XV motorsports inner frame fender bracing...overkill?

[Topcat]

I'm debating whether I really need to install these. Engine will a 426 Hemi staying pretty much stock with a bigger cam. I'm really beginning to think that these are really more for the road racer crowd and not so much for the staight liners. US Cartool frame connectors and all 4 torque boxes are already installed on my car.
 
Thoughts and opinions please.

http://www.xvmotorsports.com/products/detail/index.cfm?nPID=23&cid=105&cdesc=Chassis%20Stiffening

[Oldschool]

I think I would forego those.  They look like great parts, but I don't think you will need them at all.  You already have 4 torque boxes and the frame connected.  Install the bigger torsion bars and ride...     

BTW-- you will need every tiny square inch of space when you install that elephant motor.  That engine compartment fills all the way up and space to work on it is at a premium....        

[gkring]

I think if you are interested in fast left and right turns or ever plan on lifting the front wheels it would be a good idea. They are fairly cheap, and only occupy dead space in the fender.

[go-fish]

Hemi and cornering aren't usually words that go together either.

[Carlwalski]

If you have the money, I say go for it. They may not be 100% necessary, no, but they sure as hell will not hurt the car lol. They will improve it no matter what engine and what power. If not for extra body strength then for a tighter feel to the car and less body roll. I have them for my car along with the other items you have, torque boxes and subframes. I say go for it TC, it's a peace of mind thing as well, knowing your 40 year old car body is about as solid as you can get is a nice thing to have in the back of your mind when you step into 450hp+. Also, don't get to caught up into how much hp, it's how you drive it. Over time, any car with moderate power can start to literally fall apart when it's driven hard consistently. Just the nature of the beast in these cars.

[willhaven]

I've got them in my build. I don't have a ton of power and I don't have their crazy suspension setup... yet.

Futureproofing I guess.

[CHUCKS71]

I'm going to make a set just like theirs. I think the stiffer the car is the better. 

[Stacked440]

I'm going to make a set just like theirs. I think the stiffer the car is the better. 

 

[Oldschool]

To me, it is as much about ride quality as anything when you go for a ride in your Hemi car.  4 torque boxes, sub frames tied, and big torsion bars stiffens the car greatly, without making the ride too harsh.  Since the torque boxes and stuff have already been done, I would worry about the car being too stiff and therefore unenjoyable to drive.  Anyone remember the old Vettes?  They looked great and had a stiff chassis.  They were also a pain to ride in more than a few miles at a time.  The XV braces also add unnecessary weight to the front end of the car.  Before I bought/installed them, I would like to drive a car like mine that already had them to see how they affected the car.

[Changin Gears]

I would not run those with torsion bars.  Those are better suited for a coil over settup.  Torsion bars are great, these coil over kits move the vehicle center of gravity up and forward (its not much but its going the wrong way) and transmit the twisting of the front suspension to an area that the vehicle was not designed for.  So you have to add bracing.  Torsion bars transmit the twist to the trans frame member.

[ChallengerHK]

The other thing is that (and I hate to admit this) you can get too much stiffness in the chassis. Depends on where you're going to be driving, i.e., what kind of road surface. If you're going to be on very smooth roads, stiffer is almost certainly better, but regular roads are usually not smooth enough.

[Topcat]

I would not run those with torsion bars.  Those are better suited for a coil over settup.  Torsion bars are great, these coil over kits move the vehicle center of gravity up and forward (its not much but its going the wrong way) and transmit the twisting of the front suspension to an area that the vehicle was not designed for.  So you have to add bracing.  Torsion bars transmit the twist to the trans frame member.

Good point made. I can picture how each type works and how they both work differently.

The other thing is that (and I hate to admit this) you can get too much stiffness in the chassis. Depends on where you're going to be driving, i.e., what kind of road surface. If you're going to be on very smooth roads, stiffer is almost certainly better, but regular roads are usually not smooth enough.

Roads here are terrible. Our state has the some of the worst road conditions in the country.

To me, it is as much about ride quality as anything when you go for a ride in your Hemi car.  4 torque boxes, sub frames tied, and big torsion bars stiffens the car greatly, without making the ride too harsh.    The XV braces also add unnecessary weight to the front end of the car. 

OS, the added weight of the sub frame connectors plus the bracing put on was one of the reasons I asked.
I am starting to feel like my car is getting too much extra weight put on it already.

If you have the money, I say go for it. They may not be 100% necessary, no, but they sure as hell will not hurt the car lol.

No problem affording it. Yeah they look nice underneath. I'm just concerned that the chassis gets too stiff.
The roads here aren't very good anymore since our state is always in the red now.

Hemi and cornering aren't usually words that go together either.

Cornering isn't what I am concerned about as much as body flex that leads to body fatique.

[gkring]

You want the suspension and tires to affect the ride quality, not a flexible body!
Keeping the body straight cuts down on all the pops and crackles as you drive those rough roads. Picking the right springs, torsion bars, tires, and shocks will affect your ride quality. The suspension is what is designed to move and absorb the road variations. Either way you go will be fine. For those rough roads I would think it would be even more reason to keep the body as straight as possible and let the shocks take the beating.

[Stacked440]

Roads here are terrible. Our state has the some of the worst road conditions in the country.

You live in Michigan to?

[Jacksboys]

Roads here are terrible. Our state has the some of the worst road conditions in the country.

You live in Michigan to?

I do not live there, but I thought Wisconsin had the worst roads on the last two years of the power tour.