Any Shock Tower Braces avail for XK8's?
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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To achieve a noticeable handling improvement of any magnitude, never mind 30%, there needs to be significant deflection of one or both shock towers with respect to each other.
Such deflection could only occur, aside from weakness from severe corrosion or failure, through flawed design and manufacturing. A design team not realizing this would not be allowed anywhere near an actual car.
Noticeable deflection would also occur only when the car is pushed to it's limits, not during normal/legal street usage.
The strut bars are a nice piece of easy to bolt on visual bling if that's the intent but do little for performance.
Not trying to be harsh, but I also noted in the photo that the factory cold air intake duct has been deleted. That's a step backwards for performance.
Such deflection could only occur, aside from weakness from severe corrosion or failure, through flawed design and manufacturing. A design team not realizing this would not be allowed anywhere near an actual car.
Noticeable deflection would also occur only when the car is pushed to it's limits, not during normal/legal street usage.
The strut bars are a nice piece of easy to bolt on visual bling if that's the intent but do little for performance.
Not trying to be harsh, but I also noted in the photo that the factory cold air intake duct has been deleted. That's a step backwards for performance.
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First thing I removed in my previous Corvette, and my current XJR were the K&N drop in filters. Sold them on ebay (got about $25 each too) and switched to good old fashioned paper. Change them once every other year (5-6k miles) or whenever they look dirty (don't we all remove the filter housing top to do tons of different maintenance?).
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grantorino62 (07-08-2016)
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I am aware of the air intake filter swap not doing crude for these cars. Just thought a tower brace would make some type of noticeable diff. The only ones I see on E bay are out of Malaysia, figured that was junk.
I have done all the top shock bushing/shocks/springs/sway bar bushing, upper control arm bushings, enlinks on mine. What other bushings could be doing? Any left? ha ha
I have done all the top shock bushing/shocks/springs/sway bar bushing, upper control arm bushings, enlinks on mine. What other bushings could be doing? Any left? ha ha
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A wise man once told me the aftermarket mods that are the shiniest and easiest to install are usually the ones with the least benefit.
Strut braces can only limit certain types of movement, even if such a thing did occur in significant amounts. Other than pure compressive or tensile loads (ie. the towers moving directly towards or away from each other) a strut brace can do nothing to restrict movement. Not that there's any of that either.
Most bars I've seen are bowed in some fashion to clear the engine or other obstacle. As such, they simply flex when a load is applied to them instead of transferring the force. I've seen others that are not located and secured to the shock tower in a manner that eliminates radial play. Any load simply causes the bracket to slide back and forth underneath the securing nuts.
They sure do look cool though.
Strut braces can only limit certain types of movement, even if such a thing did occur in significant amounts. Other than pure compressive or tensile loads (ie. the towers moving directly towards or away from each other) a strut brace can do nothing to restrict movement. Not that there's any of that either.
Most bars I've seen are bowed in some fashion to clear the engine or other obstacle. As such, they simply flex when a load is applied to them instead of transferring the force. I've seen others that are not located and secured to the shock tower in a manner that eliminates radial play. Any load simply causes the bracket to slide back and forth underneath the securing nuts.
They sure do look cool though.
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The only braces you should consider are the ones that the manufacturer designed and built. I think that the only braces Jaguar fitted are the x brace for the front suspension and the triangular brace for the rear as fitted to the convertable, so jaguar didnt think a strut brace was required and nether should you. how someone would measure or quantify a 30% improvement in handling is beyond me? Perhaps just the thought of it being fitted gives the driver the confidence to push the car more than they would normally even though the real difference is negligible. As with most none OEM modifications, you will find they give little or no benefit other than looking mean, and that includes the K&N induction mod shown in the picture. Save your money and put it towards a better handling/performing car if that is what you really want.
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Exactly. Dont try to make the car something it was never meant to be, it will just cost you loads and end up being a disappointment. Not only that, when you come to sell ,original tends to be best with regards resale values. Strut braces and induction mods just scream 'thrashed' to me, people are quite likely to just walk away and find something else.
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