There is a guy on my local craigslist that is selling a UMI strut tower brace for a thirdgen.

First off, I didn't even think UMI made a STB for thirdgen cars.

Second, how do the joints at the part where the STB bolts to the towers compare to a solid STB?

I have SLP runners, and I'm thinking this might pose a problem.

He claims that it sells for $170 brand new, and wants $150. I told him I'd do $100 cash. What do you guys think?

 

UMI certainly does ....Check my sig.

Since you can adjust its length, the result is also a higher cross bar, to clear a plenum.

It won't care about the runners, only the upper plenum & only if the runners made it sit up higher. But with the notch on the bottom, that helps with clearance.

Does your plenum sit up higher than stock, because of the runners?

 

You have two problems to worry about clearance over the throttle body & the hood. Most STB do not bolt onto strut caps. Check my Hothckis out and I do have SLP runners but needed shims for clearance over the throttle body.

 

What are the advantages of the pivot points rather than having a solid bar?

Also, where can you get shims for a STB that bolts right to the strut caps and would the STB clear the stock Camaro hood this way?

 

The UMI one bolts directly up to 4 of the stock 6 strut cap bolts. Meaning....You don't have to drill any holes to mount it. No shims needed.

There are 2 OPTIONAL holes you can drill, but that is entirely up to you to do. I've never bothered to drill the 2 extra on my car.

The Camaro hood has never been a problem for clearance. Only the GTA hood was, for the UMI one, because of its underhood bracing.

I was the guinea pig to figure out WHY it wouldn't fit. By cutting the bracing a LITTLE, it fits just fine, under GTA hoods. Standard Firebird/Formula hoods, it fits fine. the GTA HOOD is the problem, not the car itself.

I like the pivot points, because it allows adjusting of the crossbar (like in the case of my plenum rubbing, because I set it too short/low) and under simple road differences side to side, the STB doesn't transfer anything to the other side of the chassis.

Suspension can't do its job for one corner of the car, when another corner is giving its input on what to do.

 

The only thing that concerns me about this STB is intake clearance issues.

It says right on their site that it will. NOT clear aftermarket runners, and I have SLP's.

Does anyone know if there is a way around this

 

You'll get better information from UMI, as to specifics like that. Ssk them.

 

Hello
Thanks for the interest in UMI Performance. But unfortunately our STB is manufactured to work with the TPI. Sorry for any inconvenience. If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I will be more than glad to help!
Thanks
Brad

 

Brad,

My intake setup is TPI, but the runners are made by SLP. It is to my understanding this would not work because these runners raise the plenum higher than stock runners.

Do you know if there is any way around this? IE shimming the STB where it bolts to the towers? I am currently very please with my UMI SFC setup.

If not, would you dare recommend a competitor STB that is compatible with SLP runners?

 

Hello
If you can would you be able to shot me a few pics? And I will be more than glad to further assist you.
Thanks
Brad

 

Where are you at? If you were local, we could easily pull my UMI one off & test fit it to your car. If not, maybe someone else is local to you, that would be willing to do the same thing?

 

WRONG! The issue with aftermarket runners is some of them are WIDER before they bend down to the intake manifold. They will not work with AS&M runners without modification. Dont' know about SLP runners. See the following thread.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...m-runners.html

 

How am I wrong? The PLENUM doesn't matter. In YOUR words, it is "The issue with aftermarket runners is some of them are WIDER before they bend down to the intake manifold." That just reinforces my point that the problem is with the RUNNERS, not the upper plenum!

 

This is where you are wrong. The STB hits the runners not the plenum. The runners do matter.

 

Call it a screw up on my part, but you know what I meant, since I contradicted myself, in the first post you "complained" about. It got me so frustrated knowing what I MEANT, I didn't reread & screwed up again. Reread the first post. It doesn't even agree with itself!

EDIT: I give up...You twisted my words so bad that I'm just plain frustrated with you & can't type straight........

 

Relax man. I'm not doing it to get you worked up. Just making sure the information in this thread is correct. I did not know what you meant. I've been down this road before with the UMI STB so I can provide useful insight. That's what we are all here for.

FireDemonSiC,

So in conclusion, you would be taking a chance with the UMI STB. If you can get it for $100 I say go for it. If it doesn't fit, you can sell it here for the same amount, or just modify it to work. Between you, Stephen, and I we'll have about all the UMI STB fitment issues documented.

 

Settle the UMI STB issue with the SLP runners by buying a different brand that will work for you. UMI is not the only one out there, they all do the same thing. I read UMI reply and it did not say anything that would say yes or no just

 

Every aftermarket manufacturer cannot be expected to go test their part, on every combination of possible aftermarket parts out there.

No other brand can give you a yes or no either, based on other aftermarket parts combos, unless a customer had tried it and reported it.

 

Here is a STB that fit over SLP runners....Hotchkis.