ALL* the Cusco bracing - A Review

[Plumbus]

I have been thinking about this topic a lot the past few weeks and I think I will forgo all or most braces in favor of bushings. I was gonna do the latter anyway but I debated if the braces were worth it and despite research there isn't much in the way of scientific testing or even much anecdotal evidence to back their performance. For the amount of money they cost and the weight they add, I would expect at least a substantial and noticeable difference across the board, but some people suggest they don't feel it too much.

So far I've done engine+tranny mounts, diff outrigger inserts, perrin rack lockdowns, and the change is night and day. I'm only missing the crossmember inserts because I'm still a bit intimidated by the install (don't want the subframe on my face).

[Ernest72]

Just some advice on bushings. You can go to far for a DD if you use too much poly. I know this from my 04 WRX with almost every bushing swapped out. Certain ones - lower control arm and my WL anti-lift kit which are poly can literally take a filling out going over railroad tracks. But they are phenomenal on smooth roads. Someday I am likely switching them for group n rubber.

[SubieDoo]

Awesome review! Now I am super intrigued by the rear side braces. Where can I find the factory recommended torque specs for these chassis bolts? Cusco's install manuals (at least the online version) don't have any torque specs. Haven't come across too many detailed DIY guides on these braces here or on YouTube.

[Ohio Enthusiast]

Under suspension - https://demos.starbase7.net/t3Portal..._rm_index.html.

[Westen86]

Originally Posted by Ohio Enthusiast

....BTW, I stumbled in the past on subframe bushings that were made out of aluminum and provided an interference crush fit when mounted and the bolts tightened ("squeezing" the aluminum to the exact shape of the gap between the sub frame and the chassis). I can't find it now (only hit aluminum bushings for BMW platforms), but I would imagine these would be the most extreme bushing/insert, with OEM rubber bushings on the opposite side of the spectrum, and aftermarket poly/delrin bushings being somewhere in the middle.

Spoon, like for Honda.

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90452

https://www.rigidcollar.eu/

[Ohio Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Westen86

Spoon, like for Honda.

Thanks. I remember something else, but these look about the same (those had a flange on both sides, looked like a short pipe with a washer in the middle).

Edit: now I see there are these type as well, such as here - https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/produ...-50261-zn6-000

Edit 2: damn, now I want these!

[norcalpb]

Originally Posted by Ohio Enthusiast

Thanks. I remember something else, but these look about the same (those had a flange on both sides, looked like a short pipe with a washer in the middle).

Edit: now I see there are these type as well, such as here - https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/produ...-50261-zn6-000

Edit 2: damn, now I want these!

Where on the front suspension do these go?

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

Where on the front suspension do these go?

I’d imagine it goes where the front crossmember bolts to the body, in between the two.


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[NLSP]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

Where on the front suspension do these go?

Here you go. There's a kit for the rear as well.

[Compelica]

Originally Posted by SubieDoo

Awesome review! Now I am super intrigued by the rear side braces. Where can I find the factory recommended torque specs for these chassis bolts? Cusco's install manuals (at least the online version) don't have any torque specs. Haven't come across too many detailed DIY guides on these braces here or on YouTube.

Referring to the rear side braces - 80Nm on the horizontal lower arm and 110Nm on the diagonal lower arm.

[therealstoly]

NLSP mentioned his TRD door stabilizers and that piqued my interest so I began searching out any and all information I could about them. I think these get a bad rap for a few reasons. The TRD Tax is no joke. That said, the Cusco C-pillar brace and brace behind the rear bumper don't seem to add much if you have the rear STB and rear member side brace with the crossmember brace. And those two would be about the same money spent as the door stabilizers. There is some argument slanted towards the idea that if they were actually beneficial there would be copy cat products. All the while wincing at the idea of knock off parts which is always an entertaining juxtaposition to read.

With all the bracing I was starting to get a bit of the B-pillar buzz and not creaks and rattles per se, but I could hear the plastic pieces of the interior over rough patches of road and in hard cornering, if that makes sense. Nothing overtly horrible but it was starting to get rather annoying especially since most of it seemed to be centered around the door, jamb, and B-piller and a constant in my left ear.

The majority of my motivation in getting these was to see if they would aid in eliminating some of the interior background noise I was getting and less about any declared performance gains. In fact, I was quite certain that there had been a bad translation and that bad translation got the copy/paste treatment for all the vendors. There is absolutely no way replacing the latch and adding a piece to the door edge improves steering, right? Which is precisely why people that don't have bracing shouldn't be opining under the guise of being an expert on all things they don't have, like, or understand.

I'm impressed and was also surprised to see that TRD offers these for several platforms including the original 86. They achieved my goal and it's amazing how much olfactory you can get and how quickly you get it. I would argue the olfactory effect is more than the placebo effect people talk about. Interior is so much better. There is a better feel to opening/closing the doors, the B-pillar buzz has been nearly eliminated, and the overall feel to the interior is tenfold. Quieter and adds to a more planted feel to the entire car. Do they improve steering or is that just a hoax and/or bad translation? To my surprise they are noticeable when cornering. At slow speeds, not so much. But for anyone that thinks of themselves as a canyon carver somewhere north of 7/10ths driving, I'd recommend. Not a night and day difference and they're not advertised as such. The overall chassis and steering is better with these installed.




I've known @Spocknasty for about a decade. We were both into Miatae at one time and I tackled a frame off restoration (for lack of a better term) of a NA years ago and he was both a vendor and a trusted voice of reason during that process. Fast forward to now and we've both ended up in the new 86 platform. Reconnecting with him led to reading through his build thread - https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141087 - and his praise of the STi motor mounts. Chatted with him about those and a few other improvements like the MTEC clutch pedal spring. (10/10 - would highly recommend)

I wish we'd reconnected sooner as these would've been a hell of a lot easier to install at the same time I swapped my exhaust. That said, it took me about two hours to install using the steering rack disconnection method instead of the exhaust disconnection method.

Wow. At this point I wasn't expecting much from either the door stabilizers or the motor mounts and I was wrong on both counts. There is nothing I can say that won't sound like total bullshit. If you don't have the STi motor mounts, get them. They really do make a huge improvement. Acceleration is so much better and in conjunction with the rear side member braces, sixth gear highway pulls are easily noticeable as an improvement. Absolutely agree with spocknasty... these should be a Day One swap and I wish I'd swapped them sooner.

Not much to show and there are videos out there with the differing theories on how to do the swap.


In the end I'd add both of these to the list of recommendations for stiffening up the chassis.

My recommended combination:
- Front STB w/ BCS
- Rear STB
- Power Brace - Front Lower Arms (V2)
- Power Brace - Front Member
- Power Brace - Rear Member Side
- Power Brace - Steering Rack (with poly bushings)
- Tranny collar brace if you are okay with a little bit of NVH.
- STi Motor Mounts
- TRD Door Stabilizers

[grumpysnapper]

Originally Posted by therealstoly

Interior is so much better. ... the overall feel to the interior is tenfold... adds to a more planted feel to the entire car. ... they are noticeable when cornering. ... But for anyone that thinks of themselves as a canyon carver somewhere north of 7/10ths driving, I'd recommend...The overall chassis and steering is better with these installed.
... the STi motor mounts, get them.... Acceleration is so much better and in conjunction with the rear side member braces, sixth gear highway pulls are easily noticeable as an improvement.

I get it that you really like bracings and such, and there is no right and wrong when it comes to modifying our own cars for our own purposes.
And I am glad that you are extremely happy with these modifications that you have made.... but is it possible that you are being a little too generous in interpreting their perceived effects?

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by grumpysnapper

I get it that you really like bracings and such, and there is no right and wrong when it comes to modifying our own cars for our own purposes.
And I am glad that you are extremely happy with these modifications that you have made.... but is it possible that you are being a little too generous in interpreting their perceived effects?

Things like this make me wish I had the knowledge to build a proper strain gauge setup to attempt to quantify these changes.

Edit: Hey @Ultramaroon post Covid Arduino project?

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

Things like this make me wish I had the knowledge to build a proper strain gauge setup to attempt to quantify these changes.

Edit: Hey @Ultramaroon post Covid Arduino project?

Would be interesting but I argue that we've already confirmed that it's snake oil if we actually needed a strain gauge to measure any difference. I'd start by jacking up one wheel or even opposite corners to induce some crazy longitudinal torsion. If the doors open and close ok, snake oil confirmed.

We should still do the arduino project just for the experience. I've installed strain gauges and done all manner of data acquisition but I've never played with an arduino or raspberry device. Would welcome some peer pressure to get me motivated.