Your car NEEDS braces! Best mod ever!

[Pittsburghkid]

wow learn somethin new every day. Was the grand prix seat brace the same as the gnx or like the after market tubular bolt in design?

 

[supercrackerbox]

Stamped/welded just like the GNX.

 

[ThikStik]

I have the old Poston's frame end to end bar and it doesnt clear my stacked intercooer.
I totally agree that this is all very much needed. This is a terrible problem in 68-72 a bodies..especially convertibles. I have a 71 GTO and pirated a set of jounce bars from some car. It made the most difference ever. If you look at the steering box/frame horn when its operated with car off, basically get someone to turn wheel left to right, you can actually see the frame horn move l/r from the force of it having to move steering gear linkage. Its amazing how soft the frame really is! This ive seen on the a bodies, so it should occur on G bodies too.

Oh yea, forgot to say, also the postons jounce bars didnt clear my ic. I think they sold GP factory part.

 

[Pittsburghkid]

I have the old Poston's frame end to end bar and it doesnt clear my stacked intercooer.
I totally agree that this is all very much needed. This is a terrible problem in 68-72 a bodies..especially convertibles. I have a 71 GTO and pirated a set of jounce bars from some car. It made the most difference ever. If you look at the steering box/frame horn when its operated with car off, basically get someone to turn wheel left to right, you can actually see the frame horn move l/r from the force of it having to move steering gear linkage. Its amazing how soft the frame really is! This ive seen on the a bodies, so it should occur on G bodies too.

Oh yea, forgot to say, also the postons jounce bars didnt clear my ic. I think they sold GP factory part.

I have a junkyard find (it's actually a brand new piece but from another vehicle) that should work with any stock location intercooler because it doesn't bend in towards the engine like the Grand Prix and aftermarket bars do. I'm selling it if anyone is interested. $50 shipped. Here's a pic of what the bar looks like and installed with a stock intercooler.

 

[jlat]

The front frame horn brace (the Gran Prix brace that ties the jounce bars and front end of the frame) shown above won't work on a SLIC equipped car, but this one will. SC&C Heavy Duty Chassis Brace - Buick Grand National | Savitske Classic & Custom

hello; I e-mailed SC&C with no reply and I'm going to give them a call today with the question if there brace definitely fits with the larger SLIC. Do you have the SC&C on your car with the PTE SLIC? I might go for it.
IBBY

 

[ThikStik]

Pitssburgkid,
That reminds me of the 18 wheeler cab grab bar some are saying works well. Anyway, i am interested , but need to have my car home to contemplate the fitment. I have a stacked IC, do you think your bar would work? thanks

 

[Gary Wells]

Both the original factory GNX rear seat brace and the one manufactured and / or distributed by Kenne Bell have been gone for years unless you find somebody that bought one years back and never got around to installing it. The ones sold by Kirbans will do just fine and it has never been proven that the original GNX and / or GNX style rear seat brace is any better.
The under the hood braces are pretty worthless for any improvement towards tightening the frame / body but do wonders for removing some unwanted squeaks and / or rattles.
In addition to Installing all of the frame braces and the rear seat brace, installing the the missing GNX body bushings and any other body bushings also contribute to strengthening the frame / body relationship and avoiding the cracks that will eventually appear over the rear of the front windows, even on a bone stock car. Even a bone stock car will eventually display the cracks over the front windows.
I am running the Kirban front triangulation braces in combination with a PT&E stock location intercooler and 1 of the 3 braces do not have enough room to clear.
I once asked Mark Savitske at Saitvske Classic Custom whether his welded front triangulation brace would clear any of the deep SLIC's and never got a response.
I am also running Kirban springs, Bilstein shocks, GNX & missing body bushings (bushing #'s 3 & 4 or #'s 4 & 5), Savitske front upper stage 2 control arms with the tall ball joints, BMR? rear upper double adjustment control arms, & Global West rear lower control arms with the spherical rod ends at one end and the special bushings at the other end, 16" GNX replica / Pontiac rims with Michelin tires front & rear, & replica ATR rear sway bar.
Planning on changing out the ATR replica rear sway bar and replacing it with the "HRParts&Stuff" rear adjustable sway bar, & switching out the stock steering box with a Lee Performance one.
This is on a 30K mile turbo Buick and it is as tight as a drum in the corners.
FWIW, IMHO, & HTH

 

[~JM~]

I just installed the 3 lower front end braces from Kirbans that I believe you'all are referring to as a Grand-Prix bar, plus the 2 bars that triangulate from the frame rail ends to the center section.

Truly a worthy modification! Simple bolt-on to existing holes & actually works as claimed. The front end no longer "Floats" at highway+ speeds & generally feels more planted. Even my passenger claims to notice a difference in ride quality.

Next will be the rear seat braces.

~JM~

 

[jlat]

hello; Today I ordered the front brace from SC&C and I'll let you's guys & gal know if it fits with the PTE SLIC. He said basically if the front sway bar fits with the SLIC it should fit with there brace. It comes black and I didn't ask if it's PC but for the price it should. He also said since they've been making the brace only on 2 TB it didn't work with.
IBBY

 

[Pittsburghkid]

Pitssburgkid,
That reminds me of the 18 wheeler cab grab bar some are saying works well. Anyway, i am interested , but need to have my car home to contemplate the fitment. I have a stacked IC, do you think your bar would work? thanks

This is exactly that bar. I'm the one that figured out you could use that bar and posted it on another thread. As faw as if it would work with you IC i honestly wouldn't know without seeing the car or atleast pics of the under core support area.

 

[jlat]

hello; If this new brace works out I'll be selling what I have so stay tuned.
IBBY

 

[scojack_2001]

I have most of the braces on my car. They all helped.

The rear seat and under frame brace the most. The underhood braces were a colossal PITA to install, as I had to remove a bunch of stuff to do it. Ive had the GNX #5 bushings for forever, maybe I'll get to install them at some point in the near future. I actually saw them installed for the first time on a real X two weeks ago.

As for the SC&C brace, it fits great. Kinda a pain to install but its worth it. It WILL NOT work with the 36mm F-Body swaybar! It will only work with a stock G-body swaybar or a aftermarket one for a G-body. Ask me how I know...

I think the brace will work with the PT&E SLIC itself, but the shroud may be another story. Im planning on going to a PTE IC, just haven't gotten to it yet. So I digress on that.

But the SC&C brace is a solid, well designed piece. If anyone has any question on the install, Ive done it. Its not too bad.

 

[jlat]

I have most of the braces on my car. They all helped.

The rear seat and under frame brace the most. The underhood braces were a colossal PITA to install, as I had to remove a bunch of stuff to do it. Ive had the GNX #5 bushings for forever, maybe I'll get to install them at some point in the near future. I actually saw them installed for the first time on a real X two weeks ago.

As for the SC&C brace, it fits great. Kinda a pain to install but its worth it. It WILL NOT work with the 36mm F-Body swaybar! It will only work with a stock G-body swaybar or a aftermarket one for a G-body. Ask me how I know...

I think the brace will work with the PT&E SLIC itself, but the shroud may be another story. Im planning on going to a PTE IC, just haven't gotten to it yet. So I digress on that.

But the SC&C brace is a solid, well designed piece. If anyone has any question on the install, Ive done it. Its not too bad.

hello; Thanks for the info. as I've been waiting for a 36mm sway bar to come up but if what you say is true the search has ended. It does sound like the SC & C is a quality pc. not just a tube with crushed ends as decribed to me recently.
IBBY

 

[scojack_2001]

hello; Thanks for the info. as I've been waiting for a 36mm sway bar to come up but if what you say is true the search has ended. It does sound like the SC & C is a quality pc. not just a tube with crushed ends as decribed to me recently.
IBBY

The SC&C brace will fit with a 36mm swaybar on the car, JUST NOT THE F-BODY 36mm swaybar. I had one on my car when I attempted to install the SC&C brace and it wouldn't fit. Put the stocker back on and it bolted right up, nice and pretty.

It is not a tube with crushed ends. It is welded up very, very nicely and well built. You will be able to feel a difference in the car once it's installed.

I need to repair one of my mounting holes, but other than that its been problem free. My problem WAS NOT due to the SC&C brace.

 

[6togo]

What does everyone think is the better brace for the rear seat kirbans type x or the gnx type?
Chris

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Interesting thread.....

As one might suspect I have all the braces the basic braces on my personal car, along with Bilstein shocks and the larger hollow front sway bar, and the thicker rear sway bar.

Their is no question that the rear seat braces make a huge difference that you feel within the first 1/4 mile of driving. The front frame brace set coupled to the front connecting brace that forms a triangle up front also makes a huge difference that you feel. My sin actually designed that front connecting brace years ago.

All of the above are major sellers and have no down side to them. A few years back another source came out with a brace to match what the GNX had in it. We also sell that one as well. As for which makes the most difference. I have no idea as the end result is they both do the job.

Bilstein shocks make a world of difference and at one tim was considered to be part of the GNX kit when ASC was doing the project from what I remember. Its also important to remember to install the "missing" lower body bushings some cars its 4 of them and others mainily 1986 models for some reason its 6 of them. Buick won;t tell you they are missing but i the real world you want to install them.

On the rear seat brace kit....the smaller you are the easier it is to install them since you gotta go in the trunk and do the job and remove the rear seat as well.

These upgrades should be one of the first upgrades you do as the results are well worth it.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

I have seen that other one piece triangle brace on cars and I am sure it works just as well as the design we market. The best part is the holes are already in the frame to bolt them in place.....it also tells you if the frame is straight because if the holes don't line up.....then you know the frame horn or horns are bent!

 

[jlat]

hello; And to Dennis Kirban. I had made a suggestion on this site in the past on a new product. That product would be to redesign one brace (I think it was the left one looking at the front of the car) is not a major change but it should make the braces fit with a over sized SLIC. With my PT&E SLIC that brace will not fit. There are alot of people going for a new SLIC and it makes sense to me. People are coming up with ways to make it work but a optional brace to the ones made now would be a good way to go.
IBBY

 

[6togo]

My GN is stripped down so doing either seat brace would not be a issue but if i ended up doing the GNX type and welding it in i would want to do it now. It sounds like no one has ever really found any difference in the two though what about doing both or is that way overkill! I'm sure that would keep it tight!!!!!
Chris

 

[Dennis Kirban]

hello; And to Dennis Kirban. I had made a suggestion on this site in the past on a new product. That product would be to redesign one brace (I think it was the left one looking at the front of the car) is not a major change but it should make the braces fit with a over sized SLIC. With my PT&E SLIC that brace will not fit. There are alot of people going for a new SLIC and it makes sense to me. People are coming up with ways to make it work but a optional brace to the ones made now would be a good way to go.
IBBY

Problem is to make it profitable companies like myself have to commit to a decent size run....also would need a prototype made and a local car to try it on.

At this time we have no plans to make this part. Maybe at some future date.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[Dennis Kirban]

My GN is stripped down so doing either seat brace would not be a issue but if i ended up doing the GNX type and welding it in i would want to do it now. It sounds like no one has ever really found any difference in the two though what about doing both or is that way overkill! I'm sure that would keep it tight!!!!!
Chris

No idea if both would fit without bending some of the 4 piece braces to clear the GNX style...I doubt very much any noticeable difference between the two versions. At least from a marketing stand point you got both options available to you.

denniskirban@yahoo.com