DrDyno

You may want to PM LT5CORSA and compare his adjustment (threads showing) with your own.

Tom400CFI

No issue that I know of...just conflicting reports makes it hard to understand or know what to believe. That shouldn't be hard to understand.

To further this point, Guys are recommending counting threads....you say cars had variations in tolerances which I agree with, so which is it? Can we count on, counting threads w/accuracy for set up? Or not?

See what I mean. Forums are for GOOD information. When you're getting mix/matched, crossed up unfo....it gets weird.

grandspt

DrDyno I am not sure I understand pming LT5CORSA'. I posted I have about 4-5 threads exposed.
And I am satisfied with the way the bars perform. Honestly in 19 years I have removed my roof panel about 18 times!
Meaning I did not purchase the vette2vette bars for open air cruising I did it to tighten up the car and get rid of the creaks and some rattles which the bars did take care of.
I have always had a creak/pop noise coming from my roof panel when I hit a large bump in the road but after installation of the bars I got rid of the noises.

grandspt

Well Tom you seem to be a skeptic and your probably happy with the way your car feels. I was not!
I never said that 4-5 threads are going to help the OP but this worked on my car.
You have to try different settings it is a threaded heim rod after all every car is different spot weld,s metal fatigue, etc..
Again tolerances see what I mean?

Tom400CFI

I AM a skeptic, and I am also NOT happy w/my frame's flex. That doesn't mean I'll spend $$$ until I'm convinced.


I know you didn't. Others did. Hence my point about conflicting information.


I completely agree. Said that already.

grandspt

Then I guess Tom we agree on almost everything ;-)
Hey look I am not trying to sell their product I even had a powder coating issue with them after I installed them and I was pi$$ed, I contacted them and they did take care of the issue but for the money I wasn't happy that I had this issue.
I was just trying to give some advice to the OP about something I own. If it helps great if not then I tried.
I wish there was something else that would stiffen the car even further but I don't want to install a cage.
I am 52 and have already had two cars in the past that had cages that were street driven. Climbing into the Vette is a pain in itself without a cage!

Tom400CFI

Copy all that. I wish there were something better too. I've day dreamt about producing tube steel inserts, that get welded INSIDE the rocker rails, rear and front. No one would buy 'em, b/c there is cutting/welding involved, but I think that would be "gold standard" for rocker rail stiffness improvement....w/o loading the spot welds.

grandspt

Yep, I thought about breaking out my mig welder and fabricating some type of support bars but I just don't have the b$lls to cut up my GrandSport.

tjwong

I installed the bars for Tom, however with the bars installed in a relaxed state, I don't the stated 4 threads showing on each heim joint. I tightened them up by one turn (bars going shorter) meaning pulling the front and rear ends closer. Tom came back in for a rattle and I have readjusted them tightening them up another turn (shorter again) I have barely 2 threads showing between the heim and the lock nut. Unless this car is different than the others or the bars themselves are longer there is no way I can have 4 threads showing between the lock nut and the heim. Now if I were to make the bar longer (pushing the frame apart) I can get the stated thread count.

DrDyno

Hi TJ,

As Jason explained to me, there are variances between cars that cause variances in the adjustment. 2-threads seems tight to me but, more importantly, how does the car handle?

C409

...... To me , the real question is ... Does the car REALLY handle measurably better with the bars as compared to without the bars ... or is this just an anti squeak and pop expense ? .......

DrDyno

The car REALLY handles better. If you want to see for yourself, I'm in St. Pete. PM me and we can meet for a test ride. I certainly wouldn't offer that if I wasn't sure you'd be impressed.

MavsAK

If my Z-28 were closer to being road worthy, I've given serious thought to sending the car to a race shop, and having them reweld the frame wells with full welds instead of spot welds, or replacing the rails with a stiffer higher strength steel.

Barchetta

As TJ stated, we dont have four threads.

Additionally we noticed while on the lift the black powder coating or paint is comming off and notice a bit of rust. Not acceptable for such an expensive part.

DrDyno... To be honest I really dont notice a dramatic difference with targa on, it still shakes as before with targa off.

DrDyno

Thanks, Barchetta. First, in the interest of the OP's goal, allow me to submit that I have honestly been impressed with the No Flex stiffeners. I'm not on commission and I don't get any bennies for supporting their performance. There are so many mods on the market that make absolutely no difference that when I found one that worked (for me), I wanted others in the C4 family to know about it.

If you're not realizing those same benefits that I am (and others are) call Jason and have that discussion with him. I'm sure he'd be interested in why your car is down to two threads and what can be done to improve their performance.

pologreen1

Not saying they don't work I just don't get logically how they work. I realize on other cars how a weld in subframe connector works, but in this case I think the best option in reality would be the R&D X frame brace which IIRC was a copy of the GM vert brace but boxed in and thicker metal. I would like one of those on my vert. I don't like the stock one, BUT I do think it helps because of the mounting points involved.

DrDyno

Right, Pologreen1, they don't seem to make much sense. However, scroll down the following link for the manufacturer's explanation. That may help.

https://www.vette2vette.com/?q=produ...r-bar-system-5

pologreen1

Sounds good but in my mind if I have a rectangle of 2x4 boards and I put 2 more thin vertically with plywood on top to stabilize the flex an X or horizontal from 2x4 side to side would serve better. No real idea or proof and don't care, I don't think they matter unless they do work and track to improve track times and can't get a c5+.

Barchetta

Actually the theory behind the way these bars are advertised to work by the manufactuer is one reason why I purchased them. In theory it sounds logical. However it has been my experience so far that they dont work. It could be an adjustment issue perhaps, but I can’t see how one C4 is able to have many threads to adjust and my C4 there isn’t.

ex-x-fire

I bet if someone made balsa wood patterned off of the floor boards (tied it into the toe boards, behind the seats, along the pinch welds, & a couple cross braces for the tunnel) it would stiffen up the whole car. Isn't this what they did with the c5?