The sub-frame brace provides a solid, direct link between the front wheel stations. The extra stiffness improves cornering response, particularly on convertibles and higher-powered cars. The brace is attached to the underside of the car, just in front of the centreline of the front wheels. The ground clearance is not affected by the brace.
The attachment points are indicated in Figure 1, with a close up of the location in Figure 2.
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Figure 1: Brace Location Points
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Figure 2: Close Up |
Parts Needed: 7/16” (11mm) socket spanner, short extension bar, ratchet handle, all 3/8” drive. Jack and axle stands. 3/8” drill bit.
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| 1. |
Jack the front of the car up until there is enough room to work under the car. The best jacking method is to use the centre point on the engine cross beam (see Car User Manual) until the road wheels are nearly lifting off the ground. Centre jacking minimises any body distortion and keeping the road wheels on the ground stops the car rocking on the jack. Support the car with axle stand(s).
Warning: Always supplement a jack with an axle stand before working underneath a car. |
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| 2. |
The mounting points for the sub-frame brace are just behind the underbody plastic spoiler attachment screws that are indicated in Figure 2. Remove the attachment screws, if you bend back the plastic you can see a slot in the sub-frame that will form the mounting. Measure 11/2” (4cm) back from the attachment hole on the plastic underbody spoiler. Drill a 3/8” hole through the plastic of the spoiler for the mounting bolt to pass through. Figures 3, 4 and 5 show the sequence. Use the large washer behind the head of the bolt to spread the load within the sub-frame. |
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Figure 3:
View of Subframe
Beneath Spoiler |
Figure 4:
Mounting Bolt in Place |
Figure 5: Mounting Bolt
Mounting Bolt Protruding Through Spoiler |
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| 3. |
The right hand side has a plastic inner wheel arch liner in addition to the under-body spoiler attached to the sub-frame. A small square, about 2” by 2” (5 by 5 cm) has to be cut out of the liner to obtain access to the head of the mounting bolt whilst tightening it. The area that has been cut out is shown in Figure 6, the drilled mounting bolt hole is also indicated. |
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Figure 6:
Portion Cut Away Behind Mounting Point |
Figure 7:
Job Complete |
| 4. |
When fitting the sub-frame brace, loosely attach one end and then line up the other end to drill the hole through the underbody spoiler. Before finally tightening the sub-frame brace mounting bolts, replace the spoiler attachment screws. Do not overtighten the mounting bolts as you may start to crush the sub-frame. The supplied bolts (3/8”) are deliberately on the slender side to allow the brace to break away in the event of a hard grounding. The finished job is shown in Figure 7.
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