The Ford Focus ST has the potential for big power gains with (relatively just a few) aftermarket mods & tuning. But the flip-side of that deal, is added stress & strain on the chassis. TB Performance chassis bracing compensates for deflection in the FoST chassis, whether it be from added horsepower… and/or just near-the-limit, spirited driving. Even if the car is bone stock, the TB chassis braces just makes the ST better & sharper. Seriously, ask around, and you’ll find that a lot of the FiST/FoST enthusiasts are running these things. But what exactly do they do & how do they help? We explain below.
Focus ST Torque Gusset Traction Bar – $250 ^^^^^^
(CLICK HERE TO ORDER)
TB’s Torque Gusset Traction Bar will:
1) Reduce wheel-hop.
2) Reduce torque-steer.
3) Improve cornering.
4) Tighten steering.
The TB Traction Bar for the Focus ST is a 4-point, lattice-reinforced design that ties together the driver & passenger A-arms under the chassis, thus strengthening & bracing the front suspension… and eliminating deflection (aka: flex).
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 Torque Gusset 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 Torque Gusset 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 Torque Gusset Traction Bar is preventing that deflection, that lateral flex is strong-armed & kept in check. The result is better lateral grip & and a more responsive car, as well at more immediate steering response.
Crossmember Brace – $260 ^^^^^^
(CLICK HERE TO ORDER)
The TB Crossmember Brace is engineered to connect & reinforce the subframe to the chassis… thus strengthening 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 stamped sheet-metal design on the FoST, 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.
Booty Boot Camp Brace – $250 ^^^^^^
(CLICK HERE TO ORDER)
Think of your rear hatch area like a cardboard box without a lid. A cardboard box is not strong. Under any sort of stress, it’ll begin to twist & flex from side-to-side. But when you put a lid on that box & tape it up… the box’s strength increases exponentially! And that’s what the Booty Boot Camp Brace does. It ties-together key rear chassis points, significantly stiffening the rear end of the Focus ST.
*Hardware included.
*Drilling 4 holes is required, but is not visible once the brace is mounted or removed.
Rear Arm Bar – $130 ^^^^^^
(CLICK HERE TO ORDER)
Dialing-in toe on the rear of a FWD car is a high necessity for consistent handling. When you’re really putting a FWD car through its paces, there is a tendency to throw it hard into a corner, and let the rear end just kind of ‘sort itself out’. It’s a solid plan. But even if your toe alignment is set & dialed-in, as the car’s suspension reaches its limits under those extreme loads, there will be deflection (aka: flex) in the chassis itself… beyond any alignment. And even the smallest amount of momentary toe deflection is no good, because it plays-out in a magnified & noticeable way. Ever had the rear end of your car feel little floaty in corners? It could be too much tire pressure or an improper alignment. But if those are set, it can definitely also be these momentary & minuscule (and almost impossible to trace) changes in toe due to chassis-flex.
The TB Rear Arm Bar works by bolting into the toe arm mounts on each side of the FoST (driver-to-passenger). In doing so, it keeps the driver/passenger toe arm mounts from flexing under load. Preventing that flex will isolate-out the floaty feeling, & lock-in the back of the car.
Rear Motor Mount – $100 ^^^^^^
(CLICK HERE TO ORDER)
Most aftermarket/performance motor mounts for the Focus ST come with noticeably larger bushing diameter than the TB version. And a bigger bushing will flex more, even if that bushing has a harder durometer.
Think of bushings & motor mounts on a sliding scale. On one end of that scale is the OEM bushing. The OEM version is big & soft. It’s good for killing-off vibrations… but it’s not great for performance & upgraded horsepower. Then on the complete other end of that spectrum, you have a solid brass bushing with absolutely zero flex. It’s great for performance, but terrible for vibrations, noise, harshness, and livability. Then in the middle of the spectrum, you have most of the aftermarket/performance rear motor mounts for the FoST. They hit a Goldilocks sweet-spot for the average performance-minded consumer. Not too hard; not too soft.
But then there’s TB. The TB Rear Motor Mount sits somewhere between solid brass & Goldilocks. It uses a smaller-diameter Energy Suspension bushing… smaller & stiffer than most other manufacturers on the aftermarket. And that means ‘less flex’. Yeah, the TB Rear Motor Mount is a little higher on the noise/vibration/harshness… but it’s also higher on performance. It comes with a cost… but it also comes with a benefit.
Mid Chassis Brace – $160 ^^^^^^
(CLICK HERE TO ORDER)
The TB Mid Chassis Brace replaces the weaker stamped steel OEM brace. Yes – it’s nice to have. No – it’s not the most crucial one to get. But – there are issues with aftermarket exhausts hitting the OEM mid brace on the FoST, so people end up just removing the OEM brace altogether. The TB Mid Chassis Brace will easily clear most 3” aftermarket exhausts, and it’s damn sure a huge improvement over removing your OEM brace lol.
