Roadster89

Anyone do this... I was hoping for some additional ground clearance, and I need to clear the way for a new exhaust system. How bad will the chassis flex be with out it? Will the doors become difficult to open/close?

Yellow95

If your car is like the LT-1s, your car will not ride good with it off. The car will twist when one of the tires hits something.

Many people with coupes add the xbrace to get some move strength when driving with the roof panel off. I have no brace on my coupe and when I take the roof off the car is just for cruising.

KeyWestJack

An old test of a convertable frame was to put one front wheel on a curb with the other three wheels on the road. Now open or try to open both doors...

Lone Ranger

Leave the x-brace on. Removing it will cause stress cracks in the clam shell hood over time from excessive frame twist and flex.

Eddie & the Cruisers

I bought a '94 vert back in January and did not know the cross brace was missing until around July when it was put on a lift. The mechanic said I needed to get one to stiffen up the frame. I still do not have one (can't find one).
I have been told by more than one friend that my car rides better than any they have ridden in. They own coupes.
When I jacked up one side to service the car both front and rear wheels raised off the floor. This has happened more than once, so I wouldn't worry about it except that it might help in a collision by stiffening the body. That is my only worry and am still looking for one.
Unlike some here have said, I have not had any problems with excessive twisting or had any cracking of any part of the car nor have I had any problem with the doors not opening or closing.
Just my 2 cents.

VetNutJim

I agree with Eddie.

I have two C4 Vettes. I can go to any of the four corners, jack it up until the opposite end wheel comes off the ground and my doors open and close properly, my hood opens and closes properly.
It will do this with the jack placed under the front control arm.
It's never given me any reason to believe it flexes although all chassis do flex somewhat.
There are no stress cracks from chassis twisting or flex. I spend a lot of time with my Vettes and look for things like that.
Both of my C4's are fine even with the top off too. Doors, etc. work fine when they are jacked up on any corner.
The C4 structure is very stiff.

My wifes 98 Z-28 is stiff but it exhibits a LOT more twist than the Vettes.

On the total 'other end of the spectrum'........
I have a '73 Super Cheyenne LWB and the frame on it is total spaghetti.
It's a real 'flexy flyer', a genuine twister. It's so bad I call it the "Flexy Flyer Frame Twister".
The frame is a stamped "C" channel with very little bracing.
It would take a fully triangulated roll cage, from end to end, to fix the frame on this truck. Boxing the frame would help but ,WHEW, what a job THAT would be and it would only help a little.

4REGT4

-- My 95 Coupe is very harsh without the roof (I've only taken it off once when I painted the car, but it won't be coming off again -- I personally don't like convertibles in any form, but my fiance liked the car with the targa off -- if it wasn't such a terrible drive it might come off more often -- though not worth it to me to buy an x-brace. -- I can't imagine a convertible with no brace would be better... unless of course the rest of the structure is also stronger than the coupe.

C-4 Now

I have drove my C-4 Convert once with out X brace. You are very aware of extra body flex and rattle. Would not recommend removing. Would like to increase strength without adding too much extra weight. Don't know how RD brace compares?

Lone Ranger

When I enter or exit a driveway access that has a bit of a step up or step down hump to it, if I enter/exit at an angle (which I often do to avoid causing the air dam to scrape) I can hear the plastic in the car's cockpit creaking and flexing, so there's NO WAY IN HELL I'd drive the car without the x-brace. My car is a 1995 convertible. Yes, if I jack it up one wheel, the other will raise, etc. but there's still flex going on. The C4 chassis is notorious for flex. It needs to be REinforced, not DEinforced.

87 rag

I wouldn't worry about taking it off to get the car to the shop or just to work on it. I read the post above and it surprises me that at least one person has had no problems with their vert with the brace off.
I bought this car to drive it and that includes hard accelerating and hard cornering. I wouldn't be able to drive the car like I love too with the brace off. Not without hurting the car, it's there for a reason.
I want to stiffen my car up even more, next I need the cross-brace.

aboatguy

I have driven my car a couple of times with the Xbrace off and I could really feel the difference. It was almost as much difference as driving with the factory hard top removed.

IMHO If you like a great driving C4 get the vert with a hard top.

Eddie & the Cruisers

Thanks, Jim
One of my friends that has a '92 coupe said today that he wants to start driving his more, but his is extremely loose without the top panel on and flexes way more than my vert with no brace.
I very seldom have the top up on mine and cannot tell any difference in how it rides, steers or rattles. I drive mine very aggressive most of the time....I want to get caught up on what I've missed the last 50 years without a vett. It handles like a dream.
The only thing mine does strange is when I have to enter this one driveway that is probably a 30* rise from the street for 15' and I enter it at about a 45* angle so as not to drag the air dam, it unlocks the driver's electric door lock.

Eddie & the Cruisers

OK, I've installed the Xbrace on my '94 vert and cannot tell any difference in handling or flexing than without it. I do feel it is safer with than without it, especially if in an accident.

Thanks again to '95Aqua for having an OEM Xbrace that he was willing to part with and such a reasonable price. I'm glad I have it on now.

trulytex

Just to let you know what kind of abuse that X-Brace takes, here are a couple pics that I took a few days ago when getting some exhaust work done (new tips).

wro87

I would recomend that you would leave the brace on if you are planing to drive the car aggresive (who don't). It is worth it to me but I have driven alot of different sports cars over the years and the stiffer the better. As far as the brace and exhaust goes we but Melrose long tube headers on and 3"pipes on back with a xtube and no cats it will work you might have to put a little kink in the bace on the drivers side but won't hurt a thing. wro87

87vette

Mine is similar.

Eddie & the Cruisers

Yes, I could see the marks on the one I got from 95Aqua. It looks completely at home on mine and looks like it has been there all the time.

So far, I haven't hit bottom on anything yet.
Thanks guys.

F1Fan

If your looking to find one R-D Racing a supporing vendor makes a very stout one.

http://www.r-dracing.com/

Ok, I see their site is having problems, try it later on if you can't get through.

JohnyH

Strick

I have a 92 vert that I have auto-crossed. I installed one of Dave Cooper's cross bars (R&D Racing-now under new owners) and that with the X-frame boxed, has allowed my vert to have a very firm foot print in all the corners. For average street driving go ahead and remove the X-frame, but you will notice the "wobble" when you hit certain bumps. As far as exhaust room, I run B&Bs 3" system and there is plenty of room when the pipes are adjusted properly.