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I've been thinking about getting a set of Vette2Vette's "No Flex Frame Stiffeners" for a while. With 54K miles, my '96 is fairly tight with the fiberglass Targa in place; not quite so tight with the see-through plastic Targa in place and... downright "rattly" with no Targa in place.
I'm happy to report my $499.00 was well spent and I'd do it again, tomorrow! I'm getting too old to work on my back so I had our local Corvette Guru, Vern Carmack, install the system. Another $60.00 and I was good to go!
I knew as soon as I was backing out of Vern's garage that something was vastly different. I currently have the see through Targa on the car and heard exactly ZERO squeaks or creaks as I backed out over the scarred surface of Vern's driveway.
Same thing driving home... maybe heard just 5% of all the creaks and rattles I was used to driving over bumps and manhole covers! I have't tried it with the Targa removed yet but, I have no doubt my results will be the same. And, around corners? Feels like the car's riding on rails!
Jason at Vette2Vette.com picked up the freight because I'm a Forum member and called him, direct, with my order. He'll probably do the same for any Forum member and... this is one Mod you will DEFINITELY feel with your SOTP dyno!
Was there any change in the ride as far as stiffness? My '96 has Sport springs front and back which gives a firm ride....great on nice smooth roads....not so good on roads with cracks, holes, ripples, etc.
Would not want to make the ride any more stiff or harsh than it is now.
Dr.Dyno I have had the vette2vette frame stiffeners for a few years and I agree the car feels stiffer. I have read where the newer stiffeners require drilling a hole for mounting. I am curious if you had to drill holes and if so in what location?
Was there any change in the ride as far as stiffness? My '96 has Sport springs front and back which gives a firm ride....great on nice smooth roads....not so good on roads with cracks, holes, ripples, etc.
Would not want to make the ride any more stiff or harsh than it is now.
I'm curious to know this too. Is the ride any stiffer? Especially over bumps and holes? I live in New York, where our roads are plagued with bumps and holes.
I'm curious to know this too. Is the ride any stiffer? Especially over bumps and holes? I live in New York, where our roads are plagued with bumps and holes.
There's a pretty good chance it actually improved the ride. The C4's flex is alot of why we feel the bumps when we go over them, because the middle rails are basically an undampened spring with how poorly they were put together (compared to later cars at least)
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
I installed them on my 91 coupe and loved them. NO drilling. Now if you put them on an 84-85 you will have to drill and tap some holes at the front of the frame but Jason will be glad to give you instructions.
The very first test I did was to drive my 100,000 + mile car over a set of 3 railroad tracks near my home before I installed them (sans targa). Then I ran over the same tracks after the install. What a positive difference in ride quality!
I also drove my favorite twisty road course with the targa off and loved the feel. It felt like a new car.
I used a tape measure and found that the bars are not the low point of the car either.
I sold my bars to a Forum member earlier this year before I sold the 91 as I did not think I would recover the cost. If I recall, he lived somewhere near the East Coast. Maybe he will chime in with how he liked them.
Could you not get the same results by just welding a steel tube of the same size (dia/wall thkness/length) onto the frame in the same location?
If you wanted "preload", just support the frame on each side/in the middle before welding.
10-13-2014, 04:04 PM
"No-Flex" NOW... I'm a Believer!
