Topic: export brace

[MustangChris]

Hi,
im having trouble fitting in a new export brace,when one side lins up,the other side doesn't iv'e jacked the car up under the front cross member, hopeing the shock towers will sag outwards,but now joy,any advice to solve this problem?
        cheers chris u.k

[Soaring]

Let it sag for about a week, then try it again.  Mine went in just fine, but I hear war stories.  Some have taken 2X4s and a bottle jack to get it to fit. 

[MustangChris]

  Hi again,
  I had the car on stands for about 5 days now,but still 2 holes dont line up, could somebody ss
   somebody send me a phote where the jack should be placed.
    thanks for all your help.  chris uk

[Soaring]

The jack should be placed in the middle of the two pieces of wood which are hitting the top of the shock towers.  The idea is to get the shock towers to spread outwards creating a wider clearance for the brace. 

[treading]

I can't put a monti carlo brace on mine either because when the I am excelerating the engine tends to torque up and to the right and my blower shaft goes right up against it hard. It doesn't have that much room to begin with. Maybe 1/2". I was think about trying to see if I can modify the monti carlo bar by putting an upward bend in the bar right above the blower shaft to give it room to do it's thing when I acclerate.

[sngoldstein]

I took a 2x4 and cut the ends at an angle so it would just fit in front of the shock towers where a monte carlo bar would go and then tapped the 2x4 in with a maul to spread the towers.  Put a monte carlo bar in also as this will do more to help handling then the export brace anyway.  Good luck.

[FASTBACK65GT]

It could be a quality of manufacturer issue too.  There are poor quality export braces made and then also too you can get a quality made part.  I got a Scott Drake Export Brace and my export brace went in easy.

You might check and see if your part is tweeked or off-center.

[Soaring]

Also, don't try to put any nuts on the bolts until the entire Export Brace in on.  And, as mentioned, while you have those towers spread, go ahead and put of a Monte Carlo bar.  Depending on which air cleaner you have will determine which MC bar you will need....the straight one or the curved one.  I have the curved one because I have the original air cleaner.  Others have the oval air cleaner, so need the curved one.  You also can get to your distributor with a curved one. 

[Jeff1967]

OK,
Here a few dumb questions from a guy who formally owned only GM cars.

Why is an export brace needed? My car does not have one.

What are the two braces called running from the shock towers back to the firewall? If you have them why an export brace as well?

[Soaring]

The two braces that the factory put on the Mustang back then was just a brace in two pieces on one side and two pieces on the other side.  They were adjustable, so were not the most reliable stiffness needed. The Export brace is a one piece of metal that ties the left side to the right side via the shock towers and the firewall.  Whenever you put the export brace on, you take off the factory two piece joints and put the export brace in their place. 

[Jeff1967]

Glen,

Looking at the picture of Ol' Yeller I see the export brace that curves in front of the air filter housing. Then I see the two braces that run from the top of the shock towers and bolt above the firewall, are those the two adjustable braces you are referring to?

[Soaring]

No, the Monte Carlo brace goes in front of the air cleaner.  The export brace goes in back of the air cleaner, and hooks up from the shock towers to the firewall.  That picture is not real clear.  I no longer have the two piece braces.  The export brace I have is only one piece of metal going from shock tower to shock tower with 4 bolts that hook it to the firewall. 

[FASTBACK65GT]

Here's my before and after showing braces.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

With the export brace, it is a much beefier stiffening device that Shelby added to his race cars.

And Jeff (former GM owner), my early Camaros always had 2 angled stiffener bars, but they were from the radiator frame to the fenders.  I always was removing them for some reason or another.

[Soaring]

Thanks for that pic FB.  It's dark in my garage and my camera ain't worth a shit.   

[keiken01]

I loosened about every bolt I could find that might allow more spreading as well as jacking and finally got the export brace on my 1968.  I used ratchet style tie down straps to draw the sides in just far enough to get nuts on and then tightened her into place.  You can read more on my '68 project web pages and there may even be an old thread here from a couple years ago that I asked the same thing.

[Soaring]

Have any of you heard the old saying, "There's more than one way to skin a cat?"