xstacy7

Hello there fellas, yeah...he's at it again. David Garfinkle is making more torque braces for those folks out there that want that solid, crisp feeling performance. He has changed the design slightly with a backing plate that mounts on the backside of the fenderwell. Pictures might have a better explanation than I can give so here...

This is the plate the mounts on the inside of the fender-well. The bolts that go through the visible plate from the engine bay screw into 4 threaded holes on this plate. The top left and top right holes are slightly bigger and not threaded to sit around the welded nut for the two stock threaded holes.


This is the hole that is used to place the plate in position...


This plate is slightly narrower than the series 1 torque brace.


After using the visible plate as a template, here is what the holes look like for mounting.


Here is the finished product with the link and engine mount hook installed...


I noticed a more solid feel with the engine (no shaking), quicker response as well as less driveline slop. Acceleration seems "more linear" if you can imagine that. The shifting is better as well, crisper feel to it. I DEFINATELY reccomend one of these made by David Garfinkle.

Note: You will have to remove the passenger front wheel, fender liner, and ABS unit. But it is WORTH it in the end. I LOVE MINE!!! I give it a 10!

The price will be $95 plus the cost of shipping (there are two shippings involved):

Shipping #1: He will send you the upper intake manifold mount, the visible fender-well mount, and the inside-the-fender-well plate.

Shipping #2 : Once you receive and mount these pieces you must take a measurement from the upper intake manifold mount hole to the visible fender-well mount hole so he can make the link. The link will be shipped out when ready for install.

Any questions we can answer. Have a good one!

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

Very nice. How much more feedback is there?

When I upgraded the engine & transmission mounts on my Subaru, the engine vibration was transmitted into the cabin a bit more; you could feel the seats rumble at idle. The rotary is much smoother than a flat-4, do you notice the difference inside the car? Can you feel it in the steering wheel?



Do you know why he felt the need for 6 holes? More bolts is more weight. But on the other hand, less holes might not distribute the stress as evenly. Are there any mechanical engineers who would like to chime in here?


-s-

xstacy7

I am the first one to have this particular design. So any feedback you get as of now is from me

Yes, there is slightly more vibration in the cabin. Mainly I can tell at idle and hard acceleration. It not bad though, I actually like it.

David uses 6 holes to spread out the force. He said that the brace's that just bolt up to the two stock threaded holes tear up over time. Only 4 of the holes are used for mounting on the non-visible plate; the other two holes just "house" the welded nuts.

iluvmy3rdgen

That thing looks badass. Anyway he is going to powdercoat some of these? Or chrome them?

xstacy7

He can get them powdercoated or chromed locally before shipping them out...it will cost more though. I'll find out prices for doing that. I will probably paint or powdercoat mine. I had to wait a few days for the epoxy to dry for the non-visible plate to stay in place so that I could take the visible plate off.

Garfinkle will also include all the nuts, bolts and washers needed for this install.

neit_jnf

iTrader: (17)

Is it completely solid or has rubber bushings at the mounting points? I worry about cracking the UIM that's why I have a Feed copy.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Looks nice and good price, but with my urethane motor mounts and diff brace my driveline is solid, no need for any kind of engine torque brace.

t-von

iTrader: (8)

Do you get any vibration with the urethane engine mounts?

wickedrx7

iTrader: (14)

I second that....

manatecu

iTrader: (6)

I have urethane motor mounts, trans, and dif braces. I added the motor brace about 6 months ago and it actually helped a little more at RPM's above 5.

widebody2

There really won't be any difference in vibrations between this one and his last...I actually couldn't even see what he did differently at all. Any way I have one of his from last year. It does help a bit with the crisp feeling...shifter not moving so much. I also don't notice any vibrations at all. He uses a bushing inside the eye hook.

xstacy7

You can't see it widebody2, but it is different. Yes he does use rubber bushings at each end of the link.

turbojeff

iTrader: (30)

Looks solid and heavy. An interesting note, you might notice the two little dimples in the body right above the mounting point on the body. Those dimples promote bending during an accident and any FD that has been hit in the front bends there. If you put a piece of ~1/4" steel on to brace it you'll bend the car somewhere else and reduce crash protection.

Of course no one here will wreck thier car will they.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

None that I can detect. My engine torque brace gave me vibrations like crazy.

BigIslandSevens

iTrader: (4)

But the rubber bushings in his won't ? Why because it was built by superfinkle? please.....stock motor mounts are rubber and we all know what happens to those.

Solid engine mounts are the BEST way to go. You don't add a ugly *** bar( powdercoated or not) in the enginebay and you do not have to drill a single hole in your car. or replace the fenderwall when it gets ripped the **** out..

But hey it's your fenderwall and time. Personally i will spend the 45 minutes to replace the engine mounts with solids and be done with the project forever!! Yes forever. I use solid AL mounts and the vibration in minimal. No more than you get with that barbell design.And i will never replace them again! Best mod ever! Plus an added bonus...NO MORE OIL LEAKS!!

ejmack1

I use solid mounts and a torque brace and get no vibration at all...

speedx7

Guess I hve to get me some. By any chance do you know how much they cost?

BigIslandSevens

iTrader: (4)

of course i will say it isn't,.. cause it isn't !! everyone who says it is horrible is just speculating what they heard on from a friend of a friend, that knows someone, who knew a guy that did it to his dads john deer tractor! It vibrated soo bad brah!! just playing, but you get what i mean .. alot of heresay.

prjctRx7

what brand did you guys use for the solid motor mounts?? the ones on ebay??

Howard Coleman

iTrader: (6)

o k i will ask the obvious question.

i have Garf's excellent engine torque brace. can i buy the outer plate? is it the same bolt pattern other than having to enlarge 4 of the holes?

also, since the thread has veered into just what might be the best setup for restraining the engine torque i will add my 2 cents...

i like stock engine mounts as the absorb lots of vibration. i like Garf's torque brace to put the brace on the motor as you then have the motor restrained from both the top and the bottom dividing up the forces that act the housings. add in a set of nylon differential bushings and you are all set.

howard coleman

Cheers!

you have the bolts in single shear? that is a no no.

Dwood432

Gotham Racing, and A-Spec Tuning both sell them.

xstacy7

explain

RX794

I had polyurethane engine mounts and it was too much vibration, everything in the car rattled, and the resonation inside the cabin was deafning, had to get rid of them and went with new mounts and a brace.

widebody2

For everybody talking about how they ruin the fender wall...I would love to see one post or one picture of an FD that has a messed up fender wall from one of these braces. I'm really leaning towards that being another forum myth with no real merrit. Obviously there are tons of cars out there with engine torque braces. Where are all the broken fender walls?