Traction Bar – $130 (CLICK HERE TO ORDER) ^^^^^^
TB’s Traction Bar will:
1) Reduce wheel-hop.
2) Reduce torque-steer.
3) Improve cornering.
The TB Traction Bar ties together the driver & passenger A-arms under the chassis, thus strengthening & bracing the front suspension… and eliminating deflection.
Wheel-hop occurs when you launch a car, and there is a deflection in the A-arms. Grippy surfaces can magnify wheel-hop, but the premise is: On launch, the front bushings in the A-arms deflect downward, and the rears deflect upward – violently & abruptly. And it creates a rhythmic, uncontrolled up/down banging, known as the ‘hop’.
But by tying together the driver & passenger A-arms, the system is strengthened exponentially, and deflection is hugely reduced. The same principle applies for torque steer.
Torque steer is a general area of complaint with front-wheel-drive cars, and the TB Traction Bar really assists in nullifying the problem. One of the main causes of torque steer – is when the A-arms shift under the initial high load of power/boost being delivered to the front wheels. It’s much like wheel-hop, but the deflection is horizontal rather than vertical. With the TB Traction Bar reinforcing this section of the vehicle, it prevents the deflection of the A-arms.
Lateral grip – cornering. During aggressive cornering, the A-arms flex side-to-side under load. Because the TB Traction Bar is preventing that deflection, that lateral flex is strong-armed… and kept in check. The result is better lateral grip, and a more responsive car.
Crossmember Brace – $160 (CLICK HERE TO ORDER) ^^^^^^
The TB Crossmember Brace is engineered to connect & reinforce the subframe to the chassis… and strengthen the entire setup.
The exhaust tunnel creates a weakness in most any chassis. Think of it like – folding a piece of cardboard in half. There will always be loss of rigidity & strength at that crease, right? Well – when you hard-corner a car, there is a lot of flex/stress/deflection at that point where the subframe bolts to the chassis. It’s a hot spot. And to respond – the TB Crossmember Brace replaces the puny factory 2-piece design on the FiST (see ‘traction bar’ photo for OEM reference), with a single ‘A-frame’ brace that has MUCH more structural reinforcement. The TB Crossmember Brace will tighten the chassis, and improve turn-in & consistency.
i-Brace – $160 (CLICK HERE TO ORDER) ^^^^^^
The i-Brace is designed to reduce torsional rigidity (aka: twist) in the mid-section of the vehicle. It tackles that same ‘exhaust tunnel’ weakness mentioned above, and is designed to be an improvement in strength & function over the factory stamped-steel piece.
Trunk Brace – $140 (CLICK HERE TO ORDER) …(photos below)
The Trunk Brace ties together 2 load-bearing points just behind the rear seats, in the hatch area. The result gives you a stiffer rear end, and who wouldn’t want that, am I right?!
By adding just a Trunk Brace & Crossmember Bracing alone (all else equal), TB Performance Products shaved 1.5-seconds off their lap time at Adams Motorsports Park.
The Score…
It’s important to know that all of these TB braces are designed to work together as a system. Kind of like a symphony, they play-out in unison, and compliment each other. And also like a symphony, it’s complicated, with many layers.
Daniel Check, the man behind TB Performance Products, is a super friendly/energetic guy who understands the dynamics of this stuff very well. He has designed 160 ‘fail’ braces, that were tossed with negligible or negative results. Just to end up with 30 successful, truly beneficial designs. You honestly should not hesitate to give him a shout if you’re curious about the best route for your car.
