UMI Performance Shock Tower Brace

[wiseman]

Has anyone installed one of these successfully? I have wasted an ENITRE 1/2 day trying to install this brace and NOTHING is installing properly. The brace does not drop right in as the directions and the online video indicates. I had to remove a portion of the rear exhaust and the rear exhaust anchor braackets to get it in place. Now I have just noticed that the exhaust anchor brackets interference big time with the strut brace mounts. Thing has been a nightmare.

Does anyone have any advice?

 

[SpeedRacerX]

I have one here ready to be installed in the Spring so I will be watching your progress and wishing you the best in figuring it out. It looks so simple. Lol.

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[Boston GN]

Hmm. Only issue I had while installing is that the hardware included was too large for my shocks. I had to remove the shocks and open the holes up a bit. It was tight to get it in there, but that was my only issue.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

I did mine with the exhaust we sell. Doesn't use the factory hangers. Went in pretty easy.

 

[Pronto]

Mine went in no problem. I have a Hooker Cat back that doesn't use the stock exhaust mounts.

 

[captrob]

Yes, stock exhaust hangers have to be removed. I don't use them, so I don't know if mods can be made to reinstall them. I used metric hardware to install the support instead of opening up the holes.
HTH, Rob


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[wiseman]

I have one here ready to be installed in the Spring so I will be watching your progress and wishing you the best in figuring it out. It looks so simple. Lol.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

I Agree, it does look really simple, and that's how I thought it was going to be as well. But to be continued.......and thanks, I will keep you posted of my progress.

 

[wiseman]

Hmm. Only issue I had while installing is that the hardware included was too large for my shocks. I had to remove the shocks and open the holes up a bit. It was tight to get it in there, but that was my only issue.

I definitely agree,the hardware is quite long, which made it a challenge to install the bolts from the top as the instructions state. It definitely would've helped if I had much smaller hands. It took a while before I got the bolts installed. I tapped the holes to a 3/8-16, but it definitely would have been easier just to enlarge the holes and keep them as thru holes

 

[wiseman]

I did mine with the exhaust we sell. Doesn't use the factory hangers. Went in pretty easy.

Hi Mark,
I purchased my exhaust from you a couple years back. They have a tab welded to the exhaust right around the top of the u-shaped section that goes over the axle. This tab has a twisted L shaped Bend that gets inserted into the rubber in the rear exhaust hanger bracket. Do you have a new version of your exhaust available , or am I missing something?

 

[wiseman]

Yes, stock exhaust hangers have to be removed. I don't use them, so I don't know if mods can be made to reinstall them. I used metric hardware to install the support instead of opening up the holes.
HTH, Rob


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Looks like that's what my problem is...the stock hangers. The instructions, website, nor video don't mention anything about potential interference issues with the hangers. After really looking closely at the pictures on their website, I notice they only show exhaust in only 1 of the 13 pictures. This picture doesn't have the hangers installed (which would be important AND nice to mention in the instructions). The other 12 pictures, do not have exhaust at all shown in the photos.

 

[Undercover87T]

Would like to get one of these but since I have the crossflow exhaust with the muffler in the stock location using the stock hangers I doubt it would work.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Catback that we sell had the tailpipes redesigned a few years ago. Eliminates the factory hangers..

 

[Toby_Goodmk]

I would be interested to see if this brace works for frame twisting. I question it since the brace is right where there there is a lot of reinforcement?

 

[fast86gn]

Interested in this thread, I got one for Xmas, yet to install though.

 

[1KWIKSIX]

Installing my UMI shock tower brace was "Easy Peasy" with no issues.
I am not using the factory muffler support brackets though and do have Qa1's coil overs with their special mounting brackets.
Because of the Qa1 mounting brackets, I did have to install the nuts holding the upper shock mounts on the top of the UMI tower brace and the bolt up from the bottom (was opposite the way I'd like to do it) as the length of these bolts when installed down from the top was too long and would interfere with the large bolt / nut that attached the upper coil over shock to this mounting bracket.
Hope this makes sense.

Here's a link that should help to explain the point I was trying to get across.

http://www.turbobuick.com/threads/a...pro-coil-coilovers.421345/page-2#post-3595611

 

[Ken Adams]

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[wiseman]

Yes, stock exhaust hangers have to be removed. I don't use them, so I don't know if mods can be made to reinstall them. I used metric hardware to install the support instead of opening up the holes.
HTH, Rob


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks like you are absolutely right. I gave up on Sunday and decided to step away from it for a while. After I went back and spent more time moving things around, I will agree, the stock rear hanger brackets no doubt have to be removed to allow the tower brace to go in place.

I was only being vocal because this is a very important piece of information that seemed to be left out of the instructions, off the website, and out of the online video (on purpose)

Hopefully this helps out anyone that purchases this item in the future that is still utilizing the stock rear hanger brackets.

 

[wiseman]

Catback that we sell had the tailpipes redesigned a few years ago. Eliminates the factory hangers..

Hi Mark, do you sell that tailpipe hanger tab and the blue isolation grommet separately from the exhaust kit?

 

[ravege]

I have the Pypes exhaust and installation of the brace had no problems. As for the benefit, I have coil overs, which puts the weight of the rear on the shock mounts instead of the stock spring mounting, and there is considerable flex as I could see the bolts had made contact with the trunk floor pan - since installing the brace that no longer happens.