Cusco front lower brace for Legacy

First off, this will be available one of my local Legacy crew doesn't want it. So stay tuned. Installation is easy: (I did it at night so I don't have pictures to post...sorry) 1. Jack the car up and get some jackstands under it. 2. Remove the bolts (the ones parallel to the ground) that attach the control arm to the subframe. You will need jackstands because the control arm will droop. With pressure on the wheel, say from ramps, you won't be able to move the control around to line up the hole for re-installation. 3. Remove the three bolts and the attached triangular plate just behind the control arms on each side of the car. Note: This will be all self-explanatory when you get the bar and get under the car, so forgive the seemingly imprecise instructions. When you put the bar in the only place it can go, it's foolproof. 4. Line up the bar so that the "Cusco" is facing forward, which will orient it correctly, and re-install by attaching it at the rear plates first (Cusco includes much beefier replacements), then lining it up at the control arms. Note that I did all of this with hand tools, a 1/2-inch socket (17 and 19mm sockets), so you needn't break out the impact stuff. I didn't have torque specs, but given the relative ease with which it came off, I guessed that 100 lb-ft was correct. Tighter is better than looser, except when it comes to strut tops. Now, the down side of the bar. It adds a bit of bump harshness. Percentage-wise, perhaps ten percent. You notice it as a bit of additional kick. This makes sense, because things that were loose, are now part of the subframe. I can't really tell if it adds noise, because the snow tires are already noisy. I would presume that it does, because the wheels/tires how have a much more direct, solid connection to the car. But it isn't much, judging by the fact that I had to really think "Is this noisier?" Another down side is that it adds a bit of understeer. Not as much as the Type II brace did on the WRX, but it does add a bit. The alacrity of turn-in, courtesy of the 20mm rear bar, is reduced some. Again, percentage-wise, maybe 10%. Offsetting this is the stability and solidity that the front end gains. I found myself correcting the car a bit, having steered too much, in other words. You compensate for how a car drives, understeering or oversteering, without even realizing it. So with the Cusco brace, you apply less steering for a given result. How this manifests itself is taking a right-hand bend with which I was very familiar, I found myself having to correct the car onto the right line. I turned around and re-did the bend, responding to how the car is instead of how it was, and you can feel the improved steering response. There is less slop, not that there was that much to begin with. The front end also tracks better, something that many will believe offsets the additive understeer effects. I believe this to be the case. Again, like the swaybar, this is a mod that is cheap and easy, and improves the car far in excess of its cost. But if you're a cranky old man... Why? SOMEBODY has to do this stuff, even if they take it off the car and sell it. If the very point of a board such as this one is information sharing about how our cars work, experimentation has value. Ultimately, I think this is a very nice mod. There are drawbacks, only one that is significant, IMHO. Hope this helps. Kevin

*psst* Kevin- this is still a mod :eek:

Ttiwwp! :d

The following are recommended Structure strengterning parts from CUSCO (Part numbers provided). Lower Arm Brace 684 477A Lower Arm (Rear) 684 478A Front Strutbar 684 540A Rad. Plate 684 045A Brake Stopper 684 561A Stabilizer (Front) 684 311 VA23 Stabilizer (Rear) 684 311 VB21 Turbine Heat shield 684 045 A EA

I dont think the brake stopper works with the USDM GT if the part number you give is JDM.. (Master Cylinder on JDM cars are on the right). Kevin, thanks for the input on just having the front brace.. you just saved me some time so I will end up getting both front and rear underbraces to keep the car more pronounced on steering response. Keefe

I forgot the mention, I wonder what are the major differences from having the front under brace bar vs an upgraded front sway bar.. my guess is that the front sway would be more effective for adding more understeer and better track-out.

[quote name='Xenonk']I dont think the brake stopper works with the USDM GT if the part number you give is JDM.. (Master Cylinder on JDM cars are on the right). Kevin, thanks for the input on just having the front brace.. you just saved me some time so I will end up getting both front and rear underbraces to keep the car more pronounced on steering response. Keefe[/QUOTE] No problem, Keefe. As I posted above, stuff like this is what these boards are about. You've certainly provided plenty of information on how these cars work, as well. Everyone is so power crazy these days, which is fine, but I think that little things, when a car is already as well-sorted as the Legacy GT is, can make a big difference. Kevin

[quote name='gtguy']No problem, Keefe. As I posted above, stuff like this is what these boards are about. You've certainly provided plenty of information on how these cars work, as well. Everyone is so power crazy these days, which is fine, but I think that little things, when a car is already as well-sorted as the Legacy GT is, can make a big difference. Kevin[/QUOTE] thanks for the indepth review :) 944 turbo guy Myles Williams [url]www.racecompengineering.com[/url] [email]sales@racecompengineering.com[/email] Racecomp Engineering LLC. 9123 Old Annapolis Rd. Suite 103w Columbia, Maryland 21045 410-730-RACE 410-730-5503 FAX 410-707-0108 mobile

I never heard of a lower brace before. Would this mod reduce the inherent body lean in corners? Thanks.

[quote name='devobuzz']I never heard of a lower brace before. Would this mod reduce the inherent body lean in corners? Thanks.[/QUOTE] No. Kevin

[quote name='devobuzz']I never heard of a lower brace before. Would this mod reduce the inherent body lean in corners? Thanks.[/QUOTE] no, but it will increase structural rigidity, therefore allowing the car to handle better, improving turn in response.

It takes out the "sponginess" of the car absorbing lateral forces that are closer to the wheels. Keefe

[quote name='Xenonk']It takes out the "sponginess" of the car absorbing lateral forces that are closer to the wheels. Keefe[/QUOTE] YEAH,..what he said ,..also. :D

Just finished installing the Cusco front lower arm bar and front strut tower brace. Aborted the rear lower arm bar install because in the tight space under the car I could not get enough torque - will wait for a lift to do the rears. Kevin's description helped with the fronts - went very smooth. The Cusco front strut tower brace requires that you jack the car enough so that the strut tower bolts lower sufficiently to allow clearance for the install, otherwise if you simply undo the three bolts it seems as if the brace ends won't fit.

umm, I didnt have a clearance problem with Crazy Ken's install on the front tower strut brace, just takes some tetris-puzzle skills to get it in (all whopping whole minute) to get the driver side in. Keefe

heck I get clearance problems with fumoto oil valves. go figure.

Did you take apart the bar to install?

yes, I did, that's the best way to install it. Keefe

I cannot for the life of me get the control arms to line up again?? Any suggestions??? :) Scratch that....figured what the hang up was. :D

[quote name='BoxerGT2.5']I cannot for the life of me get the control arms to line up again?? Any suggestions??? :) Scratch that....figured what the hang up was. :D[/QUOTE] [font='Times New Roman'][font=Verdana][size=2]Any suggestions or advice? What was it? [font='Times New Roman'][font=Verdana][size=2]Will you now require an alignment?[/size][/font] [/font]Im planning on installing mine this week. [/size][/font][/font]

[quote name='rclark0032'][font='Times New Roman'][font=Verdana][size=2]Any suggestions or advice? What was it? [font='Times New Roman'][font=Verdana][size=2]Will you now require an alignment?[/size][/font] [/font]Im planning on installing mine this week. [/size][/font][/font][/QUOTE] Endlink was hanging up the control arm. :) No...this is not a mod that would typically require a alignment. One other thing that was not mentioned. Once the bar is on and the car is lowered back down on the ground, make sure you check the bolts that they are tight. It is one thing when the wheels are hangin down and there is tension on the arms and another when the car is sittin flat.

Ah ok, glad that it finally went in. I was thinking along of those lines as well that something was in torsion, (that's why I asked you earlier if the car was jacked up on one side or that you got the whole front half on jackstands). Good thing you got it on. Keefe

Yeah.....once I figured that out it took all of 20min to get both sides on. :) It's always the little things you overlook that turn a 45min job into a PITA.

I don't see any need for front end chassis bracing if running street tires. You'll never be able to pull a G-loading high enough to twist the chassis. With even good street tires you won't pull more than .82-.85G on a banked off/on ramp. The tires will begin to slip before you reach anywhere near the point where chassis bracing is noticed. If someone tells you they make a big difference it's all in his head. A good front end alignment with 3/4 to 1.0 degree front negative camber will give much better feel and higher cornering speeds.. If someone is running "track days" and using semi-racing soft tires then the chassis bracing will keep the alignment better and it's probably justified. The '05 Legacy chassis has been beefed up to pass the crash tests and it's probably one of the strongest around. ...just another opinion. ;)

[quote name='turboman']I don't see any need for front end chassis bracing if running street tires. You'll never be able to pull a G-loading high enough to twist the chassis. With even good street tires you won't pull more than .82-.85G on a banked off/on ramp. The tires will begin to slip before you reach anywhere near the point where chassis bracing is noticed. If someone tells you they make a big difference it's all in his head. A good front end alignment with 3/4 to 1.0 degree front negative camber will give much better feel and higher cornering speeds.. If someone is running "track days" and using semi-racing soft tires then the chassis bracing will keep the alignment better and it's probably justified. The '05 Legacy chassis has been beefed up to pass the crash tests and it's probably one of the strongest around. ...just another opinion. ;)[/QUOTE] All the street tests indicate the GT's skidpad numbers are near .81. Just putting better street tires on the car would put the GT in ranges that you stated wouldn't happen. But I understand what your saying. I put the underbrace on to help with turn in and a more solid feel upfront. :)