BT Tech Strut Tower Brace install pictures and Text

Thanks for the great pics and comments, Lee!

 

Thanks Lee. The photos with text are great.

EDIT: Below is my Post #32 of this thread. I've included it here so that newcomers could easily see and download my Microsoft Word file of Lee's photos with text (if that's their preference).

Lee,

Thanks again for your flickr set BT Tech Strut Tower Brace Install Pictures and Text. Great stuff.

Because I won't have internet access on the NYC street where I'll be doing my install, I've put your flickr set of 41 photos and text (plus efusco's post and your response thereto) into the attached Word file. That way I (and others similarly situated) could access it while doing the install.

Attached Files: BT Tech Strut Tower Brace Install - By GadgetDad (Lee) v2.doc

 

Hi All,

Gadget..., those are great pictures. While looking at them I had an idea. It would be nice for maintenance to have the nuts on the rear end of the flanges that the bar drops down into be captured. That way, one could just pull the long bolts out from the front, and lift the bar out of the bracket and pull it forward and out of the car.

This could be done with a block of aluminum alloy, possibly. The block would have a hex pocket, and on axis through-hole. It would also have slots to position it over the flange. Another way would be a hex through-hole, with pins at the far end to keep the nut captured.

Ford did allot of this type of thing on the Tempo. Which made it easy to work on. I specifically remember the exhaust system had nuts with long tangs welded on. So, one could just crank the bolt and the tang would wip around till it caught on something and the bolt would unthread. I was able to replace the whole exhaust system on that car in a about an hour thanks to these devices.

 

Beautiful install. I started getting worried after the first few pics thinking "this was supposed to be an "easy" install?". Turns out it seams that way. Hand it to BT, that is one great looking install and goes very well with the look under the hood. If you didn't know, you could almost miss it.

 

Thanks Gadgetdad for your in-depth review and for taking the time to post great pictures of your installation. Your install looks awesome!!

 

Much thanks for the pics and your time .

 

Would adding Tom's front lower brace in conjunction with the BT upper front brace add rigidity over just the front upper brace? Any drawbacks to doing so (other than to my bank account)? Do the BT folks plan on a lower brace for the front or rear?

Mike

 

Good question !

 

I thought I read that one (or both) of these pieces interfered with the stock exhaust system. Any particulars on if the floor or rear brace will fit the stock exhaust? Also, isn't the floor brace simialar to the BT stiffening plate in function?

M ike
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I don't know, but there would seem to be a point of diminishing returns! I have the BT stiffening plate installed on my Touring '07, and since adding the strut brace, the front end feels stiff enough. I do sense the back end a bit soft! The floor brace and/or Tom's rear brace may be the next way to spend $!!

Lee

 

My understanding is that the toms lower front brace interferes with either the exhaust system or catalytic converter. There are some people here tht have installed it so they will be able to comment on it first hand.

I have driven lots and lots of high performance cars and with the addition of our BT Tech stiffening plate and our BT Tech Strut Tower Brace, I think that 99 percent of the people that drive the car that have our parts installed would not feel the need to go any further.

 

Now you've made it harder for me to wait until the NY weather warms up some more so that I can put on the Strut Tower Brace (it's been in my closet for over a month now). But that should be real soon ... probably within a week.

 

Great pictures and instructions.
I feel tempted to get a brace but I know the colour of the creek I'll be up without a paddle when my wife finds out and it isn't blue!

 

Every respect to BT Tech but I think Toyota have the crumple zone thing pretty right. I'm not planning to have a crash either.

 

I know. I'm being lapped left and right. In NYC, it's still too cold for my tastes to want to spend an hour outside installing the brace. But it's doable and I'm getting antsy. So my guess right now is that barring rain, the brace is going in on Thursday -- a mere 6 weeks after I received it.