I just recently bought an FD and it has a homemade solid torque brace that creates an insane amount of vibrations at idle, low rpms, when pulling away from a stop, etc. etc. It's just too much, so I took it out. But I definitely miss the benefits of the torque brace. So I'm trying to figure out which one, or which method of mounting, will still yield noticable results without creating the crazy amounts of vibration. From pictures I've seen it looks like the brace that "Garfinkle" sells uses a good design that shouldn't make much noise. Or is a damper type like the Feed brace always going to be quiter? Can anyone honestly say that theirs doesn't cause rattles and vibrations, or does that just come with the territory? Maybe I'm better off with a short shifter, but I hear those have their own "issues" with vibrations LOL. Anyway I'm just trying to make the car a little more civil and suitable for the street. It's got solid control arms, etc. and already makes more than enough noises for my tastes. Tempted to swap those back to stock too, but that also makes a noticable difference at the limit. Ahhh ... why can't we just have our cake and eat it too?!

 

Garfinkle's is the best for lack of vibration, as well as bracing. Call him tomorrow, you'll have it Monday knowing David. 1-615-893-4469

 

Garfinkle is the best hands down.

 

If you get Garfinkles and you do not like it , he will buy it back . No one has complained of noise .

 

all these people speak of mr. garfinkle in that way for a reason. . . trust us. . . go with garfinkles!!!

paul

 

If the brace is transmitting that much vibration, perhaps there is another problem behind it....such as bad motor mounts or a rough idle to begin with.

I would think any solid brace would act the same way, with or without a damping pad at the mounting point. Damper type setups like Rotary Extreme's seem more sophisticated and safer on the car than a solid brace anyway....

 

If Garfinkles brace is not sophisticated but it still works well then why pay a lot of money for another that also works. Use the extra money for another fun project .What is wrong with two rubber bushing compaired to a costly damper, if both do the same job as well . What is a damping pad ??

 

If it does work as well, I would certainly agree with you. I merely pointed out that a damped brace is more sophisticated than a solid piece of metal with no resiliency.

They do not perform the same function. A rubber bushing acts more like a spring and not a damper. To be honest, I don't know if either is better than the other in this application.

Very sloppy terminology on my part...... I meant just a rubber pad at the mounting point. As stated above, a rubber pad does not serve as a damper but a spring.

 

What does Garfinkle charge for one of his braces?

 

$85 for the brace, you pay shipping.

I should point out that Garfinkle's brace install is a little tougher than others. It involves drilling into the inside of the fender to mount it. Basically what happens is Garfinkle sends you the mounting brackets, a drill guide, and the tools to install these crazy little nuts to hold it in place. You drill, 4 holes, and use 2 existing ones, then install one bracket over by the ABS unit, and the other piece replaces the stock engine hangar on the back of the UIM. You then measure the distance for the length of the brace, call Garfinkle and tell him, and he sends it out to you, custom fitted to your car. After you're satisfied, you send him money and his tools and drill guide back.

See my sig for pics of mine.

 

Since you already have an engine torque brace, why not try a few inexpensive fixes to eliminate the rattle before investing in a different brace. You didn't identify the type of brace you have or provide any pictures which makes it difficult to provide more detailed advice.

I eliminated my torque brace rattle by simply putting a piece of 1/4" rubber material (I had some scrap rubber material available) on each side of the mounting screws on the fender end of the brace. It was just a matter of experimenting with fixes.

 

Is Garfunkle in nashville, Tenn??

Hmm.. i goto nashville few times a year.. i would love to meet him.. any pick up a set..

PHIL

 

David Garfinkle is in Murfreesboro TN which is about 18 miles outside of Nashville. Call him up, I am certain he would love for you to drop in and talk rotaries. I have found him to be one of the nicest, most knowledgeable and honest people I have ever met

 

Great.. I definitely have to give him a call next time I head up to Nashville.. Which should be mid sept.. Maybe I'll even pick up one of those torque brace too..

Thanks!

PHIL

 

I'm a Southern girl that installed a torque brace to end all torque braces! I acquired it from Dave Garfinkle in Murfreesboro, TN. He had the instructions and the tools included with the brace. I've had mine on for almost a month on my stock '93. The handling is much better and it's also quiet. I couldn't be happier with the performance - I highly recommend this brace.

 

How exactly did installing the torque brace improve the handling of your car?

 

i think handling is improved by not missing gears anymore. haha. i did notice that the car wants to "punch" a little quicker and harder through just driving period. the car seems to "want" each shift.

3xrx7owner. . . do. . . we. . . know. . . each. . . other?. . . what color is your FD?

paul

 

if you want the coolest TB around it would have to be rotary extreme's.... as his is the only true TB with a dampner... the feed one just looks like a dampner... and the others are just solid... i have a feed replica... but chuck at rotary extreme makes some of the coolest stuff, and this is no exception!

 

Have you used Garfinkles brace if so fine , Rotary Extremes is for you . If you have not used the Garfinkle one how do you know that the rubber dampers do not work ? Just like to know how people think .