Tunnel brace Issue

[mdub76]

Originally Posted by Bo White

I took mine off and threw it into the recycle pile along time ago.

+1 did the same thing. Just junk it. It really does nothing

[blake-b]

Originally Posted by Mr pogo

3/4" more room, no washers and looks great

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=295178

I have the same one. Very nice piece.

[Mvp_Me]

Originally Posted by Mr pogo

3/4" more room, no washers and looks great

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=295178

Now that is a nice peace!

But since people are saying it doesn't do much i might just take it off. i don't autocross or anything, at most spirited driving and a little on and off on ramp fun.

[Bo White]

Other than being able to angle my mufflers the way I want them I never notice its gone. The OBX cat back on my car fits OK for my taste but when the exhaust is pushed up high enough to clear the bracket I don't like the angle of the tips no matter how I turned the mufflers. I worked at Midas for years and could have cut the exhaust and redone a couple of pipes but not over some stupid bracket lol.

[Mvp_Me]

Originally Posted by Bo White

Other than being able to angle my mufflers the way I want them I never notice its gone. The OBX cat back on my car fits OK for my taste but when the exhaust is pushed up high enough to clear the bracket I don't like the angle of the tips no matter how I turned the mufflers. I worked at Midas for years and could have cut the exhaust and redone a couple of pipes but not over some stupid bracket lol.

Good to know because i don't want to be swaying going around corners like a boat on rough seas

Plus when i get my tax return im going to lower the car and put front and rear sway bars on so shell tighten up regardless.

[SSMickey]

There has been several debates on the tunnel brace on this site. IMO, it does nothing to stiffen the chassis during normal driving. It might help a bit if the car is pushed hard during a track day though. I believe it's sole purpose is to help with chassis rigidity during a collision. I could have used washers on the factory one since my exhaust is tucked up pretty tight, but chose to replace it with one from Elite Engineering. I don't think GM would have installed it "just because" so I left it on.

[Mvp_Me]

Originally Posted by SSMickey

There has been several debates on the tunnel brace on this site. IMO, it does nothing to stiffen the chassis during normal driving. It might help a bit if the car is pushed hard during a track day though. I believe it's sole purpose is to help with chassis rigidity during a collision. I could have used washers on the factory one since my exhaust is tucked up pretty tight, but chose to replace it with one from Elite Engineering. I don't think GM would have installed it "just because" so I left it on.

This is true. what ill do is take it off tomorrow and see how she feels, if i notice a difference ill order the Halo one and be done with.

[Bo White]

You will never know its gone. Even in a collision. On the second Gen camaro you have to take the z bars off for header clearance. If you had to take this bracket off fir headers we wouldn't be debating it.

[axis]

Originally Posted by Bo White

You will never know its gone. Even in a collision. On the second Gen camaro you have to take the z bars off for header clearance. If you had to take this bracket off fir headers we wouldn't be debating it.

I beg to differ. Several on here, myself included could tell a difference in the car with it on vs off. It's not like it's flexing going down the road but it does handle differently in the corners. I will say that it's probably more noticeable once you have some stiffer sways installed. The stock sways allow a lot more chassis movement in the corners.

As has been said in this and all 1000 tunnel brace thread, it's there for a reason and it does what's it's suppose to do. While i'm not one to say "since the manufacturer put it there, it has to do something important" but IMO this is one of those things. Many run without it and that's their prerogative, but it doesn't make sense to me that people spend hundreds, if not thousands on suspension mods to stiffen up their cars, then throw something that braces the tunnel in the trash.

[Fast6.3]

Originally Posted by axis

I beg to differ. Several on here, myself included could tell a difference in the car with it on vs off. It's not like it's flexing going down the road but it does handle differently in the corners. I will say that it's probably more noticeable once you have some stiffer sways installed. The stock sways allow a lot more chassis movement in the corners.

As has been said in this and all 1000 tunnel brace thread, it's there for a reason and it does what's it's suppose to do. While i'm not one to say "since the manufacturer put it there, it has to do something important" but IMO this is one of those things. Many run without it and that's their prerogative, but it doesn't make sense to me that people spend hundreds, if not thousands on suspension mods to stiffen up their cars, then throw something that braces the tunnel in the trash.

+1^^^^

[Bo White]

Like I said, if it was something that had to be perminately removed to be able to install an aftermarket performance part it wouldn't be near as big of a debate. Just about every vehicle I've owned in the last 25 years I've had to do something like this, this vehicle is no different. Its a foot long stamped piece of steel with 4 low grade bolts. Chunk it/don't chunk- its your car. The front and rear sub frame and cradle are there bolted to the body so its not like the car is going spread.

[Batmanntexas]

To the OP: I have a full 3" exhaust, installed by me, on my back, in my garage. I initially installed all the pieces hand tight only, then went back, slid some folded up cardboard between the tunnel brace and pipes. Once I deemed that I had the appropriate amount of clearance, 1/4-3/8" inch, I tightened everything down. I then removed the cardboard, and BOOM! I had plenty of clearance, no need for washers, spacers, etc. That was about 14000 miles ago, and still no issues! Hope you get it sorted out.

P.S. Any shop that bends a factory metal brace as a fix, isn't really a shop IMHO.

[1969to2010]

Originally Posted by SSMickey

Sounds like your exhaust is not aligned correctly. Loosen it up and put a screw jack under it by the brace and raise it up a bit then tighten it down. That'll probably give you the room you need. If you still need a bit more, get a dropped brace or put washers on yours. Your installer should never have bent your factory brace. That's a hack move IMO.

And mlee is right about the knock sensor and pulling timing. Those sensors can detect the slightest rattle.

Had the same issue did the same thing suggested above fixed it

[axis]

Originally Posted by Bo White

Like I said, if it was something that had to be perminately removed to be able to install an aftermarket performance part it wouldn't be near as big of a debate. Just about every vehicle I've owned in the last 25 years I've had to do something like this, this vehicle is no different. Its a foot long stamped piece of steel with 4 low grade bolts. Chunk it/don't chunk- its your car. The front and rear sub frame and cradle are there bolted to the body so its not like the car is going spread.

I agree to some extent. There's a difference between HAVING to remove a brace to install a performance part vs modifying said brace. You don't have to totally remove the tunnel brace for an aftermarket exhaust and many times it hits because the exhaust wasn't installed properly. In the multiple tunnel brace threads i've read, Pfadt, Pedders, and BMR have all posted that it does affect the rigidity of the tunnel to some extent and don't recommend running without it. Out of those 3, I think BMR is the only one that sells a aftermarket brace. Like I said before, there are many people that don't run one and that's fine. I agree that if it did absolutely nothing or we made the decision to take HP over rigidity, we wouldn't be having this discussion. The problem is, there's absolutely no reason to leave it off, unless someone can't manipulate their exhaust to fit or can't afford $2 worth of washers.

Here is a quote from BMR. He did go on to say their brace adds more reinforcement to this area for higher HP cars.

What most don't realize is that the tunnel brace is located directly beneath the driveshaft carrier bearing. This is a location prone to harmonics and it does see a certain amount of load as well. The OE tunnel brace does appear "flimsy" however it does have formed edges making it structural when bolted into place. Can you bend it over your knee? Yes, when it is off the car but that is not the load it was intended to counteract and when it's bolted to the tunnel, it does what GM wants it to.