twobirds

I seen this brace on firehawks. It is the one from the firewall to the pass fender. Is there a part # for this brace? Also why did some cars get it and some no. For example, a member of our thirdgen club has a 91 t/a(not a gta)(carbed87 on this site) with L98 and it has this brace. And why only on one side????

Thanks,
Conrad

Side note: what is the name for this brace??

camaro430sut

iTrader: (2)

im not sure on the function or name of this brace, altho i am searchin for one for my car as its missing. what i can tell you is that all L69 equipped cars,irocs, later z28s, formys, gta, ect, ect came with em. pretty much any car that had tpi or a L69 had em. id like to kno what its called and why its there tho.
matt

Fast92RS

iTrader: (2)

That part has been discontinued. It is being reproduced by VPI (GMs new part supplier for restoration parts). Part number 14074745.

twobirds

Well that is weird, I've owned and seen many formy 350 and gta 350 with out it. Even a L69 car. He is 300hpse on this site. So I doubt it.

Conrad

camaro430sut

iTrader: (2)

i dont claim to be an expert, just thorwin out what ive observed

plndtx

I just looked in my '92 GM repair manual. It is refered to as 'Brace'. Ooooooh,
aaaaaaaah.

di11avou

iTrader: (1)

Do they have a website?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

It's not a "Firehawk" part, or even a "Firebird" part, or a late-model part. My 83 Z28 has it. It was already there when I bought the car in 85.

I took it off some time ago; the hole in the cowl lip where the Tinnerman clip goes, eventually got all wallowed out. It started rattling.

Didn't seem to make much difference.

Don't know why there's only the one. There are often things on the car that have no function after it's built, they're just something the factory uses for assembly; it might be something like that. Can't see how though.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Just to add to the confusion, my 85 IROC (an LG4) has the brace. Rhyme or reason? Hey, this is GM.

JamesC

plndtx

Could it be linked to the plant which produced the car?

It could be as simple as that it is an item that got put on when they had them and when inventory ran out they stopped putting them on. When the factory got them in stock, they put them on.

Anyway, that is my guess. Pure speculation!!!

Fast92RS

iTrader: (2)

No they dont its avaliable through GM dealers only.

TAdan

Ok folks I have spent the past several years driving myself nuts to figure this one out. Here is what I have observed.

FYI there is another brace that runs from the p/s shock tower to the frame rail.

All Z-28's 82-92 have these two braces.

Many 91-92 TPI Firebirds have the braces. I have looked at many low mileage examples, L98, LB9, 1LE etc...

Case in point. I found a low mile 91 GTA with the braces parked next to a low mile 91 Formula 350 w/o the braces.

So my conclusion...All Z-28's have it. Many late model TPI birds have it. :shrug:

DJP87Z28

Picture of the so called fender brace on 87 IROC-Z. 1/4 dia rod about 18' long (estimates of size).

twobirds

[QUOTE=TAdan]
FYI there is another brace that runs from the p/s shock tower to the frame rail.
All Z-28's 82-92 have these two braces.[QUOTE]

Pic of this brace please

Klortho

[QUOTE=twobirds]Circled, both my V6 Firebird and GTA has it, but doesn't have the crossbrace.

Aerosmith

My 85 Z28 has it
----------
The brace from the strut tower to the inner fenderwell is where the a/c relay was mounted on my 82 Camaro

tuske427

Is it possible it's a factory thing? I mean maybe the Van Nuys cars had this? My Norwood built '84 T/A has neither of these braces as mentioned above.

It didn't even have the bolt on triangula brace down by the steering box. I've since added that, though.

slim64

iTrader: (2)

From what ive read in my 86 Camaro assembly manual, both braces and the triangular brace were only put on the z28's/IROC's (not sure on pontiacs)

I dont think it had anything to do with engines, but more on what suspension package the car came with.

And to through a wrench in my own post, my 86 Z doesnt have the brace from the ps shock tower down to the frame rail like it is supposed to, does anyone have a pic of it?

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Both upper braces can be seen in the following pic:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...ain-motor1.jpg

JamesC

phess11

My 83 Z28 has both, and it is a Norwood car. I am original owner.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Mine's a Norwood car was well.

JamesC

jaykar

iTrader: (1)

87 Iroc
Original Owner
Cal built car
2 Braces

Later

Irocing

Iroctopless

Here is a pic of mine. I own a 1989 IrocZ convertible. When my car was order at the dealer as a convertible, it started life out as a T-top at the Van Nuys plant. From there it went to ASC for the convertible conversion. As part of the conversion they install a pencil brace. This procedure is described in the ASC conversion manual on page 43 (see attachment).
This is the history, as far as I know, with regards to my car. I know most of you in this post who have mentioned they also have the brace are probably not convertible owners. For that I do not have an explanation.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Just so you know VPI doesnt reproduce parts. They buy all of GMs nos stuff, mark it up then resell it

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

A dime a dozen for any of these braces at a boneyard.

JamesC

okfoz

NOt sure about Camaros on this one...

On the Firebird it was a 1LE only thing from what I have ever seen. Since the Firehawks were usually 1LE or better equiped they apparently have it too, never paid attention.

THere is the brace as pictured above, then there is a brace that goes between the strut tower on the RH side to the subframe rail, I would only imagine there are other places too, but I have not seen where.

The reason why Chevy has the brace and Pontiac does not may be due to the engeneering of the cars, much like the "Wonderbar" that the IROC & later Z28 got The pontiacs did not get the extra piece. Because Pontiacs were considered more up-level than the Camaro, Pontiac may have wanted a softer ride, but with the addition of the WS6 suspension they would handle about equivelant to their Camaro couterparts. Some magazines claim that on a smoothe racing surface the Camaro would outperform the GTA but on a rough real-World surface the GTA outperformed the IROC because of its softer suspension. These wonderful little braces may have contributed to this, it all boils down to where the engeneers and product development teams want to position the cars in the market.

Because the 1LE cars were intended to be raced the ride comfort level was not considered... I do know that the pieces are there to put them on between the fender and the firewall, but you would have to modify your strut tower and subframe rail to put them on a firebird (Drill some holes).

John

TAdan

John. the problem with the firebird theory is that I have seen them on many NON 1LE TPI Firebirds (91-92).

Like I stated above. Two low mile 91 L98 cars, one had the braces, one did not...

Fun!

Note: I have seen the upper brace added by owners...however I have never seen someone add the lower brace, due to the tight space.

twobirds

Just like in the first post.

Conrad

I still do not understand why is it only on one side?? Engine torque?

TAdan

That was always my guess. Guess being the key word

ershealy

I pulled this brace and a wonder bar off of an IROC for my Formula. Being curious, I researched this with a friend who works at the Chevy dealership in town. After going through the assembly drawings and parts lists this is what we found:

The brace is factory equipment on all Camaros
It was also used on 92 Firebirds.

Of course there are and will always be exceptions and additions after the fact, but from what I have seen in bone yards and reasonably clean examples, this usage generally holds true. I have no explanation as why the Camaros got them and Firebirds did not, I have read that in 92 Pontiac started using more structural adhesive on the cars, so maybe it was a general effort to stiffen the whole car?

okfoz

Hmm, my 83 SC parts car does not have them... Nor does it appear to ever have had them ...

John

tuske427

Ok, good to know.

So much for my theory (on factory)...

TAdan

John, as far as Camaros, I have only ever seen them on Z28's/ Irocs.

scooter

iTrader: (11)

My 91 GTA has all three......

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

my 89 Formula 350 has them all....

Bluejae

The same goes for me on my '88 Formula 350, all three are presently here.

edit: I don't know what the heck I was thinking when I put "all three" I have the two factory braces and then of course a strut tower brace that I put in. I believe when I was writing this I wasn't thinking, sorry if I confused anyone.

Packmule

The mystery brace seems like there was no set kind of engine or body style or assembly plant cause mine is a 86 T/A built in California and it has them and all its got is a 305ci 4bbl.

twobirds

Just got done looking at a 87 Iroc w/305 carbed vin H. No pencil brace or wonder bar.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Never seen an IROC without the Wonberbar.

JamesC

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

my 84 L69 Z28 had it and my 87 and 88 iroc's have it i took a picture of it when removing it cause i didnt know what purpose it served.

oldschool

Well, that looks like the fender/pencil brace, except it's attached between the strut tower and the front frame rail. How many of these extra braces were there?

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Just got done looking at a 87 Iroc w/305 carbed vin H. No pencil brace or wonder bar.

I owned an '87 IROC-Z convertible (LG4) and it had both.

Now here's a good one for everyone: My '87 Z28 convertible has a brace near the charcoal canister that is about 45 degrees to horizontal and connects the radiator support (near the horns) to the floor pan (behind the canister and towards the fender) It's about nine inches long. I have never seen this brace on any other third gen Camaro I've owned (12 total, I believe). I wonder if it's a convertible specific brace.... I can take a pic but won't have it until next weekend as the car is stored and not at my house. Anyone else have this?

shr00m

iTrader: (2)

Willie, are they tubular with flat spots with holes at different angles on the ends??? If that sounds like it, please get me a picture of where they go! After my wreck I was putting the car back together and couldn't find any where for them to go. Helms didn't show them either so it may be a vert specific item.

Kevin D.

Willie

iTrader: (1)

Kevin,

I honestly cannot recall what the cross section of this brace looks like or how its ends look. I'll try to swing by my car sometime this week but odds are, it won't happen until this weekend. In either case, I'll post a pic of the brace as soon as I take it.

Willie

Apeiron

Willie, the PIM shows what might be your part in the diagrams for all years, "Front End Upper Structure Brace", P/N 14042019.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Yes. My 85 IROC has it.

JamesC

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

88 Iroc, I had it.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Speaking of weird braces
I had a 92 GTA with leather TTops 305 TPI atuo and it had 2 braces (1 on each side) that went from the frame rails strait up to the lower middle area of the strut towers. The were just screwd on with 1 screw on each end... anyone seen these before ??

scooter

iTrader: (11)

That one is mentioned further up in the post, that is one of the 3 that I mentioned

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

My Iroc had those. Strange thing is... the bottlm screws weren't attached and it couldn't reach!