chassis stiffener

["Luke Kowalski" <lkowalski@domain.elided>]

>Jack Nasielski, a possible fellow compatriot, asks about the chassis
stiffener:

I have had one on my 74 Spider for 3 years. Overall, I am satisfied.
The car exhibits less shake, rattle and roll. You can really tell when you
put it on the lift. The doors can be more easily opened with the stiffener
in place. Most pronounced difference is going over the rail tracks. It feels
more composed on the track as well, although I just go for amateurish track
tours.  Instructions were pretty good, too. While it went in, I also decided
to swap the trailing arm bushings (I even swapped mine and put in the 1600
trailing arms, as I was sold it made things more composed in the back)

The negatives are few. I thought it was pricey. Installation is a bitch if
you have the shankle headers (the front cross bar will not clear unless you
put spacers in). You do loose some ground clearance. And lastly, there is a
vibration transmitted through the steering wheel. One of the  two front
mounts goes to the idler box on one side, and maybe this is in my
imagination, but I feel some chassis flex transmitted to the steering
column.

thx
luke

74 Spider (put back after the trunk fiasco,
82 GTV6 3.0 (started stumbling, but only when it was hot outside, and only
during that split second when I first step on the gas)
95 164LS (it was petted this morning with the car duster brush)
99 Audi A6 Q (wife's transport to Gap corporate HQ)

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