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Originally Posted by Originally Posted by TLSTWIN
I see while trying to build a Camaro there is always an option to add a strut tower brace, but I have never seen any of the cars with them on it.
So how's does it fit under the hood, how does it attach, is it really necessary or is it helpful for us that are track rats?
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Al's Answer:
The short answer is ‘no, you don’t need the Tower to Tower brace to improve ride, steering, or handling.’
When we designed the 6th Gen Camaro, one of the areas we focused on was going after a significant mass reduction while improving the body structure. The ‘Alpha’ architecture, which was the basis for the Cadillac CTS/ATS, provided this opportunity. Lighter weight materials, like Press-hardened Steel, High Strength-Low Alloy (HSLA), and Aluminum allowed us to have a structure that has 28% more body stiffness than the 5th Gen Camaro, yet weighs between 225 lb. – 390 lb. less than its predecessor (depending on the model). The shock towers, which are made of Aluminum, are 40% lighter than steel, yet 25% stiffer than those in the 5th Gen Camaro.
If you consider the modal analysis of the body structure, the shock towers move from side to side while driving through road input, which can be felt in both the steering wheel and the seat of your pants if the movement is not managed. By providing a stronger structure, especially in the areas where the loads are transferred directly to the customer touch points, we don’t need to add on the additional mass and cost of structural braces, such as the Tower to Tower brace. We did add what we call ‘rearward-facing V-braces’, which are smaller braces tied into the front of dash structure that are very effective, and this helps provide the quick, responsive steering you feel in your Camaro. From the suspension standpoint, the front strut mounts showcase a single path design that optimizes steering response and isolation, also contributing to the conclusion that we don’t need a Tower to Tower brace.
The one exception is the SS Convertible, which does have the brace. The road loads in the SS convertible, in addition to the additional forward mass of the car due to the heavier engine, required the additional structure. The bottom line with regard to the Tower to Tower brace on the other models, especially the 1LE’s, is that while it could most likely be proven by an engineer that there would be some improvement with On-center feel of the steering, the Camaro team felt that this very slight improvement was not worth penalizing the car for the additional mass. I will add that there is no harm in adding the brace to your car. By the way, due to the height of the engine, the brace will not work on the 2.0T or ZL1 Camaro.