Matt brace + corky BP = corky msmb experiment.

[John is200sport]

I've recently acquired a matt tte cross brace and a corky breastplate. I want to use both together but my research tells me they are not compatible. After bolting the two together at the two mutual mounting points at the rear of the car I can see potential problems with the two cross beams on the brest plate protruding too far and not sitting flush with the matt brace at the front of the car

I have a few ideas how to sort these problems out,

1. May need to cut and then weld the two mutual tabs on the matt brace to make the rear fit ok.

2. Will look to grind enough from the cross brace on the corky brace to allow enough clearance to allow the matt brace to fit at the front of the car.

Does anyone know if the cross brace on the corky is solid alloy or is it just an angle section welded on?

How much clearence is there between the floor pan and the matt brace? I could do with a good 25mm and then I may not need to grind the corky that much.

Would anyone be interested in this little experiment? The logic behind it is to get similar to the corky midship member brace but using two products and hopefully making it cheaper and possibly easier parts supply as most members may already have one of the parts.

Any ideas or criticism welcome. I believe I would be able to retain 100% effectiveness of the matt brace and at least 50% of the corky. I hope all that makes some kind of sense. Thanks.

[1979scotte]

Just the way i see things from no technical background.

TTE brace to the best of my knowledge is perceived to be superior to the brest plate alone.
Corkys full set of braces was supposed to be the best total solution.
Wouldnt time be better spent trying to stiffen up the parts that the tte has no effect on rather than trying to make the tte even better.

I have TRD front and rear braces plus matts copy of the TTE makes for a much stiffer chasis than stock on coilovers.

[Anonymous]

I have the corky full if you need measurements

[John is200sport]

There will be full underbracing and upper bracing and anti roll bars coming soon. This is just for the middle lower bit. I bought the corky first and just got the matt brace today (both used) so rather than having to resell the corky I thought I may as well use it as even a modded one has to be better than the standard facelift brace. Paid 75 corky and 80 for the matt brace. Really would of not bought the corky but it was for sale first and snooze you lose etc.

[John is200sport]

Thanks Richard. Don't really need any measurements apart from advice on how much room between the facelift larger standard brace piece (about 13mm thick) and the matt brace. The corky with the cross beams are about 25mm so hopefully there will be a 13mm gap so I don't have to grind the corky.

I would have bought the full corky set up BUT time constraints and the weak pound, customs, delivery charges etc ruled it out.

[John is200sport]

Just an update. Fitted both together today. Mount the corky brace first. Then mount the matt brace. The only issue I had was the two shared mounting points at the rear. Shave an angle off the two tabs on the matt brace to allow it to sit flush. Then replace the standard pair of m8x20mm bolts with m8x40mm. Fits fine all round but it is very very tight between the corky strengthening cross beams and Matt brace towards the middle to front area of the car.

Needless to say it makes a decent difference and makes the car feel much more solid.

[jvanzyl]

That's great that it fitted!
I don't spose you can tell us what the incremental effect was going from the matt brace and adding the corky breastplate? Kind of wonder if you could use that kimmitech with the matt brace....

[John is200sport]

I can't no. I had standard bracing, the little bar and the little plate. I bought both the new parts not far apart and fitted them both at the same time. Not sure how deep the kimitech one is. Id say the standard plate brace is 13mm and the corky was about 25mm. Which means there is hardly any gap between both the new fitted braces. They may even be touching a little. There is no knocking as i was concerned there maybe as the two possibly touch in hard cornering but so far it's fine.

Sorry about the lack of comparison and progression but I didn't intent to buy two braces. I wanted the matt brace from the start but the corky was for sale first. I intended to sell the corky should a matt brace turn up. As it happened I bought them about a week or two apart so I'd thought I'd give it a go. Everything I had read said it couldn't be done, maybe I was just lucky.