Ok, I already posted this on the https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-37-...hrough-us.html thread, but figured I post here also for the people not already subscribed to that thread.

Finally getting around to posting some pics and my thoughts on the GT Spec 6-pt Rear Brace & M-Brace. I picked these up from Rick @ Riverside Infiniti (thanks Rick!) a few months ago and installed them right away, so I've had them on the car for quite some time now, I've just been too busy to download pics and post.

GT Spec 6-Pt Brace installation and driving impressions:

The 6-pt brace is by far the most difficult of the GT Spec braces to install on our cars. It took me close to an hour to install, however, the first 20 minutes or so was spent trying to figure out which way it went on.. then I finally discovered the the brace was shipped with the 2 end brackets on the wrong corners, so I actually had to move those brackets to the correct corners before installing the braces. Overall, the install is fairly simple, but a second set of hands would definitely make it easier, as these braces are muuch larger and heavier than they look in the pics... they actually span between 1/4 and 1/3 of the cars length.

As far as driving goes, you will notice the affects of this brace immediately.. the entire chassis of the car feels stiffer and more rigid... body flex and creeking is greatly reduced, and the car just feels more solid. The only issue I have is that the brace has a tendancy to bottom out over steep incline changes and larger speed bumps, even with my moderate drop (apx. 1").. The brace is very sturdy, though, and has not been damaged other than some minor stratches.. it does help to protect the exhaust, so it's not all bad. I would definitely recommend this brace to anyone that's looking for improved handling and chassis rigidity, but doesn't have an extremely lowered ride height.

6-Pt Brace Pics:









GT Spec M-Brace installation and driving impressions:

As some of you may already be aware, the M-Brace has been completely redesiged by GT Spec and I now believe that it will work with aftermarket exhausts. As you can see from my install pics posted below, there is now quite a bit of clearance between the M-Brace and the exhuast piping... in fact, the amount of clearance is almost equal to that of the Hotchkis rear sway bar. As far as the installation goes... the install is very easy... simply remove the two camber adjustment nuts where the inner part of the lower camber arm mounts to the rear subframe. Just take care and make note of the camber adjustment, as these are eccentric bolts, so they will change the rear camber if you rotate the bolt side at any time during the install process. If you want to be same, then I'd recommend at least having your alignment checked after installing this brace. I got a lifetime alignment at Firestone a while back, so any realignments needed are free!

I don't have much to say on the driving impressions of this brace, since it was the last brace I installed on the car the chassis was already VERY rigid... particularly after installing the 6-pt rear brace. I will say that this brace will virtually eliminate any potential camber changes that might occur during high corning loads due to the lower subframe flexing. This brace is probably makes the most sense for handling fanatics and people who track their cars.

M-Brace Pics:







A couple pics of my front GT Spec braces and Berk HFC's:




Feel free to PM me if anyone has any questions... for pricing, or to purchase the braces, please contact Rick @ Riverside Infiniti by PM on here or by phone at 800-919-8130, and let him know that I sent you.

 

Me want

 

The 6-pt brace is a monster, Robby... you should definitely plan on getting that one in the future.

 

WOW... Thanks so much for this review. Excellent!!

I wanted one of these (6 pt brace). Ian is getting one and he will test it out and let us X's know if it will work fine for our cars.

btw, any thoughts on how these improve cornering and body roll? or it really is mostly for structural rigidity overall?

Thanks.

edit: I wonder if those with an eibach drop will have issues running these....hmmm... im planning on eibachs.

 

Thanks for sharing Adrian! So this is what you been doing during your time away from driver, huH?

Your car must be very stiff w/ all these GT braces and the Hotchkis sways.

 

His car is on Viagra 24/7...HAHA

 

the braces definitely make a difference in less sway. nice and clean shots!`

 

anyway werd on whether these bad boys will fit us X's?

and LMAO @ your last comment wes

 

awesome job...i like.

 

Nice bro.

 

oh ya dude, for sure.

Im just waiting for my wheels to come in so i can pay them off. Once i do, im getting all these braces

 

Looks pretty good man, thanks for the driving review as well.

 

Did you get your alignment done yet? Seeing that 2 of the braces connect to your camber a toe adjustment bolts, wouldn't that actually affect the ability to align the rear properly? since you have the adjustable camber arms I could see camber adjustments being ok but the toe wouldn't be able to move, right?

Just curious. Looks great, thanks for the write up and pics.

 

Thanks guys for all the nice comments.

LMFAO at your viagra comment, Wes... It's definitely one stiff car now!

The 6-pt brace should fit on the X, as all of the mounting points are directly to the frame or subframe, unless the rear subframe is different on the X, which I guess is possible. The only other issue maybe with the new front cross member brace clearing the driveshaft.

The braces don't improve corning or body roll persay, but they do virtually elimate the flex in the suspension and chassis, which will help your tires to maintain contact with the road, which equals more grip and potentially less lean... so in this sense, they do greatly improve the overall handling of the car, especially when corning over rough or uneven surfaces and during transition changes (i.e left to right and vice versa). They also have a nice effect on the steering feel and make the entire car feel lighter and more nibble.

The car actually feels a lot like the 370Z with Sport Package that I drove the other day.. although, it definitely handles better than the stock 370Z.

Now I just need to decide if I want to go with the fender braces or not, and figure out which coilovers I want to go with and then I'll be all set.

Oh, and I doubt the eibachs will be an issue, since they are still a fairly moderate drop (-1.3" to -1.4")... The 6-pt brace really doesn't sit that much lower than the resonator section of the exhaust... maybe 1/2".... so there's actually quite a bit of clearance. Under normal driving I don't have any clearance issues. The problem arises when I have excessive weight in the backseat or trunk and the progressive springs sag another 1/2"+. Coilovers should solve this problem for me.

Awesome Dude!!! Which wheels you getting? You getting them from Lou?

Thanks man... Gotta try and keep my fellow Driver members informed.

To answer your question... the eccentric alignment bolts for the toe and camber actually work just fine with the braces installed. You just loosen the nut and rotate the bolt to make the adjustments, same as before. The eccentric washers are still in place behind the brace and the bolts just rotate normally through the brace. I've already had the car aligned twice since I've installed all the braces... once without the Ichiba camber arms and the again after installing the new camber arms. Both times they were easily able to get the car back within the factory specs, even with the drop.

 

Hey Adrian - Thanks for the informative response back.

I can definately benefit from this. Often times when im driving, if I hit a bumpy part of the road or when im cornering and hit bumps, I find the car skips and loses a lil control. I just hope this will work for my X! Thanks.

hahaa... I wish my car was on Viagra likes yours... lol

OH man.. thats amazing. How your car handled better than the 370Z. That doesnt surprise me with all the additions you've added.