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Originally Posted by insite
the OEM braces are designed for axial load. when you add an element that produces stress in the normal direction, you can bend stuff. even if nothing bends badly, the flex in the OEM arms will essentially negate any positive benefit you might have gained from triangulating them. that, and the clamps won't do.
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Sorry, I still just don't see it... The added brace is not going to "produce stress" as if there's an actual load pushing at that point. The idea is that if the OEM brace were to want to flex, the added brace would help to resist this flexing. Pretty simple. If one OEM brace is flexing because it's under greater load than the other, then this added brace would help to counter that flex through the support of the other OEM brace. Yes, this is a stress, but is it any greater than what you would see with the OEM braces normally flexing? No, instead it's spread over both bars rather than just the one under the higher load. That most definitely is a benefit.
I definitely agree that the clamps are the weak link. I think I need to work out something better there, but this is just the first iteration/trial. I also agree that it would be better to just tie the strut towers directly together. Again, I was looking at a cheaper and potentially easier alternative using the stock pieces.