Front Strut Tower Brace for 1990 to 1996 Q45 (G50)

[ponzy]

thanks, heath...............i am still awaiting for the usb-consult........when engine is all good, i can focus on the suspension aspect..... i have these already: FSTB; tokiko front/rear; Eibachs; FSB/RSB; most rubbers (stock Front links/bracket front and rear; poly RSB link); spl subframe collar; if the car runs good i'll convince myself to buy the adjustables

[Clyons0203]

I would like one. When will the next batch be out and ready?

[bruce.weiland]

Jeff,

Thank you. The bar got here, but FedEx goofed, I think.

The FedEx guy was headed back to his truck when I drove up. There was a nice box on my porch.

One end of the box was slightly open, the other end had no tape on it and was gaping. The box contained the beautiful bar, the instructions and two shock tower caps.

I must assume that the two bolts that attach the bar to the hats fell out during shipping.

Anything special about the bolts?

Can I just go to the local hardware store and get two bolts of appropriate length and gauge?

As soon as my Q is back from the body shop (rear ended two weeks ago) I can put on the bar, put in the ECU and try my consult interface.

Thanks for all your wonderful work.

Bruce

[goody90q45]

Anything special about the bolts? Can I just go to the local hardware store and get two bolts of appropriate length and gauge?

I took the day off today to wax the Q so I went out and took some measurements. The bolt is an 8mm hex head X 1 3/4" long. Nut is 14mm. Both are chromed/plated to eliminate corrosion. Ace Hardware should have them cheap.

As soon as my Q is back from the body shop (rear ended two weeks ago) I can put on the bar, put in the ECU and try my consult interface.

What happened? The damage can't be too bad or the insurance company would have salvaged it out. Pics of your car's pain? You didn't mention it but hopefully your OK. I think you're in a good business to build a good case if you're not.

[bruce.weiland]

Mike,

Thanks for the reply, picture, specs and good wishes.

I should get the Q back tomorrow. It has been gone almost two weeks. The paint is in very good condition. The bumpers needed painting. They had been painted before I got the car. The paint did not match, was pealing and cracked in some areas.

The girl who (rolled into me, her words) had $25.?? worth of damage, according to her ins. company. The license plate carrier on her PT Cruiser hit square on my bumper just above the exhaust pipes. She submarined my bumper and the blue from her license plate was spread down from the middle of the bumper and under.

It appears she just tipped my exhaust and caused no damage. The chrome strip on the bumper is a $107 dollar part. The chrome strip was unharmed, but to properly paint the bumper it must be removed and is not reuseable.

Total cost to her ins. company $534 and change. I have worked out something to have the front bumper done at the same time.

After the abrupt impact I went to the office and got adjusted. I noticed some neck and upper back stiffness intermintently through out the day. I got adjusted again before going home. I woke up about three times during the night with neck discomfort (a 6 on a zero to 10 scale). And remember this was a very light impact. Since I am here in the LA area, about 1/3 of my practice are auto accident victums with considerably more impact than I received.

I woke up the next day with a heck of a headache. I went to the office had an exam done and we took some flexion/extension views of my neck. I was surprised at the positive finding in the exam and on the x-rays.

The ins. co. is quit happy that I am not filing a personal injury claim. I can get very good care here at my office (I have two assistant docs). I own the equipment, pay the doctors anyway and am in the office, so no real inconvenience.

The only real inconvenience is being without the Q for almost two weeks. My consult interface came the day after the car went to the shop. I was excited to get home and give it a try, until I remembered where my car was.

I didn't take any pictures. There were just those lines of blue running down the bumper.

Again, thanks for your interest and concern.

Bruce

[Q45man1]

Jeff,

Finally installed the FSTB over the weekend. I can feel the difference in handling especially in corners. It feels more tight and more assuring. Now I have to get the NICO ECU. Thanks for your hardwork and keep up the good work.

Percy

[Q45man1]

Hey Bruce,

Hopefully you'll feel better soon. Time to enjoy your Q again.

Percy

[bruce.weiland]

Thanks Percy.

I have the bar, the ECU, the consult and the Q. Now for a little time.

Bruce

PS We need to get together and see if we can include Jay in our get together too.

[bruce.weiland]

Jeff,

I just sent an email to you and Keith. However, the answer may also be instructive to other "active" Q owners.

I have a clearance problem on the drive side with the flanges on the hat and the hydraulic pipe going to the actuator/shock.

The question is, can I safely loosen the two bolts holding the fitting that the pipe goes into and rotate it clockwise to get the pipe back far enough from the flanges?

If you don't get a chance to reply here, I will post your and/or Keith's answer.

Bruce

[bruce.weiland]

OK.

Already got a reply from Jeff.

The answer is YES.

He included some pictures from another active owner who had already done what I suggested above.

Thanks Jeff.

Bruce

[bruce.weiland]

Bar is in!.

I have only had this Q for a few hundred miles and only driven with the bar about 5 miles, but...

It seems that turn-in is much more precisely. Long sweeping curves at 40 plus mph take less wheel crank and the car seems more securly pointed.

The whole car just feels a bit tighter. Is this really possible or just my imagination?

If it does that for the front, I don't suppose there is anyway to put one in the back, is there?

[3Q Jay]

Thanks Percy.

I have the bar, the ECU, the consult and the Q. Now for a little time.

Bruce

PS We need to get together and see if we can include Jay in our get together too.

Hey Bruce- glad to hear your back and the Q is back. I'm the other active owner that rotated the ds hydraulic line. my observations were that the whole front of the car felt tighter even just in ordinary driving.

have you got the consult interface working? i have been unsuccessful so far, don't know if it's the modded ECU (which you also have--although i don't have the 4 or 8 program version), active (which you also have), or me.

yeah, let's do a get-to-gether- Percy, is yours also active? i must have missed that detial--hit me up offline.

Jay

[bruce.weiland]

have you got the consult interface working? i have been unsuccessful so far, don't know if it's the modded ECU (which you also have--although i don't have the 4 or 8 program version), active (which you also have), or me.

yeah, let's do a get-to-gether- Percy, is yours also active? i must have missed that detial--hit me up offline.

Jay

Jay,

Percy's Q's are not active. He was looking for a second Q about the same time I was. He looked at the one I bought about a month before I did. And before the price came down some. He chose not to "mess" with active.

We will have to do some emailing to schedule a time that will work for all. I will come out your way since you are both rather close to each other.

I haven't tried the consult yet. I thought I would tomorrow, but forgot about an all day seminar. I may get a chance on Tuesday. I haven't sent my core back yet, so if it doesn't work I will try it will the OEM ECU. However, I don't know why fuel and spark mapping should make any difference on the ECU function.

Talk at you later.

Bruce

[Jeff Williams]

Update March 30,2007

Hey! I am back!

Since my mom broke her ankle, I have been dragging her to her therapy sessions 2 days a week, and working my tail off the rest of the time to make up for the time away from the office and my customers.

The front lawn look like a lab experiment in dandylion growth, or something. The 4 black cars and 1 black truck look yellow with pollen. I haven't washed clothes in 2 weeks, and am on my second run through my underwear . And the 10 strut bars I have are is various stages of completion.

In addition to doing this, I am restoring my Corvette and writing a newsletter story about it for the local Corvette club. I hope to get the transmission out of the car tomorrow.

Bruce, I am sorry about the shipping problems. I bought some spare bolts from a local supplier, and he charged me $1 each with the nuts. I really don't like the chrome plated ones, because the chrome plating gauls up the threads easily. The zinc plated ones are the best, and the cadmiun plating are good, too.

I have 10 left to ship. 6 are paid for:

Jeff SchwennekerDon KramerDeryck AlexisDeryck AlexisThomas BrackinDanny McHale

3 are reserved, but payment has not been received:

Paul BierReuben FukeBlair Daines

And 1 is up for grabs.

I will call the supplier and get 20 more cores next week, if they have them, so I can make another batch. I will start a separate thread for those. If you want one, shoot me an email.

THanks for your patience.

[3Q Jay]

Jeff- can you do me another one with the active and 'Jay's mod that Jeff likes' configuration?

[Jeff Williams]

Sure.

[f1refly]

Jeff,

Sent you an email regarding one of the stb's. Thanks.

Peter

[bruce.weiland]

Jeff,

Thanks. No problem. I live three miles from a hardware store. As I said, I took the ($ 8.00) 8 mm chrome bolts and nuts back and picked up 10 mm zinc coated standard bolts, nuts, washers, and lock washers for about $ 2.00.

It worked out perfectly.

Thanks again for a great and really affordable product.

Bruce

[Jesda]

Whoa, when did you get a C3? Got pics?

[Jeff Williams]

Jesda, I have a gallery on Q45.org called Corvette Photos. You can see the C5 and the C3 there. I think you are familiar with that site, aren't you?

By the way, I still ahve 3 bars from this batch that have not been paid for yet. If you were on the list, and still want one, let me know. I am going to put them on eBay soon.

[3Q Jay]

Jeff-I never followed up until i was sure about the second active. now that it's here....i'm ready with the cabbage. you want a check like last time?

Jay

[Jeff Williams]

Absolutely!

The car is beautiful!