• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


Mountune discontinued the chassis brace.

Dpro

6000 Post Club
Messages
6,157
Likes
5,781
Location
Los Feliz (In the City of Angels)
#21
The only issue I've ever had with my Pierce 6 point has been with speed bumps. Additionally, I'm lowered and going over speed bumps at an angle instead of straight, at a low speed, almost always means that I don't rub/scrape.

Daily drivability has not been affected at all for me and the benefits of the brace cannot be overstated. The 6 point made a HUGE difference for me.

I've had the brace on the car for almost a year now and I pretty much daily drive the car. I've taken it in to the dealership and to other shops where it has needed to be lifted and have had no problems at all. I can't comment on the tow truck clearance, and hopefully it will stay that way.
I know that you're looking for alternatives, but I just want to add my name to the list of the problem-free Pierce 6 point owners.
Cool and I have watched first hand as friends have come back from Angeles crest runs with dented braces one has had it happen twice.
Nothing against Pierce but its a known fact that the front brace hangs low and is a rock catcher.
I am sure its fine on regular streets but out in the canyons where there is the occasion unavoidable rock in the road it has suffered. If I was going to make a brace for our cars first thing I would be trying to do is ultimate ground clearance while retaining structural integrity.
I get the feeling the Pierce just thought is track piece for track car no worry. They can replace it as needed. lol
 


OP
Ford ST

Ford ST

2000 Post Club
Messages
2,921
Likes
3,051
Location
Pleasant Garden
Thread Starter #22
It has nothing to do with Pierce any brace that connects to the control arms on these cars is going to lower your ground clearance. They can't go straight across. so unfortunately any brace that connects to the front control arms will lower your ground clearance.

I'm just trying to go a different way with my build making a car better without any compromise.
I fully agree the best brace is going to be one that connects to the control arms, but unfortunately on this car you have to make the brace in a U shape to clear things.

if you look at the two-point brace that Ron sales on his website he actually has a picture of how far the brace comes down with a measuring tape next to it.


Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
 


Last edited:

Dpro

6000 Post Club
Messages
6,157
Likes
5,781
Location
Los Feliz (In the City of Angels)
#23
It has nothing to do with Pierce any brace that connects to the control arms on these cars is going to lower your ground clearance. They can't go straight across. so unfortunately any brace that connects to the front control arms will lower your ground clearance.

I'm just trying to go a different way with my build making a car better without any compromise.
I fully agree the best brace is going to be one that connects to the control arms, but unfortunately on this car you have to make the brace in a U shape to clear things.

if you look at the two-point brace that Ron sales on his website he actually has a picture of how far the brace comes down with a measuring tape next to it.


Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
yes I am aware of that yet a flat bar or Oval Tube design will yield a bit more clearance than a round tube design. its just a physical fact. with oval or flat it can designed closer to the crossmember. I think that is why some people like the TB performance brace.
That was smart marketing on Ron’s part on his brace to use the measuring tape, its the kind of thing people want to know.
I want the Summit because its aluminum and could possibly be lighter and its Oval so they could have incorporated tighter clearance than a round bar.
I also mentioned Pierce as a representation of a round bar as its the most popular and routinely seems to get dented.
I liked the Mountune design for its design in which they seemed to be conscious of clearance in it.
 


Last edited:

Dpro

6000 Post Club
Messages
6,157
Likes
5,781
Location
Los Feliz (In the City of Angels)
#24
I should add that technically a round steel bar will always be stronger and stiffer over anything Aluminum you would have to double the size of the aluminum to get equal strength. Though how strong do these braces have to be?
Oh and another interesting fact while we are on this is the fact that on quite few cars even in race situations no one runs a brace across the front tying the lower control arms together they run upgraded bushings on the control arms or switch out to spherical bearing arms..
Which raises the question if one upgraded the inner bushing on our lower control arms would the brace even be needed their.
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
14,000
Likes
6,700
Location
Princeton, N.J.
#25
^^^On race/rally cars they also tie EVERYTHING into the multi-point CAGE, with triangulation, and gusseting everywhere, which renders any additional bracing into the category of useless boat anchors. [wink]
 


Dpro

6000 Post Club
Messages
6,157
Likes
5,781
Location
Los Feliz (In the City of Angels)
#26
^^^On race/rally cars they also tie EVERYTHING into the multi-point CAGE, with triangulation, and gusseting everywhere, which renders any additional bracing into the category of useless boat anchors. [wink]
Ya but not the lower control arms lol. I have been around quite a few race cars. lol
 


Messages
6
Likes
1
Location
Millbrae
#27
Damn, I'm lucky, I just got mine in early October.

Hopefully you can find another one or a used Mountune brace that fits your needs.
 


dmb

Active member
Messages
553
Likes
213
Location
Seal Beach, CA, USA
#28
Cool and I have watched first hand as friends have come back from Angeles crest runs with dented braces one has had it happen twice.
Nothing against Pierce but its a known fact that the front brace hangs low and is a rock catcher.
I am sure its fine on regular streets but out in the canyons where there is the occasion unavoidable rock in the road it has suffered. If I was going to make a brace for our cars first thing I would be trying to do is ultimate ground clearance while retaining structural integrity.
I get the feeling the Pierce just thought is track piece for track car no worry. They can replace it as needed. lol
he he he...Yeah hwy 2 rocks did a number on mine, took it off. I think the motor&tranny inserts did more for torque steer. Even as slow as I was swerving can be dangerous and some very large...er rocks I tried to run over and exploding under the car. Had a great time thou.
 


Messages
385
Likes
218
Location
Rochester
#29
if you're hitting the brace, you're protecting / saving the oilpan. It's a feature, not a downside IMHO
 


Messages
405
Likes
122
Location
Chino Hills
#30
if you're hitting the brace, you're protecting / saving the oilpan. It's a feature, not a downside IMHO
The oil pan sits in front of the control arm brace, all manufactured braces. It doesn't protect anything after being installed, except maybe your resonator.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk
 


D1JL

7000 Post Club
Staff Member
Premium Account
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
7,822
Likes
4,060
Location
SFV, So.Cal.
#31
I could chime in and say that I have never had any issues with any of the Pierce braces however, that would not be true.
I have ALL of the Pierce braces on my car, in fact I have a couple of custom braces that Pierce does not make.
I have been on all the same roads that @Dpro has been on and maybe some that he hasn't.
The object is NOT to hit the damm rocks, I have gotten a squril or two. LOL
As I use the 6pt front lower brace and it does extend behind the front axel, so yes, some speed bumps are an issue.
I will say that I have never had a ground clearance issue with the 2pt, 4pt, or those portions of my 6pt brace.
 


TyphoonFiST

9000 Post Club
Premium Account
Messages
11,495
Likes
7,986
Location
Rich-fizzield
#33
I could chime in and say that I have never had any issues with any of the Pierce braces however, that would not be true.
I have ALL of the Pierce braces on my car, in fact I have a couple of custom braces that Pierce does not make.
I have been on all the same roads that @Dpro has been on and maybe some that he hasn't.
The object is NOT to hit the damm rocks, I have gotten a squril or two. LOL
As I use the 6pt front lower brace and it does extend behind the front axel, so yes, some speed bumps are an issue.
I will say that I have never had a ground clearance issue with the 2pt, 4pt, or those portions of my 6pt brace.
Dave you live in SoCal....does your Fist have Coilovers or Lowering springs? I'm here in Mn and lowering my vehicle seems problematic due to snow and ice chunks. I have a 2 Point currently and it take chunks all the time. I avoid like pacman if I can see them...but its impossible not to hit them as they sometime appear out of nowhere like the iceberg that sunk El Titanic.Grrrr!
 


Last edited:

D1JL

7000 Post Club
Staff Member
Premium Account
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
7,822
Likes
4,060
Location
SFV, So.Cal.
#34
Dave you live in SoCal....does your Fist have Coilovers or Lowering springs? I'm here in Mn and lowering my vehicle seems problematic due to snow and ice chunks. I have a 2 Point currently and it take chunks all the time. I avoid like pacman if I can see them...but its impossible not to hit them as they sometime appear out of nowhere like the iceberg that sunk El Titanic.Grrrr!
Yes my car is lowered and on Coilovers.
You are correct I don't have snow issues.
However, there is one other trick that I try to practace.
When I go on roads known to have many occurances of falling rocks, I try not to lead the pack.
This way others in front of me hit the rocks first and break them up into smaller peices. LOL
 


koozy

3000 Post Club
Messages
3,209
Likes
1,889
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
#36
Dave still managed to hit a pretty sizable rock after everyone else up ahead was able to ditch it on one of last years run at the back of the pack. I know because I was sweeping the group and saw it with my own eyes. Good thing I like to keep my distance and was able to avoid the flying pieces after the impact. I kept an eye out for oil tracks in the event the oil pan cracked. [emoji2957]


Sent from my iPhone 11 Pro Max using Tapatalk
 


Last edited:

D1JL

7000 Post Club
Staff Member
Premium Account
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
7,822
Likes
4,060
Location
SFV, So.Cal.
#37
Yeah, @koozy is correct. LOL
However, as I said, I never had any issues as there was no damage to car or braces.
It must have been a soft rock. :)
 


Messages
385
Likes
218
Location
Rochester
#40
The oil pan sits in front of the control arm brace, all manufactured braces. It doesn't protect anything after being installed, except maybe your resonator.
you're not wrong about the positioning. My comment was in regards to suspension compression. With my car being lowered I sometimes will compress enough to hit the brace. if the brace was not there it would hit the next higher item which could easily be the oil pan.
 


Similar threads



Top