Which braces should i get? Will they help a sloppy suspension?

[scojack_2001]

The braces will help. I noticed a difference the day I put the rear seat braces in my GN, also a hardtop. The front frame braces help as well. It made the front end of my GN feel sturdier and stiffer. I am also running a 36mm 1LE front swaybar with poly links and bushings. It does fit with the stock IC. It's close, but it fits. I think I have maybe $75 into it including the bushings. The swaybar also takes ~10 off the front of the car. KYB shocks in the front and original worn out springs. Car rides on 16x8 GTAs. I havent done the under-the-hood braces yet, though.

My understanding on the SC&C frame brace is that since its one piece, it'll stiffen the car up more and have less deflection than the Kirban-style braces. I will be putting one on my car as soon as I can. Plus it wont interfere with stock location stretch intercoolers like I hear the Kirban braces will.

Rear suspension is easy. I did boxed stock LCAs (thanks Banning) with new rubber bushings, ATR-style swaybar, and dual airbags. New cargo coil springs and KYB shocks as well. Helped the car alot.

My car is my no means a corner carver. But it does handle good for what it is. Im planning on redoing the front suspension here soon. Whether or not I do upper and lower control arms, or just uppers; will depend on my bank account.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Hey...does anyone have a pic of how the rear seat braces attach?

Also the underhood braces...is one of them supposed to have a kink/slight bend in it? I got some used...one of them has this....the ones Kirban sells new has one that has this also....

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Great subject:

One of the best upgrades you can make with little effort and feel immediate results is the various braces that have been developed for the G-Body Regals. Had GM kept making these cars besides improving paint quality, I am sure some sort of braces would have been added to the mix.

The rear seat braces stand alone make the biggest difference you can feel. Time consuming to install being you gotta be agile to get in and ut of your trunk, but worth the effort. You need that trick tool to remove your seat cushion with the seat belt anchor.

Next vast improvement is the front frame brace set that forms the V under the front end in existing holes. That was a stock GM part on another G body model. We now have them made since we and others wiped out GM's supply of them.

My son also has made a slick tube bent bar that connects the one end of the above mentioned braces and makes a triangle when done. This only works if you have a stock 1986-1987 intercooler. If your car has ever been bumped in the front this will tell you if your frame horns are straight as they have to be exact for the holes to line up.

It also makes good sense to install the missing body bushings as some of those bolts which are special 8 grade bolts can come lose and fall out.

Doing the above gets rid of a lot of squeaks and rattles whether you got a T-Top or solid roof example.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

past owner of quite a number of 1986-1987 Turbo Regals...

 

["Turbo-T"]

You need that trick tool to remove your seat cushion with the seat belt anchor.

What trick tool?

 

[Dennis Kirban]

it is a good size torx head socket usually since its safety related those bolts are very tight.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Ok.

I have noticed seat belts are usually bolted down using a torx type head, but thought the seat bun you just push inwards and unhook and then lift out.....???

 

[Dennis Kirban]

That is true the base seat rear cushion you depress backward to release the front brackets from the seat cushion. However, the seat belt and back portion of the rear seat is held at the base of the floor with a good size torx bolt that needs to be removed before you can lift upward the rear upper seat cushion. You need to do this when you install any of the various rear seat braces to avoid drilling through your rear seat.

of all he brace kits the rear seat brace kit is the most time consuming and yields the most noticeable results.


kirbanperformance.com

dennis kirban

Past owner of numerous nice 1986-1987 Turbo Regals

 

["Turbo-T"]

Thanks Dennis....well I plan then to remove the rear seat.

If it's anything like my Chevelle....the bottom was bolted on, the top was hooked on.....this is the seat back BTW.

If I may ask, is it imperative you put the car on jack stands when doing the rear seat brace install? Should I put the whole car on jacks? or just the rear?

Also if I may ask do all of your fender braces have a dent in one side? I got a set used, and I thought I needed to put the bent one in a vice and fix it....until i saw a set on your website....looked like one had a dent in it...???

 

[novaderrik]

i would think that you'd want to have your suspension loaded by having it sitting on the ground on all 4 wheels when you put the braces on, otherwise things will be kind of bound up when you are done.
just make sure it's on level ground and all your tires are properly inflated.

 

[Yedi]

Rear seat Braces

I've been thinking about installing rear seat braces also ( hard top car )

my trunk has a good size speaker box that is built in, and is fastened to the bows behind the seat in the trunk,

I am also curious if anyone has any "Installed" pics of the rear seat braces, just to see if this setup will clear my box....do they sit more towards the seat back, or in the truck more???

 

[Dennis Kirban]

To answer your questions. The rear seat brace kit does have a bend in two of the bars that is so it goes over the other bar once installed. They come with directions. Yes you jack up the rear of your car so weight is off the ground on the rear only. No need to do the front. Our website under rear seat braces shows them on a car it does clear some of the rear speaker set ups as long as they are in the area of the original GM speakers. You may have to remove it to drill the needed holes and install the brace first.

Another option is to go with the GNX style brace. This may fit better with different speakers. Again you would have to inquire for someone to post a photo to see for yourself.

Either way I think you will find 100% agreement with anyone on the forums that has either rear seat brace kit that the improvement is remarkable and well worth the effort.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

have owned many 1986-1987 Turbo Regals over the years and 8 GNXs.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Thanks Dennis.

Actually I was also asking if the fender braces you offer...if one of them comes with a bend in it?

Does anyone have a pic or diagram where the holes should be drilled? I want to make sure I do it right. I bought my braces used without instructions.

Thanks again.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Kirban again actually my son designed those small under the hood braces. The one for the battery side (passenger side) has the kink to clear the factory battery hold down providing you have the factory size battery and factory plastic hold down in place.

As both braces come to the frotn of the car that flat area mounts under the core support and goes to an existing hole on your core support.

If memory serves me correct the other end should line up with an existing hole on your inner fender on both sides. Hardware with the kit was stainless.

The braces that make the biggest difference are the ones under the front end and the rear seat braces. I though originally you where referring to the rear seat braces that have a bend so they clear each other in the X formation they form.

kirbanperformance.com


denniskirban@yahoo.com

past owner of a lot of 1986-1987 Turbo Regals

 

["Turbo-T"]

Hi Dennis. No I actually noticed the rear seat braces had a kink in them, I bought my fender braces used and one had a kink, at first I thought I'd have to put it in a vice and bend it back. Glad to know that's not the case.

If anyone has a diagram of where I should drill holes for my rear seat braces I'd be very grateful. Maybe this weekend I'll pull the rear seat.........

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Kirban writes:

Basically "eye" up the braces forming an X on each side of your rear seat area and make hole where they hole in each brace ends up making sure its accesable on the other side to put the nut on. You want to "spread" the X format as wide as possible.

Have the rear wheels slightly off the ground....

Gotta be pretty agile to work in the trunk area.

The bend is designed to clear the inner brace of each side and small rubber liek cushion is so metal does not rub metal. Our website under rear seat braces shows them already installed. Not a difficult project but time consuming.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com


Past owner of many 1986-1987 Turbo Regals etc

 

[supervpp]

Braces - GET THEM

I bought these from Kirban:

FRONT FRAME BRACES (2) #6564
CONNECTING FRONT BRACE #6756

I have a lower mileage (14,000), 1987 T-Top GN. Not abused in any way (Much). I did not think these would do much for my car, but figured it was worth a try.

Dennis could NOT have made these any better, or easier to install. Fit perfectly and GREATLY reduced flex and rattles.
I was really shocked by the difference in feel and handling up front. As soon as i get energetic, the rear braces are next.

Not sure how much benefit could come from the under-hood braces though.

 

[supervpp]

Kirban writes:

Basically "eye" up the braces forming an X on each side of your rear seat area and make hole where they hole in each brace ends up making sure its accesable on the other side to put the nut on. You want to "spread" the X format as wide as possible.

Have the rear wheels slightly off the ground....

Gotta be pretty agile to work in the trunk area.

The bend is designed to clear the inner brace of each side and small rubber liek cushion is so metal does not rub metal. Our website under rear seat braces shows them already installed. Not a difficult project but time consuming.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com


Past owner of many 1986-1987 Turbo Regals etc

Dennis,

You know all the stories and heard from your customers. Which one of the rear seat braces would you recommend for a T-Top Car:

Pros/Cons?

REAR SEAT FRAME BRACE KIT #1586

or

GNX REAR SEAT BRACE #7169

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban responds:

In the game of numbers the seat brace set has been marketed for many years now and literally hundreds and hundreds maybe even thousands have been sold. So, they are by far the most popular. Not to mention the home made ones I have seen which you can tell are home made.

The GNX style one has only been made available in the last year or two. We offer that one also. The pluses with that is it resembles what the real GNX has.

The claim is it ties things together better. The question arises could one tell the difference between the two? I doubt it. Is one easier to install than the other? I don't know as I have only installed the seat brace style (4 bar) personally in my Turbo T over 2 years ago. Not a project that I enjoyed.

If you put the question out on this forum others will give their opinions. My guess is overwhelming the 4 bar rear seat brace kit being more popular will have more responses.

Of course if you buy the black seat panel we market whatever you go with is completely hidden by this carpeted panel.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com


have owned a number of 1986-1987 Turbo Regals and 8 Real GNXs

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban with a side note

Concerning the front frame braces and connecting brace. If the car has these braces n the front end you can almost bet your last dollar that the front frame horns are prefectly straight and never hit. The holes have to line up pretty much dead on to connect the bars properly.

So, if you are looking at a Turbo regal to buy and it has those braces up front it pretty much assures you that the front frame horns are not twisted in anyway.

I remember a few years ago I had a customer in a front end collision and he had the both the connecting and frame brace set up front. His body shop that fixed the car told him those braces saved the front end from further damage happening.

Not something you initially think of but another reason to equip your car with them.

kirbanperformance.com


denniskirban@yahoo.com

Have had a few Turbo Regals some of which still had the new car smell.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Thanks Dennis you've been a big help.

I went to your site and found this pic...

Everyone has told me the rear seat needs to come out. I was under the impression the braces went in on the inside of the car, but it looks like you're saying they actually go inside the trunk...correct?

If I may ask, then why does the rear seat need to come out? For drilling holes?

I'm going to guess the holes must be drilled in from the trunk side?

As you can see this is my first time doing this so I want to get it right. Thanks.