BoneDoc Posted April 24, 2010 Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 anyone know when/if Shelby will be coming out with the "official" version of the strut tower brace for the SS crowd? Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbackg Posted April 24, 2010 Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 If you have a vert or the 605HP option. and installed the SVT HANDLING PACK FRPP M-2007-FR3SVT suspension setup. The SS then should have came with the FRPP 2007-2009 MUSTANG SVT STRUT BRACE - part # M-20201-C = standard on the KR. If you have the 725+HP setup, KB SC, you will have to lower the engine to install the M-20201-C - STRUT BRACE. I believe TASCA did this and AmyB, and the original prototype. Also, if you opted to upgrade to the Eibach pro suspension setup on the 605HP package, the M-20201-C - STRUT BRACE may not have been installed. the M-20201-C - STRUT BRACE retail for about $250. http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php?/topic/42053-ss-strut-tower-brace/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtt500 Posted April 24, 2010 Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 anyone know when/if Shelby will be coming out with the "official" version of the strut tower brace for the SS crowd? Ron I believe Chicane Motorsports may be making one for Shelby and the SS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDoc Posted April 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 Thanks everyone. A few months ago Reg M. (member of this board) started making the prototype STB's that fit the 07-09 725 HP cars and a few members have purchased them (including VIPRETR).... I saw John (VIPRETR's) last week in person and it is a very clean look. Does not require that the engine is lowered. Reg tells me that SAI will soon make it an "official" mod and sell retroactively to SS owners. I was just wondering where in the process that is? would love to get a STB on her this summer but have been waiting for the "official" version. I will email Reg and see where we stand. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Posted April 24, 2010 Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 If you have a vert or the 605HP option. and installed the SVT HANDLING PACK FRPP M-2007-FR3SVT suspension setup. The SS then should have came with the FRPP 2007-2009 MUSTANG SVT STRUT BRACE - part # M-20201-C = standard on the KR. If you have the 725+HP setup, KB SC, you will have to lower the engine to install the M-20201-C - STRUT BRACE. I believe TASCA did this and AmyB, and the original prototype. Also, if you opted to upgrade to the Eibach pro suspension setup on the 605HP package, the M-20201-C - STRUT BRACE may not have been installed. the M-20201-C - STRUT BRACE retail for about $250. http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php?/topic/42053-ss-strut-tower-brace/ No engine lowering for me, but here is what Reg had made up a few months ago, not "official", but this is what SAI was looking at (via Reg) to have produced for the 725/750. I hear through the grape vine that the SS production is slow right now, this may put a hold on any "official" new offerings. Of course I couldn't leave it alone (plain/flat). This large flat item becomes the a center point of focus when the hood is open.......I had to have it engraved.................... **Pictures removed at this time.** I also had a Black STB engraved. I have not installed it yet to compare "the look". I had the Black STB re-powder coated in the same Black finish (less shine) as the Upgrade Cooling System reserviors so all will match, once everything is installed. BUT, that Polished STB does look Great, IMHO!! Thanks again for the R&D Reg!! R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDoc Posted April 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 Robert that looks great. have you had any issues with rubbing anywhere? Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Posted April 24, 2010 Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 Robert that looks great. have you had any issues with rubbing anywhere? Ron Thanks Ron. It does not touch the hood vents when the hood is closed, but I must admit that I have not driven the car. It is in the back corner of my garage and blocked in by two other cars. With the hood vents located as they are on the Super Snake hood, there really is no other way to position this brace, any further back and it would hit the vents, any further forward and I think it would hit the plenum area. With a smaller blower, a brace can be positioned rearward, but with the size of the KB, there is not a lot of room. I do not expect any contact issues. R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercompdad Posted April 24, 2010 Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 I like it! I want one. Keep me posted whoever might be making these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poohtang Posted April 25, 2010 Report Share Posted April 25, 2010 I posted a picture of the prototype strut tower brace I had on my Super Snake in January. I now have a first production unit on my car and it is beautiful! I have the Kenne Bell blower and the bar required no mods to the engine at all. It is a carbon fiber wrapped aluminum bar with billet machined end fittings. It sweeps in a nice arc to clear the blower and the heat extractor vents on the hood. Really nice look to the bar and it really complements the touches the Snake already has. It is made by Joe Gozinski at Chicane Sports Tuning in Torrance, CA. I along with several other Snakes will be at the Fabulous Fords Forever show tomorrow (Sunday or really in just a few hours). Come by and take a look. You will want this bar. He has some other cool 'toys' as well. Chicane's number is 310 782-0063. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDoc Posted April 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2010 I posted a picture of the prototype strut tower brace I had on my Super Snake in January. I now have a first production unit on my car and it is beautiful! I have the Kenne Bell blower and the bar required no mods to the engine at all. It is a carbon fiber wrapped aluminum bar with billet machined end fittings. It sweeps in a nice arc to clear the blower and the heat extractor vents on the hood. Really nice look to the bar and it really complements the touches the Snake already has. It is made by Joe Gozinski at Chicane Sports Tuning in Torrance, CA. I along with several other Snakes will be at the Fabulous Fords Forever show tomorrow (Sunday or really in just a few hours). Come by and take a look. You will want this bar. He has some other cool 'toys' as well. Chicane's number is 310 782-0063. would you post pics when you have a chance please? Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Posted April 25, 2010 Report Share Posted April 25, 2010 would you post pics when you have a chance please? Ron +1 R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of GT Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 I posted a picture of the prototype strut tower brace I had on my Super Snake in January. I now have a first production unit on my car and it is beautiful! I have the Kenne Bell blower and the bar required no mods to the engine at all. It is a carbon fiber wrapped aluminum bar with billet machined end fittings. It sweeps in a nice arc to clear the blower and the heat extractor vents on the hood. Really nice look to the bar and it really complements the touches the Snake already has. It is made by Joe Gozinski at Chicane Sports Tuning in Torrance, CA. I along with several other Snakes will be at the Fabulous Fords Forever show tomorrow (Sunday or really in just a few hours). Come by and take a look. You will want this bar. He has some other cool 'toys' as well. Chicane's number is 310 782-0063. I agree G. The strut tower caps are a work of art. The machining of the caps flow like water as opposed to multiple right and left angle cuts that are normally assoctated with milled aluminum. And just like G says above, the brace itself has a true CF finish to it. Joe is a perfectionist and he has been working this STB for over a year now just to make sure that it's.... well...perfect. Those of you in the market for a STB would really do yourself justice to contact Joe @ Chicane before you make your purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 A couple questions that I have about GT500 STB's in general....... Why is the STB for the KR so massive in comparision to the noodle STB that was originally designed for the GT500 Shelby? I do not compete my car so I am not familiar, but what additional forces are present during hard cornering, that the original noodle was deemed insufficient by SVE? I would guess a convert. would have additional concerns? Has anyone changed their original noodle for a larger KR bar and noticed any flex difference in their convert.? Back to the original question................Why is the GT500KR STB so massive?? I don't remember this large bar being available though FRPP before the KR production, so apparently it was a KR design first, and then brought to the FRPP world? R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poohtang Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 The Knotts show was great with LOTS of Shelbys and maybe 10 SSs. Anyway, I shot some photos and will try to download and post some of the strut bar tonight. You see it had the Enis seal of approval as well!! Stay tuned for photos, but call Joe to get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of GT Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 A couple questions that I have about GT500 STB's in general....... Why is the STB for the KR so massive in comparision to the noodle STB that was originally designed for the GT500 Shelby? I do not compete my car so I am not familiar, but what additional forces are present during hard cornering, that the original noodle was deemed insufficient by SVE? I would guess a convert. would have additional concerns? Has anyone changed their original noodle for a larger KR bar and noticed any flex difference in their convert.? Back to the original question................Why is the GT500KR STB so massive?? I don't remember this large bar being available though FRPP before the KR production, so apparently it was a KR design first, and then brought to the FRPP world? R Robert, I do have an SS convertible, and the STB that was installed on my car (2007, TVS blower) during the SS conversion was the FRPP STB that was later also installed on the KR's too, and I can tell you that there has been a tremendous reduction of body and windsheld frame flex since it was installed on my car. As to your question as to why FoMoCo installed the smaller diameter STB on all GT500's instead of the larger FRPP brace, under hard cornering there is a significant amount of cowl/body deflection that occurs, so Ford Racing decided that a larger, stronger, STB should be installed in order to further reduce the cowl/body deflection under those circumstances that the smaller "stock" bar could not do. Keeping the shock towers stiff and stationary allows the front suspension to do it's job properly. If they weren't tied together, then the towers would flex and bend, and that action would change the front end's caster and camber, and the shock absorbers themselves would also shift from their proper geometric alignment and that could cause the tire to lift off the pavement at a moment when you would definately want it planted down to the ground as firmly as possible. Joe's STB has the same stiffening properties that the FRPP brace does, but it's significantly lighter that the FRPP brace (and more attractive too). The other difference is that the FRPP brace only mounts to two locations on each tower, and Joe's brace mounts on all four points of each tower which adds to the tower's stiffness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SHELBYSS Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 would you post pics when you have a chance please? Ron I have my name on the list with Joe, he is a really nice guy, and it sounds like these bars are not to far away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertlane Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 No engine lowering for me, but here is what Reg had made up a few months ago, not "official", but this is what SAI was looking at (via Reg) to have produced for the 725/750. I hear through the grape vine that the SS production is slow right now, this may put a hold on any "official" new offerings. Of course I couldn't leave it alone (plain/flat). This large flat item becomes the a center point of focus when the hood is open.......I had to have it engraved.................... I also had a Black STB engraved. I have not installed it yet to compare "the look". I had the Black STB re-powder coated in the same Black finish (less shine) as the Upgrade Cooling System reserviors so all wIll match, once everything is installed. BUT, that Polished STB does look Great, IMHO!! Thanks again for the R&D Reg!! R I just spoke with the mod shop and these SuperSnake strut tower braces were rejected by Shelby due to flexing issues. Shelby tried them on two different SuperSnake GT500 models and they both flexed toward the center, so these were not approved for usage. We are looking at a few other designs, one is promising. We'll have an update on this after tomorrow's SPP meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 I just spoke with the mod shop and these SuperSnake strut tower braces were rejected by Shelby due to flexing issues. Shelby tried them on two different SuperSnake GT500 models and they both flexed toward the center, so these were not approved for usage. We are looking at a few other designs, one is promising. We'll have an update on this after tomorrow's SPP meeting. Thank you for the insite Robert. Thankfully I do not "stretch" my car and only do the car show thing. R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDoc Posted April 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 thanks Robert for the update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 From what I understand, the standard version of this STB fits the smaller blowers and a different or additional bracket set is required for fitment over the KB and bigger Whipple. Those brackets are additional cost to the standard STB. It looks like a very nice piece. R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossreg Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Guy's I have avoided commenting on the strut tower brace I've prototyped due to the fact that I have yet to submit the final configuration to Gary D. for testing and approval....as with all R & D there are lots of unknowns that surface during the process. In my meeting at SAI in Jan there are several tweaks that were recommended and I'm in the process of addressing. The biggest issue was that the brace fit under some hoods but not others....so to get feedback I've sent some out for fit check and to date have not had any problems reported...so fit under the hood is solved......the unit when bolted down in my car exhibits little or no flex and feels great....it's a hell of a lot better than nothing...I talked to Robert L today and the final version is going to be resubmitted in the next 2 weeks for approval and if/when it's approved SPP is interested in selling them in the store.... Sorry it's taken so long to get this finalized but my first priority is to make sure 50 people get paid every week and anyone who has their own business knows it's a 24hr job.....Reg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt A Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Will this item work with a stock GT500 hood/KB blower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDoc Posted April 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Curt i doubt it but i will defer to Robert or Reg Reg i like the appearance of your STB and would wait for yours if you can get it stiffened up enought to pass muster at SAI.... keep me informed! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossreg Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Will this item work with a stock GT500 hood/KB blower? not yet...will probably be the next one we work on....will have to move the strut back closer to the cowl I think.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Curt i doubt it but i will defer to Robert or Reg Reg i like the appearance of your STB and would wait for yours if you can get it stiffened up enought to pass muster at SAI.... keep me informed! Ron Was there a stiffness/flexing issue? or was there some possibly some confusion as to which bar or bars were tested among the bars that have been submitted for testing at SAI? From what I understand/understood, there was a "fitment" issue with Reg's bar and it needed some revision for hood vent clearance. I can understand this since there have been multiple hood revisions. I remember this mentioned back in January (as Reg has mentioned). I also seem to remember that the hood vent on one side cleared, but the other side touched the bar, some bar revision was required. Now he (Reg) has responded and that seems to comfirm this information and he has been working directly with Gary D. It sounds like the bars that have been offered by Reg (not engraved), have been used as a test bed for fitment among multiple Super Snakes for a final bar design to be produced and offered for SAI testing. My question is........under certain conditions, wouldn't any of these 2-point bars flex, even slightly?, especially if it is not a straight shot from shock tower to shock tower? and a very thick material? R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of GT Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Just to avoid any confusion for those who are interested in this subject, "Bossreg" builds the polished aluminum, flat stock STB's, and Joe @ Chicane builds the aluminum/CF brace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertlane Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 The flat style bars are being fitted with extra bracing. The strut tower caps for the carbon styled one for the SS are being reworked. When they are done, they will tested again and if they prove out, slated for production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 The flat style bars are being fitted with extra bracing. The strut tower caps for the carbon styled one for the SS are being reworked. When they are done, they will tested again and if they prove out, slated for production. Robert - That sounds Great!! Two completely unique STB options for the Super Snake (if they pass testing), Cool!! One other thing that Joe (CF look STB) had mentioned to me............His end caps will also provide for the "5th bolt" on the top of the strut tower. This 5th bolt is in place when the caster camber plates are used. On a different subject, are there any plans in the works for a wider rear wheel? <<and this is not to open a can of worms, but instead to find out if there is something in the background at SA (like these STB's have been), that we can possibly look forward to as Super Snake owners. R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT500-2007 Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 Guy's I have avoided commenting on the strut tower brace I've prototyped due to the fact that I have yet to submit the final configuration to Gary D. for testing and approval....as with all R & D there are lots of unknowns that surface during the process. In my meeting at SAI in Jan there are several tweaks that were recommended and I'm in the process of addressing. The biggest issue was that the brace fit under some hoods but not others....so to get feedback I've sent some out for fit check and to date have not had any problems reported...so fit under the hood is solved......the unit when bolted down in my car exhibits little or no flex and feels great....it's a hell of a lot better than nothing...I talked to Robert L today and the final version is going to be resubmitted in the next 2 weeks for approval and if/when it's approved SPP is interested in selling them in the store.... Sorry it's taken so long to get this finalized but my first priority is to make sure 50 people get paid every week and anyone who has their own business knows it's a 24hr job.....Reg I can vouch for Reg's brace. It's been on my SS now for a while and have had no probelms. Have run the car at high speeds and through the turns and so far no rub issues. Also have gotton a lot of positive comments on it at the shows. I went with the polished option and it looks great with the poslished KB. No complaints and the car feals really solid now. Just my 2 cents... :happy feet: GT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500forme Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 I can vouch for Reg's brace. It's been on my SS now for a while and have had no probelms. Have run the car at high speeds and through the turns and so far no rub issues. Also have gotton a lot of positive comments on it at the shows. I went with the polished option and it looks great with the poslished KB. No complaints and the car feals really solid now. Just my 2 cents... :happy feet: GT +1 on this strut tower brace. Looks awesome with nothing but positive feedback and absolutely no fit issues after several hundred miles on it. I highly recomend this brace for overall appearance and function. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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