Author Topic: Export brace (Read 3927 times)

ag71 · « **on:** October 21, 2020, 04:33:30 pm »

Hi all am thinking of fitting a Drake chrome export brace on my '66 coupe just wondering if anyone else has fitted these and did you cut off the existing metal pieces off the
shock towers or simply just fit the new brace straight over the top and hide it underneath ?
Have been informed sometimes they are a bugger to fit as well.

I will probably get some chrome shock tower caps to match as well.

Anyone got any pics they can post of their setups ?

Cheers,

Dwayne · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2020, 04:55:30 pm »

Definitely worth fitting and removing the old sections is a personal choice.

Fitting is usually only a challenge if your shock towers have 'collapsed' in. Putting the car up on jack stands overnight is often enough to open them back up again to get the brace fitted.

fredm666 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2020, 08:24:46 pm »

Same here.
Fitted easily in my ‘64 coupe after jacking up the car a little bit. Old braces removed, just the end is still there underneath the new one.

Megzee67 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2020, 10:14:58 pm »

DJ, the after market Export brace profile is designed to seat snuggly in the original fixed tower extension.....no need to cut..
Place you car on a set of jack stands on the forward and rear chassis rails to ease the rigidity of the car.
You may need to use a podgy bar to gently manipulate it into place......

Micks66coupe · « **Reply #4 on:** October 22, 2020, 02:05:39 pm »

If you are putting the export brace in you might want to consider adding the Monte Carlo bar as well, you'll notice the difference.

Megzee67 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 22, 2020, 02:54:56 pm »

Ahhhh....very good call Mick66.....as you rightfully say....you definitely notice the difference....

ag71 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 22, 2020, 03:13:09 pm »

thanks all for the replies its given me some ideas and cheers for the pic Mick, I will think about the Monte Caro bar as well,

ag71 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 08, 2020, 05:13:33 pm »

Hi all so I got my Drake export brace and haven't been able to fit it, so I jacked up under the front crossmember and there's still not enough room to fit it, I'd say the towers have moved in over time as usual on these, I want to know if I jack it up overnight and leave on jackstands hoping this will spread it a little do I place them under the front lower control arms on the inner edge of the arms ?

I read some guys recommend to use a porta power which I don't have access to and probably wouldn't be confident enough to do myself.

If I still have dramas and am not able to fit it what sort of money would I be looking at to get someone in Sydney to fit this up for me and can anyone recommend someone they have used before ?

Clubman7 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 08, 2020, 06:29:19 pm »

Had to put a hydraulic jack and a length of timber across the inner guards to spread my one far enough apart to get the brace to fit/

Megzee67 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 08, 2020, 10:06:15 pm »

Hi AG71,
It is probably more counter productive to place the jack stands on the forward chassis rail box sections and alleviate all the weight from the coil springs, UCA's and LCA's and let the front end 'sag' slightly under it's own weight.....
From there, fit the fire wall brace bolts loosely and see where the misalignment on the shock tower connections occurs.
It could be that one shock tower connection may align and the other tower may need ' manipulating.
Once you gauge where the error occurs it could be a simple matter of relieving the weight on either tower with a trolley jack.
As a reminder your pride and joy may have taken a hit at some stage of her life so there maybe some underlying chassis alignment issues that might be giving you grief.
Feel free to send some photo's of the dry fit stage and the brains trust on here can have a better idea

ag71 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 09, 2020, 05:07:39 pm »

Cheers for the extra info I'm going to try jack it up and leave on jack stands next weekend and see if that gives me anymore wiggle room I will keep you posted.

GEOFF289 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 09, 2020, 07:27:46 pm »

I'm no expert and my own brace went in to my '66 with very little trouble, ditto the Monte bar, but I would have thought to spread the towers further apart you need to jack it up under the engine cross member and let it hang there rather than under the chassis rails.

If you support it under the rails I would have thought the weight of the engine would tend to bring the towers in which doesn't sound like what you need.

Megzee67 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 09, 2020, 08:31:24 pm »

Hi Geoff,
As the cross member attachments points are on the front chassis rails I guess the result may be the same for how the towers react when the wheels are off the ground with weight off of the suspension system.....I always felt a lot safer with the car on jack stands on the rails than centrally jacked on the cross member...
But you could very well be correct about engine weight influence...great point mate
I was referencing my build where I had the car on leveled Jack stands and dry fitted a number of components including export brace and monte-carlo Bar, chassis rail connectors, minus the engine and suspension. Once the car was rolling and engine back in the Brace and MC went in snug as a bug in a rug.....same as when she was free standing........Maybe my EB negated tower movement???
Personally for the sake of changing out original EB for an aftermarket one, a porta power adjustment may create dramas elsewhere, like panel gap tolerances etc.......might does not equal right......
Looking Forward to see how AG finds a solution.
Cheers

ag71 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 14, 2020, 04:56:33 pm »

Another update, wow who would have thought this would be so hard to fit I went through every step and tried a few variances and stuff me no way can I get this to fit. I have spoken to a repairer I know who has fitted a few before and he's going to do it for me so all good I'm happy to pay and have it fitted I'm over it

I will post a pic in due course.

barnett468 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 15, 2020, 01:10:03 pm »

Quote from: Clubman7 on November 08, 2020, 06:29:19 pm

Had to put a hydraulic jack and a length of timber across the inner guards to spread my one far enough apart to get the brace to fit/

This is your answer if you don't have a porta power or you can do the same with a mechanical jack and 3 hands, lol.

ag71 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 11, 2020, 01:40:00 pm »

I got the export brace fitted here is a pic,

Dwayne · « **Reply #16 on:** December 11, 2020, 01:59:43 pm »

Great looking engine bay!

AussiePhil · « **Reply #17 on:** December 11, 2020, 02:36:59 pm »

Quote from: Dwayne on December 11, 2020, 01:59:43 pm

Great looking engine bay!

Hey, I agree, that is a very nice engine bay, painted the same colour as the car definitely looks great!
Export brace looks great, Well done!
Cheers Phil

Gallop · « **Reply #18 on:** December 11, 2020, 03:24:57 pm »

What is the thinking on keeping or removing the small shock tower attachments? (Removing was obviously not an option for the red 66 becuase it has already been painted.)

I plan to get my car repainted in 2021 so have the opportunity to remove the attachments.

Dwayne · « **Reply #19 on:** December 11, 2020, 03:31:53 pm »

I removed mine, they server no purpose once a proper brace is fitted.

ag71 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 11, 2020, 04:27:32 pm »

Thanks the previous owner did most of the work I've just tidied it up abit.
I thought about removing the attatchments but then thought about the work involved and I don't think its looks too bad to leave them on you don't really notice them, upto the individual I guess.

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Author Topic: Export brace (Read 3927 times)