sorry thought it did use the same 4 holes. so the tranny brace is noisier eh... damn. seems like that would have been a more optimal solution given the location and the way the drivetrain winds up and the attachment points.

 

where's the web site keith? post a pic of your tranny brace if you can.

 

Damian,
Have you had an opportunity do a burnout and see if your wheel hop is gone?

Also, what brand of shocks does everyone have that has a problem with wheel hop? I have Koni Sports. If I recall correctly, for the shock dyno session reported in Sport Compact Car, the Koni Sports are very mild on compression and heavier on rebound up until the point that they are set at "WFO" at which point both compression and rebound skyrocket. The point? Too low compression and too high rebound = wheel hop [again, if my memory is correct].

 

i had just about zero wheelhop with my braces....it was heaven on earth

another nice thing is all my drivetrain parts came out like they went in. no cracks in anything braces, diff, nada

 

not yet, I'll see if i can do a test today. I have 2 of the braces and will probably only use one on my track car, and I will sell the other one if anyone is interested.

 

just an update, I drove the car today and tryed a few launches (not reallyhard ones, just at stop lights, et) and the tires just spun, no wheelhop....it was a nice feeling, seemed much more under control instead of the wild thumping I was used to.

what I may do is keep it on the street car but make some sort of 'bushing' for it to reduce noise/vibration...similar to the vibration solutions for the engine torque braces.

 

Just installed mine. Verdict..... Excellent product. Between this and my engine torque brace the shifter and drivetrain is as solid as ever. It's almost impossible to miss a shift. The extra noise and vibrations isn't really a problem. Hardly noticeable. Install was easy, about 30 min. Only one problem, the flange from my 3-in catback rested on the cut out making extra noise. I grinded a little off now it is fine. Hey Keith, just an idea, but maybe check what exaust we would have and cut a little more out for after market exausts. Or maybe mine was just a little different. NEways it's fine now, and it is a product I would recommend.

Ryan

 

Ya, tell me about the noise!

I was the first to put on the Dragon-Spec tranny brace. Granted I have solid engine mounts, diff mounts, torque brace, but putting on the tranny brace made lots of vibration go thru the car.

 

.

 

What if you put rubber "bushings" between the brace and the frame of the car?

 

that is what i wa thinking...similar to how the vibration is dampened on a engine torque brace....I was going to use a wafer of urethane block instead of rubber.

 

I bet it would lower the vibrations a bit. I know a piece of rubber worked behind the mount on the torque brace.

 

So, what do you guys think is better at decreasing driveline windup and movement - the engine torque brace or keith's diff brace?

Both would seem to decrease the driveline windup and engine movement that people attribute to poor/missed shifts. Seems like the diff brace will have the added benefit of decreasing wheel hop while adding the negative of some drivetrain vibration.

wonder if i just answered my own question...

 

I just installed the brace last weekend and am quite happy with it so far. The only problem with mine is that the brace makes contact with the exhaust flange, so the exhaust noise is transferred into the cabin. I'll probably take a grinder to it sometime this weekend, which should fix that.

Other than that, the driveline feels extremely stable. I don't actually do burnouts, so I can't tell whether it fixed any wheel hop or not, but the clunking seems to be gone.

 

How effective would this brace be for a R1 with stock suspension? Will it still eliminate wheel hop or will I need other work?

 

Same effect for all FDs.

 

Alberto, if you just want to stop missing shifts the engine torque brace will help the most on its own, but together it is fabulous. If I miss a shift now I will feel extremly dumb.

 

Vosko.. who makes that diff brace? Is it custom?

 

Nope thats not it. I missed one shift once in my life when I was 17 in my first pos VW. No offense, but I just don't understand how people miss shifts on this car. Maybe I've just been driving RX7s too long

I just want to tighten up the wind-up you get when pushing the 7 hard. Stated otherwise - the way the shifter gets pulled to the side when you're on it hard. I've considered the torque brace, but am concerned about it pushing through the firewall. I've seen it happen on other cars. I might just be paranoid also...

 

my diff brace was from japan. dragon has designed his own and they are GORGEOUS! pm me if you want to know how to get one or his tranny brace also

 

Alberto, basically we're talking about the same thing. I never missed a shift either but with the Engine torque brace there is alot less slop in the driveline. By that I mean the shifter doesn't do it's own thing compared to the cabin, the car feels like "one". I don't know of any braces that mount on the firewall, usually they mount on the side of the engine bay.

 

Okay I've installed the brace (after grinding down the flange area a bit and have driven it around for about 2 weeks now. I've noticed that the rear clunking *seems* to be gone, but I'll need to drive it a bit more to find out for sure. I'm going to Infineon on Monday, so I should hopefully have some feedback after that event. So far, I'm very pleased with the product.

The ONE downside I have for the brace is the weight. It's gotta weigh a solid 20-30 lbs, but for what you pay, I think it's worth it.

 

i just ordered the tranny brace from dragon, still waiting for it. he said he hasnt made any up yet, but they are coming. that will be the next thing i buy tho

 

but it doesnt. it's 11-12lb in the box its shipped in, so it cant weigh more than that when it comes out of the box.
any less, and i dont think it would do what it does.

 

i agree with you keith... people think it feels heavier than it is becauese its awkward to hold, all the weight goes to one side or the other

however, did you find out about the drilling?