prius also,,, although you're never going to feel either of these...

 

I installed this yesterday, car feels more confident (turn in/turn out). Car feels less creaky when cornering or flexing its suspension.
There's a reason often time hatch backs have rear lower bracing similar to this or even cars with soft unibody suspensions (Integra Type R), Evo 8/9 RS(not a rigid unibody), EM Racing bars.....

 

It was a a little bit of a PITA to take the lower under-tray out, and since I have the plus kit it was a bit harder to remove the under tray since the lower tabs were re-re in-forced lol.... but it all came out and was a simple bolt on/bolt off (be sure to have someone help you when removing the bracket holding the muffler (just to pull it while you unbolt).

Bill N - you do know the Cusco rear sway bar goes ontop of the rear spring mount pods vs the TRD one just mounting to a lower position of the OEM rear struts and going across the rear of the beam.

 

I don't know that it is even anodized. It is probably "powder coated." A lot of fabricators are going to powder coating, because it is cheap and thick. It hides a lot of poorly finished welds, scratches and flaws like grinding marks. Anodizing, if used, is basically for appearance and almost never a hard wearing hard coat anodizing. For myself, I've found that a direct-to-metal epoxy "flow on" oven heat cured finish is most durable and best.


I'm in complete agreement with you. The trailer hitch fastens to four strong "welded in" captive M12x1.25 nuts. This is where the single left owing hook is replaced by the left mount on the trailer hitch.

I'd go for the trailer hitch.

 

JJ,

I do know about the TRD sway bar compared to the Brand C.
The TRD uses proper sealed ball ends in the link rods allowing the twist beam to flex as designed.
With Brand C is bolted right on the spring pad. It is stiffening the twist beam not allowing it to flex as it should in caster and camber.

However I have not installed mine yet, so this is all academic discussion.
Rude person's, I read all your posts and yet I still don't know how to contact you about purchasing your braces.....

 

H&R Springs, Tanabe front upper strut tower bar, Cusco midbrace (4 point ladder), Cusco rear bar, Cusco Transmission/transaxle brace), TRD Rear Sway bar (debating on the front), possibly some coilovers in the near future since the stock struts cannot do anything past 50 mph =/

 

I have the cusco center 4 point on order at the moment.

 

I have a rear hitch that mounts to the same points..I wonder if it provides the same stiffness characteristics.

 

No way... It's way stiffer than that showy piece of aluminum.
It's made to handle "2000 lbs trailer weight, 200 lbs. tongue weight" after all.
Plus what about crash worthiness?

 

Just a small notch needs to be made in the plastic but it fits right inbetween (I put some dynamat ontop of the bar incase it does decide to flex )(so there's no metal to metal contact possible) there's about a 1/2 mm between the bar and chassis...

 

As said before, what if you use it just for a bike rack?
And how is towing a couch or a refrigerator on a 3oo lb. trailer any different to the car's parts than hauling 4 of your fattest friends up the Rocky Mountains going 70 mph on I-70?
Plus the weight is not on the car's wheels.
But, if your car is under warranty, I guess you should forget about it if it is true that it is clearly stated somewhere.
Having the guys in the shop say so is not the final word.
You know how to tell if a car sales man is lying, right?

 

JJ, I'm sorry but that looks like such a waste of money.
How much "chassis flex" could possibly be happening that far aft of the rear suspension.
I think a lot of Cusco parts are for the racer boys to show off.
All show, No go....

Sorry,,, IMHO....

 

Evasive Motorsports | PH: 626.336.3400 Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm PST: EMRACING Trunk Floor Brace - Acura Integra 94-01 waste indeed...
Only came as I said before on the DC2-R (best FWD handling car since 1997, still even the Focus ST can't replicate it only 16 years later.

I do know it works in the evo, as often times after hard cornering my trunk was sometimes not able to open/close as easy..... Until I added the Evo RS tie brace..

 

BigPete,

The engine/transaxle does not know if it is propelling 5 Fattys or a couch on a 300 lb. trailer as it accelerates.
The 'Chassis' question is different. The tow hook attach point is right there, no? The crash absorbers for the bumper are right there. Can this really be a weak area?
If so the trailer hitch manufacturer has some splainin to do......

I will continue to haul my chit on a trailer and load bikes on a rack behind my Prius.. but it is out of warranty....