[DeTomaso] stock rear chassis brace

JDeRyke at aol.com JDeRyke at aol.com
Mon Feb 2 21:47:43 EST 2009


In a message dated 2/2/09 6:16:42 PM, cengles at cox.net writes:

> Is it correct that the proper tension adjustment for the stock rear chassis 
> brace is to jack up the rear end and unload the rear suspension; then, 
> loosen the two nuts-bolts connecting the brace to the car and retighten while the 
> rear suspension is unloaded?
> 
Chuck, with a   stock rear bay-brace, it really doesn't matter how you do it 
because the bolts will not hold whatever 'adjustment' you try for in the 
slotted holes in stock fenderwell tabs. Even Grade-8+ bolts cannot be tightened 
enough in compression there to hold, and even if welded in position, 100% of the 
cornering forces then go into those sheet metal tabs- which crack. The reason 
most don't crack is because the bolts slide around in the slots and slack off 
forces when cornering. 
An aftermarket square-tube steel adjustable bay-brace will transmit cornering 
force into the sides and end of the welded pocket, which is part of the upper 
shock absorber weldment. The bay-brace bolts and tabs only keep the bar from 
vibrating around- a much improved design. A prettier, heavier and more costly 
aluminum brace will also work if you take the brand new unit to a welder and 
have about 3" TIG-welded to each end, so it too jams into the load-bearing 
pockets. 
With a proper bay-brace as above, your adjustment method will work. Two 
things to add: after adjusting, set the car down on its wheels, roll it back & 
forth a bit and bounce it around to take the friction out of the suspension & 
shocks and realign the wheels, before coming to any conclusions about how the car 
looks or if wheel alignment needs to be changed. 
Second, if you're trying to remove excess rear camber with the bay-brace, 
don't try removing 37 years of our usual suspension collapse all in one 
brace-adjustment. Doing this will likely buckle the fenders or crack the paint 
somewhere. Instead, do the necessary brace-adjustments in several small steps over 
weeks, with normal driving in between, so the metal body/chassis has time to 
settle back into its as-stock configuration gradually. 
Worked for me- J Deryke



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