I know this topic has been discussed, but noone has an answer for why to go with a 3 pt. They say why NOT to- firewall is a week mounting point, strut towers flex side-to-side/ not back and forth, can be a pain when changing cap/ rotor/ wires, have to drill holes in firewall.

What are the advantages? Also, what are the advantages of the STB's with adjustable ends vs. the fully welded kind?

I am currently considering either Hotchkis or Kenny Brown. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the help!

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89' Firebird Formula
Black/grey cloth
305 TPI/5 speed/3.45 rear
dual cats/PW,PL/T-tops
K&N, SLP TB booster,
SLP exhaust, Jet chip

Strut Tower Braces: When you turn a corner in any car, the vehicle's weight attempts to transfer to the outer front corner of the car, which helps to firmly plant that tire against the pavement. At the same time, the inner front corner of the car becomes unloaded. In an ideal setup, these dynamics would simply cause the vehicle to "gyrate" around a single point located somewhere near the middle of the car; it would roll toward the side, then pitch forward somewhat. The problem for Trans Ams is that when the weight transfers to the right font, that corner actually bends upwards, rather than just compressing the front spring. Thus, the front end actually pivots on several axis: It not only rotates toward the side, around a centerline down the long axis of the car, but the front end on that side bends upward at the base of the windshield, while the other side remains basically correct. A turn in the opposite direction would have the opposite effect.

The way to combat this front end flex is to tie the front end flex points together with a strut tower brace; a device constructed of one or more steel tubes that span from one side's strut tower to the other side's tower. This greatly enhances the ability for the front end to resist twisting forces, because the heavily loaded side can "push" against the unloaded side, dividing the total force of the load between the two sides.

Of course, merely spanning from one side to the other really only cures part of the problem. While cornering, A tower to tower brace lessens the tendency of the outside wheel's corner to bend upward, since the force resulting from the weight transfer to the outside corner would also have to move the inside comer at the same time. That's a significant improvement- and a noticeable one. Unfortunately, simple tower to tower braces do little to prevent bending at the cowl (windshield base).

A better solution is a brace that not only ties the strut towers to each other, but also ties the braces into the firewall/cowl area. By triangulating the front end, movement of the right front comer is suppressed by not only the tower to tower cross brace, but by the tower to cowl brace. And since the opposite (left-hand) strut tower is also tied to the cowl with a brace, that tower is better able to withstand flexing forces, too. In this way, only the most severe forces (accidents) cause the front end to flex.

It's also important to consider the construction of the brace itself. Braces that feature any kind of pivot points, such as Heim joints, or use bolts to connect two or more pieces together, are less capable of preventing movement than one-piece braces.


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1986 Black & Gold WS6
Trans AM...The Muscle Car Lives
...Its just not at home at the moment...

Nosaints Coolzone

A one piece construction is stronger. However, it is much more difficult to install properly. Adjustable units allow for adjustment when installing to make up for any chassis bending or manufacturing tolerances. Remember nothing "bolts on".

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'89 Red Formula 350- 350 .060 over forged pistons 232* @ .020 cam Performer RPM Holley 750 DP Vortec 1.94 1.50 Accel Coil and dist. Hedman shorty headers Dual Exhaust w/ cutouts 1LE WS6 suspension, wheels, and brakes, 9 Bolt 3.27 Posi Edelbrock LCA's & Track bar subframe connectors 700R4 A&A snorkel scoop Eclipse Head Unit Delco Bose Speakers 2 12" Pioneer subs w/ 400 watt/chanel amp

I have a 3 point brace and I just recently replaced my cap and rotor. The brace made it a little tighter to work around but i still had no problems doing it.

I have the Edelbrock one...

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Black 90 IROC, L98, A4, 323 gear. SuperRamed 406 in the works!

I also have the Edelbrock 3 point brace. It stiffened up my 88 IROC more than my subframe connectors. 4 bolts hold in the cowl arms, remove them and it's easy to get at the ignition. As for the cowl being weak, wait till you try to drill through it!

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CE subframe connectors, Edelbrock strut tower brace, polygraphite bushings all around...it handles like a dream, but man is it hard to push!!