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I think the last thread on the Vette2Vette frame stiffeners was in 2022, i finished the installation yesterday and went out for a road test, so i thought I'd share my experience with them.
Install was straightforward. Having read prior threads, concern was expressed about weld quality. The brackets i received had the welds ground and polished, so the appearance of the brackets was top notch. As to adjustment, i followed the the instructions that came with the kit, stating in effect to adjust the ride to driver preference. This is how i adjusted the setup - I found the neutral spot for both tensioning rods, i.e., initially able to turn the rod by hand, then using a wrench, gently turning the rod inward, pulling the Heim joints toward each other until i felt resistance. At this point, i turned each rod in one full revolution and decided i was good to go for a road test which revealed 3 behaviors not prior evident when without the stiffeners.
Behavior #1. Immediately upon backing out from the concrete floor to small river rock parking lot surface, on to the road, i noticed the absence of creaking. As i live at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills, i was looking forward to taking my usual test drive through the curves of the foothills. Coming to the crest of a hill where there's a nasty sharp dip in a turn, there was creaking, but not as much as in the past; i.e., going over that dip in the past, with sustained creaking heard throughout suspension compression/rebound. After this first pass, i stopped for a 2nd adjustment, tightening the rods a second full turn, drove over the dip again, creaking was more brief, actually more of a chirp than a creak, so tightened the rods one more revolution for a total of 3, 3rd pass through the dip, the creak even more brief. Throughout the remainder to the 70 mile ride, sharp turns, road surface irregularities that in the past yielded creaking, besides that nasty dip in a turn, i only had one instance of creaking the entire drive.
Behavior #2. Steering was beyond a doubt more crisp and precise. Understand that i consider myself a world-class skeptic, so for me to notice this change in ride, what i was experiencing, albeit subjective, still was not my imagination nor wishful thinking. By crisp and precise, i mean body roll was limited through the turns, has a controlled feel. Crisp being less roll, my upper body being more with the car in the turn than attention given to keeping myself upright. Precise being more road feel, less flex, feeling more input from the road through the suspension into my butt in the seat. Greater confidence in turns, i.e., feeling secure going 15 to 30 mph faster in turns than posted speed.
Behavior #3. Less wind noise. I can only imagine with less torsional stress on the body, there was less leakage between glass and body surfaces against the different sealing rubber surfaces.
Last edited by Steve Swan; Dec 26, 2024 at 01:10 AM.
What is it that you would like pics of? I did not take any of the work in progress, as i found abundant information on the internet. The clearest writeup is what i referred to, to prepare myself for carrying out the job is this MotorTrend article. https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/17...s-no-flex-kit/
i did not follow the article's instruction for adjusting the tensioner rods. as i mentioned in my writeup, i adjusted the rods as per V2V instructions.
I think the last thread on the Vette2Vette frame stiffeners was in 2022, i finished the installation yesterday and went out for a road test, so i thought I'd share my experience with them.
Install was straightforward. Having read prior threads, concern was expressed about weld quality. The brackets i received had the welds ground and polished, so the appearance of the brackets was top notch. As to adjustment, i followed the the instructions that came with the kit, stating in effect to adjust the ride to driver preference. This is how i adjusted the setup - I found the neutral spot for both tensioning rods, i.e., initially able to turn the rod by hand, then using a wrench, gently turning the rod inward, pulling the Heim joints toward each other until i felt resistance. At this point, i turned each rod in one full revolution and decided i was good to go for a road test which revealed 3 behaviors not prior evident when without the stiffeners.
Behavior #1. Immediately upon backing out from the concrete floor to small river rock parking lot surface, on to the road, i noticed the absence of creaking. As i live at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills, i was looking forward to taking my usual test drive through the curves of the foothills. Coming to the crest of a hill where there's a nasty sharp dip in a turn, there was creaking, but not as much as in the past; i.e., going over that dip in the past, with sustained creaking heard throughout suspension compression/rebound. After this first pass, i stopped for a 2nd adjustment, tightening the rods a second full turn, drove over the dip again, creaking was more brief, actually more of a chirp than a creak, so tightened the rods one more revolution for a total of 3, 3rd pass through the dip, the creak even more brief. Throughout the remainder to the 70 mile ride, sharp turns, road surface irregularities that in the past yielded creaking, besides that nasty dip in a turn, i only had one instance of creaking the entire drive.
Behavior #2. Steering was beyond a doubt more crisp and precise. Understand that i consider myself a world-class skeptic, so for me to notice this change in ride, what i was experiencing, albeit subjective, still was not my imagination nor wishful thinking. By crisp and precise, i mean body roll was limited through the turns, has a controlled feel. Crisp being less roll, my upper body being more with the car in the turn than attention given to keeping myself upright. Precise being more road feel, less flex, feeling more input from the road through the suspension into my butt in the seat. Greater confidence in turns, i.e., feeling secure going 15 to 30 mph faster in turns than posted speed.
Behavior #3. Less wind noise. I can only imagine with less torsional stress on the body, there was less leakage between glass and body surfaces against the different sealing rubber surfaces.
Has anybody removed the convertible X brace and installed this instead or in tandem?
Nice write up. The wife bought me these for Christmas. God bless her lol. I plan on doing the install when the weather is a little better here in good old Delaware.
Nice write up. The wife bought me these for Christmas. God bless her lol. I plan on doing the install when the weather is a little better here in good old Delaware.
@Faceman89 My experience matches others' reports. As i mentioned, i'm a skeptic, but the difference they make is undeniable to me. I'll look forward to hearing your experience.
Last edited by Steve Swan; Dec 27, 2024 at 01:08 AM.
Has anybody removed the convertible X brace and installed this instead or in tandem?
@Beeline06 My thread searching prior to my purchase of the stiffeners, i found some posts about the X-brace, but what i read, i didn't feel was particularly informative. It would be good if someone could comment. I also looked at other forums, but whatever i may have found is not memorable.
I have a convertible X brace but never installed, i would imagine the combo of both would stiffen her up a bit. Maybe over kill who knows
@rickyrj1 With not knowing different nor having firsthand experience, intuitively, i'd think both would be overkill, but that's just an opinion based on not knowing anything. i do seem to recall with the X-brace, that in order to do any transmission work, the brace needed to be removed.
Do you have a QuickJack by chance, and if so - have you checked to see if you can still place the pads the same way for the QuickJack to lift? Asking for a friend....
Do you have a QuickJack by chance, and if so - have you checked to see if you can still place the pads the same way for the QuickJack to lift? Asking for a friend....
i use home-made wood wheel cribs made of 2x4's. i am not for 100% certain, but i seem to recall quick jacks can't be used. using a standard floor jack, space is limited with the stiffeners, but remains accessible.
Do you have a QuickJack by chance, and if so - have you checked to see if you can still place the pads the same way for the QuickJack to lift? Asking for a friend....
A quick note, I lift the car by placing a hockey puck at the V2V brace on both ends, or the pads on the lift in the same place.
I am Very excited to feel the difference in my car this week after replacing all ( except the batwing) bushings with Super Pro , ball joints, end links and V2V bars!
I am Very excited to feel the difference in my car this week after replacing all ( except the batwing) bushings with Super Pro , ball joints, end links and V2V bars!
I noticed a major improvement when I installed the V2V kit. I’m really curious how your SuperPro bushings will feel being you’re doing them both at once. I just got done installing the SuperPro bushings into my control arms. Just need to install them.
@914nickd as did @Faceman89 i installed SuperPro's this winter past and V2V stiffeners, winter 24/25. The stiffeners by themselves made a significantly perceptible difference. Adding the SuperPro's along with RideTech's, some Van Steel links front and rear (excluding long rear dog bones), new ball joints and tie rod ends, my '94 LT1 base is literally a different car, handling almost on par with my LT4. I can't imagine you would be unhappy.
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V2V Frame Stiffeners Road Report
