1995 3000GT VR-4: TEC Front Strut Tower Brace

• Why Do I Want To Do This?

  • Bracing the strut towers increases chassis stiffness, which, in general yields better handling...
  • Stiffening the front of the chassis increases steering precision and feedback
  • It looks pretty cool, too :-)




• How Long Will It Take Me To Do This?

  • About an hour.




• Anything I Should Do Prior To Attempting This Procedure?

  • Make sure you have a slightly smaller-than-stock battery (an Optima Red Top will do). Battery dimensions should be no larger than H = 6.75" x W = 6.813" x L = 9.75"




• What Mitsubishi Parts Will I Need?

  • None




• What Other Parts Will I Need?

  • TEC 3000GT Front Strut Tower Brace




• Pictures of the Brace Before Installation

  • 
    The battery brace...
  • 
    The whole brace...
  • 
    Closeups of the battery end...




• Where Can I Get the Stuff To Do This?

  	Part	Company/Contact	Part Number
  	TEC 3000GT Front Strut Tower Brace	TEC Performance	N/A





• What Tools May/Will I Need?

  • Phillips Screwdriver (#2)
  • 14mm 3/8" Drive Socket or Wrench
  • 12mm 3/8" Drive Socket or Wrench
  • 11mm 3/8" Drive Socket or Wrench
  • 10mm 3/8" Drive Socket Deep Socket
  • 10mm open-ended wrench
  • 11/32" 3/8" Drive Socket or Wrench
  • 3/8" Drive Socket Wrench
  • 3/8" Drive Torque Wrench




• Erik's Review

  • In summary, I'm very pleased with the brace's quality,
    performance, and looks; and Chris is a pleasure to do
    business with.
    
    The brace:  very sturdy; fits like a glove; battery
    bracket is beautifully integrated and holds the battery
    more securely than the stock bracket; installation was
    pretty simple; powder coating looks great.
    
    Performance:  I noticed a marked increase in steering
    precision/feedback (wasn't expecting this).  There's
    more force "pulling" the wheel back toward the center
    when you turn, and there's less play or delay in the 
    steering input reaching the wheels.  Maybe a tad more
    chassis vibration transmitted to your seat, but not an
    annoying level by any means.  Road feel through the 
    chassis and steering wheel is enhanced as well.  This
    brace, coupled with a rear brace seem to have removed
    much of the understeer in my VR-4.  In fact, I got
    tail-happy in the slaloms a few times when I was
    experimenting.  I was very happy with the performanc
    e of my car at this weekend's auto-x and driving
    school(9 hours).
    
    Chris (Thorne):  He was very up-front during the
    development process and delivered as promised.  The
    brace is expensive, but after seeing it and installing
    it, I don't have so much of a problem with the cost.
    Further, I originally ordered a "Black Chrome" brace,
    thinking that it was black with a mirror finish that 
    would match my black car.  I was surprised when I 
    received my brace and it was a smoky chrome finish. 
    I thought there'd been a mistake until Chris explained
    what Black Chrome is.   At that point, he offered to
    exchange mine for a plain black one (I didn't even have
    to ask).  I paid to send it back (WA to PA) and then he
    *overnighted* me a new one.  Needless to say I was 
    impressed and have no qualms recommending him as
    someone to do business with.
    

The Procedure

	Remove the Left Battery Hold Down Bar Nut
	A 10mm socket will do the trick. Also remove the nut that holds the hard vacuum line stay (TT cars only).
	Remove the Right Battery Hold Down Bar Nut
	A 10mm socket or wrench will do the trick. The battery hold down bracket is now free, so remove it from the engine bay.
	[Optional] Remove Battery Terminals
	You'll need to do this if you're replacing your stock battery with a smaller one. I needed a 10mm and 12mm wrench to remove the terminals. Always disconnect the negative terminal before the positive terminal. If you're not replacing your battery, just be sure the positive terminal is covered with a towel or something non-conductive, lest you drop a wrench onto it and weld your wrench to your frame. I, of course, have had no personal experience with this situation, specifically not with a 1985 Toyota Tercel. :-)
	[Optional] Remove Battery and Swap for New One
	Remove Nuts on the Upper Strut Mount.
	Use a 14mm socket or wrench to remove the three nuts holding the upper strut mount. Be sure the car is on the ground at this point, as you don't want your strut to fall off the car. After this, you will be able to lift up the dust cover (ECS cars only). Be careful of the ECS wire running through the dust cover, and you may want to slide the ECS wiring harness connector off of the metal stay attached to the rear nut. Repeat for other side.
	Remove the Bracket that the ECS Wiring Harness Attaches To
	You need to remove the metal bracket from the rubber dust cover. Just pull and wiggle. It'll come out. Repeat for other side.
	Modify the Rear Bracket on the Dust Cover
	Using a Dremel tool (or something similar), cut off the straight part of the bracket as shown in the picture. This allows the brace to mount to the strut tower without interfering with the bracket. Repeat for other side.
	Attach the New Battery Bracket To the Strut Tower Brace
	Assemble the new battery bracket as shown in the picture using the supplied hardware. Attach it to the brace with the 11mm nuts and place the brace into the car, aligning it with the studs on the upper strut mount. The smaller nuts on the battery brace are 11/32". Once the brace is settled, adjust the battery bracket so that it securely holds the battery in place. You'll also need to put the stock rod that goes alongside the battery (on the driver's side) into the hole in the new battery bracket and attach the "hook" end to the battery tray. Then, put the spacer on the rod and use the stock washer and nut to secure it. Then attach the bracket for the hard vacuum line as it is in the stock configuration. I forgot to do the rod/washer/nut/bracket thing at this point, so I ended up doing it later (harder). You'll see it in the final picture.
	Reattach the Upper Strut Nuts.
	Use a 14mm socket or wrench reinstall the nuts over the strut tower brace. Tighten them to 33 ft-lbs. Theoretically, you should have the dust cover reinstalled at this point, but I was unable to get the brace to fit with the dust cover in place. Thus I removed the two brackets that usually go under the nuts to hold down the dust cover. My dust covers are now only anchored with the outer nut/bracket and fit snugly between the strut tower and the brace. Repeat for other side. Update July, 2003 I've found that by removing the metal brackets from the front and side parts of the ECS dust cover, securing the nuts with the brackets installed under them, and then feeding the dust cap onto the brackets, I can securely attach the dust covers with the brace installed.
	Finish with the Battery Bracket and Dust Cover.
	Finish tightening down the battery bracket to securely hold the battery in place. Tighten the third 14mm nut on the strut mount stud after attaching the dust cover (if you haven't already done this). This nut also needs to be tightened to 33ft-lbs.
	Admire Your Finished Work