986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post

ppbon · 12-13-2007, 07:09 AM

I don't want to get into a big discussion about this.
It's not like I make a living out of it.
I'd have everyone make their own, but for those that don't, I offer my TechnoBrace.
Every Boxster that I've tested has used one of my two Braces (3 mm difference) and they fit perfectly without any re-drilling or pulling or pushing.
The bolts drop right through.
There are many reasons why a home-made Brace will have problems fitting perfectly.
Because the securing bolts have to go through the Brace, the Suspension Support, the Skid Plate and the Structural Brace everything has to align especially the drilled hole. The thicker the bar the harder it is to make it perfectly vertical unless it's done with special equipment such as a drill press and/or a lathe. It the hole is off vertical in any plane by 1/2 a degree or more you will have to fight with it to fit.
I'm a mechanical engineer by training, so I know what I'm doing.
Think about this: The skid plate is part of the support structure. Do you think that Porsche manufactures a different skid plate for every car or is it an adjustable skid plate? Come on, when mechanical things are manufactured properly with the proper equipment they simply fit.
The main reason why I decided to manufacture a dedicated Brace and not an adjustable Brace is for strength. A solid Bar is stronger than one with an adjustable end. The heim joint itself may be rated at 9,000 lbs, but because it is screwed into the brace, at the point of union with the brace it will loose strength as a whole. Go test it if you don't believe me (I'm sure someone can do some destructive tests for you to measure the exact strength of the brace).
A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link

Now, all that being said, most of the Braces out there whether home made or professionally made are way stronger than they need to be because the Brace works against compression/deflection, and anything over 3/4" in diameter will have enough cross section to stand up to that force.

Now, some people wanted to see pictures of the Technobrace:

This is one of the ends where you can see the machining.
It has a flat part which goes over the suspension brace and a recess for the bolt's hex head so you don't need to told the bolt with a wrench (where there's very little room - making it simple for the installer).

This is the end installed on the suspension brace:

And here's a look a a TechnoBrace installed on a Boxster S. You can see the Brace right next to the anti-sway bar through the skid plate. It's the shinny one - oh yeah I also polish each TechnoBrace it after I manufacture it

Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

12-13-2007, 07:09 AM	#87
ppbon Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 529	I don't want to get into a big discussion about this. It's not like I make a living out of it. I'd have everyone make their own, but for those that don't, I offer my TechnoBrace. Every Boxster that I've tested has used one of my two Braces (3 mm difference) and they fit perfectly without any re-drilling or pulling or pushing. The bolts drop right through. There are many reasons why a home-made Brace will have problems fitting perfectly. Because the securing bolts have to go through the Brace, the Suspension Support, the Skid Plate and the Structural Brace everything has to align especially the drilled hole. The thicker the bar the harder it is to make it perfectly vertical unless it's done with special equipment such as a drill press and/or a lathe. It the hole is off vertical in any plane by 1/2 a degree or more you will have to fight with it to fit. I'm a mechanical engineer by training, so I know what I'm doing. Think about this: The skid plate is part of the support structure. Do you think that Porsche manufactures a different skid plate for every car or is it an adjustable skid plate? Come on, when mechanical things are manufactured properly with the proper equipment they simply fit. The main reason why I decided to manufacture a dedicated Brace and not an adjustable Brace is for strength. A solid Bar is stronger than one with an adjustable end. The heim joint itself may be rated at 9,000 lbs, but because it is screwed into the brace, at the point of union with the brace it will loose strength as a whole. Go test it if you don't believe me (I'm sure someone can do some destructive tests for you to measure the exact strength of the brace). A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link Now, all that being said, most of the Braces out there whether home made or professionally made are way stronger than they need to be because the Brace works against compression/deflection, and anything over 3/4" in diameter will have enough cross section to stand up to that force. Now, some people wanted to see pictures of the Technobrace: This is one of the ends where you can see the machining. It has a flat part which goes over the suspension brace and a recess for the bolt's hex head so you don't need to told the bolt with a wrench (where there's very little room - making it simple for the installer). This is the end installed on the suspension brace: And here's a look a a TechnoBrace installed on a Boxster S. You can see the Brace right next to the anti-sway bar through the skid plate. It's the shinny one - oh yeah I also polish each TechnoBrace it after I manufacture it Happy Boxstering, Pedro Last edited by ppbon; 12-13-2007 at 08:04 AM.