[Piercemotorsports]

Hey guys, we built this for Stephan today---he was looking for a way to tie down his gear in the back and doesn't have kids so we anchored into the two child seat hooks back there and built the bar in between. We added a couple of hooks for bungee's/straps so you can clip in. I personally don't think there's much of a performance gain to the bar, although I did jig it and I'm building another bar/ taking it to the track on Thursday---I'll run 5 laps with it and then 5 laps without it and between my "assometer" and the data system we have we'll be able to quantify any performance gains...anyrate we built it out of chromoly like all our products and I just weighed it and it's under 2lbs---super rigid/strong. I think we're going to add it to the catalog if anyone is interested---it's super simple to make---and even easier to install. It can be installed under or over the carpet---but if you have the mat and wanted it on top you'd have to trim the mat (and let us know to space it up accordingly). We'll offer it in color choices like all our stuff---here's a couple pics of Stephans bar-

 

[VeeTee]

Personally, I would look for something a little beefier....

 

[turboxl]

looks good!! i just got my strut bar today thanks JP

 

[MyDianaZ06]

AWESOME DESIGN!

When I saw rear I thought Rear Torsion Bar.

Hate to get this thread off topic, but was wondering if you are going to come out with something like this?
Shark Racing

People here said they put that on and it greatly helps the car. Night and day difference. Now I know you can make something like shark racing rear torsion bar did but WAY BEEFIER!!!! Nothing fancy just a rear torsion bar like this one

 

[Piercemotorsports]

Thanks guys---it's just a simple piece, but it's super strong/light...I have a prototype rear torsion bar on the car now---it's nearly identical to the whiteline design/attaches the same way and clears everything just fine---I'm headed to the track and we'll see how it performs---after that I'm onto a rear swaybar. I'll take some pics over the weekend.

 

[Hyperion]

Good stuff! I'm looking forward to seeing if it's at all beneficial!

 

[Stone Axe]

I could see that providing needed stiffness and strength to a part of the VT that needs it.

My VT's rear roof often creaks in the morning when I go down my steep and twisty parking garage. Tying the two sides together couldn't hurt and the child seat hook points are probably reinforced too.

When I'm looking at vintage Euro-peewees and the like this is an area that I always inspect and often there is deformation of the sheet metal in that spot.

 

[RieBauer17]

Gotta ask, how much?

 

[MyDianaZ06]

Thanks guys---it's just a simple piece, but it's super strong/light...I have a prototype rear torsion bar on the car now---it's nearly identical to the whiteline design/attaches the same way and clears everything just fine---I'm headed to the track and we'll see how it performs---after that I'm onto a rear swaybar. I'll take some pics over the weekend.

Is this the whiteline bar you are replicating?
Whiteline BHR92 Sway bar - 18mm heavy duty

 

[jared]

Thanks guys---it's just a simple piece, but it's super strong/light...I have a prototype rear torsion bar on the car now---it's nearly identical to the whiteline design/attaches the same way and clears everything just fine---I'm headed to the track and we'll see how it performs---after that I'm onto a rear swaybar. I'll take some pics over the weekend.

:smile: can't wait to see how this turns out!

p.s. jim, I will be taking my VT to a local road course this Sunday, any tips for the VT? I have to do everything I can to post a faster time than my buddy's Mini!

 

[Kaishi]

Jim put this one together for me, per my request. I'm really excited to receive it, test it out, and then get it painted. My stuff winds up sliding around in my trunk sometimes, and this way I'll be able to strap it down pretty good. I might even install some mesh in the middle, between the two hooks, which I can anchor at the two side strap points.

If it adds a little rigidity to the chassis or body, all that much better IMO

Gotta ask, how much?

Last I heard, Jim was thinking ~$80. Ultimately it's his call.

 

[Piercemotorsports]

:smile: can't wait to see how this turns out!

p.s. jim, I will be taking my VT to a local road course this Sunday, any tips for the VT? I have to do everything I can to post a faster time than my buddy's Mini!

Absolutely---if you can get to an alignment shop/have coilovers or a way to get some negative camber in the front that'll be huge---get as much negative camber in the front as you can---toe it out an 1/8"---I'd start the front tire pressures pretty low---like around 30-32lbs cold---the backs maybe 36-38lbs cold---biggest thing is trying to get rid of the push. Your first 3 laps is where your going to get your best times (after you've figured out the track/setup etc) as the tires go off/IC heat soaks and you start to loose performance. I'd run 70-80% in the beginning sessions learning the track---if it's timed maybe just click off a fast one so your buddy doesn't think your sandbagging---then at the middle/end of the day when you've got it figured out head out behind a faster car and try an keep up for the first 3 laps---I mean really burn it down trying to keep up and I'll bet you'll tick off a good one.

MyDIANAZ06---absolutely--that's a great product, but I think we need a little bit more rate/stiffness for what I'm doing. When that's done I'm going to start working on the rear swaybar.

On the rear trunk brace, I think $85 painted is pretty doable---shipping should be around $10 and just $20 to Canada. I can leave the hooks off for folks who don't want them. I can also sell them unpainted for $75 for those that want to color match.

 

[jared]

Absolutely---if you can get to an alignment shop/have coilovers or a way to get some negative camber in the front that'll be huge---get as much negative camber in the front as you can---toe it out an 1/8"---I'd start the front tire pressures pretty low---like around 30-32lbs cold---the backs maybe 36-38lbs cold---biggest thing is trying to get rid of the push. Your first 3 laps is where your going to get your best times (after you've figured out the track/setup etc) as the tires go off/IC heat soaks and you start to loose performance. I'd run 70-80% in the beginning sessions learning the track---if it's timed maybe just click off a fast one so your buddy doesn't think your sandbagging---then at the middle/end of the day when you've got it figured out head out behind a faster car and try an keep up for the first 3 laps---I mean really burn it down trying to keep up and I'll bet you'll tick off a good one.

Do you run with the traction control on or off? what about the Stability control?

 

[Piercemotorsports]

We have to run with it off---it's too limiting as you start getting towards the limit. Had a fantastic day at the track yesterday---really impressed/proud of the work we've been putting in and the short version is with out products/suspension setup we're able to take nearly 10 seconds off the stock Veloster at Willow Springs raceway---I'll do a write up on it with pics/some Vid and get impressions from other folks that drove the car...really cool day!

The trunk brace was not much of a noticeable improvement behind the wheel---however I did some skidpad testing with it---ran 5 laps without and 10 with it and the data showed a slight improvement in lateral g's and was consistent throughout all the laps---it was a slight improvement (car was just touching 1.4 g's without the brace and was slightly over 1.4g's with the brace---ever so slightly over) . If you factor in some tire degradation you could make a case for the improvement as well. Our fastest skidpad time and laptime was with the brace installed.

 

[r0005]

This may be a good option for the weekend auto-xer in STS. I still have plenty of other things to buy first but may add one of these down the road.

 

[Kaishi]

Jim, I'm glad that the brace helped, even if only a little. I see it as 100% gain considering the low cost, improved tie-downs, and improved stiffness. I should be receiving mine today, and bringing it to a powdercoater within the week. I'll let you know what I think.

 

[Piercemotorsports]

Cool---I was a bit surprised that it did anything at all---and it wasn't night and day/super noticeable like the strutbraces/lower bars---but it's nice to know you can add a pound of tubing back there and get something in return...

 

[MiDiablo]

Great piece! Love that you added the kids set tabs to the top for those of us who do have kids! I'm looking forward to being able to order a handful of Pierce goodies

 

[Kaishi]

Got the brace! Decided to use satin black chassis paint on the trunk brace, followed by a thick caliper-grade clearcoat. Stuff cures at 200ºF for 1 hour, which won't happen in the trunk (unlike brakes, haha), so I'm baking it in the oven right now. Then it'll be almost as hard as powdercoat. The finish pre-baking looked really great, other than a few very small runs in the clearcoat, around some of the corners. But I'm confident that the clearcoat covered the whole bar, so it should be protected from anything that could happen in the trunk.

EDIT: Photos!

 

[Kaishi]

I got the tie bar brace installed yesterday as well. Between the two, she seems firmed up quite a bit. I still want a Rear Torsion brace of some kind, to enhance that rear axle.