CL Development has released an innovative, patented X-Brace:

http://www.kingofimports.com/productcart/pc/catalog/chromolly1_1321_detail.jpg (http://www.kingofimports.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=1580)

Originally designed and engineered for the Impreza, the X-brace fits all sedans MY02+ (2.5RS / 2.5i, WRX, and STi) and will soon be available for the wagon models. The X-brace bolts directly behind and flush with the rear seats, continuing to allow use of pass though and without any loss of trunk space. No body modifications or drilling are needed to install. The X-brace is handmade of high strength chromolly or steel and is platinum powdercoated with WR Blue or CLd Orange end caps

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION (http://www.kingofimports.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=1580)

nice idea...how much?

any installed pics, i'm having trouble picturing how it bolts in...

nice idea...how much?
Chromolly X-Brace $479.00
Mild Steel X-Brace Mild Steel X-Brace $389.00
:eek:

Patened eh !! well what is the patent number.... dont show one and we might all start making these bad boys. ..

late

i would like to see installed pics too

i would like to see installed pics too



www.thecarlab.com/xbrace

Nice item.... would it be even better if they had a piece that bridged both caps on top like a strut brace usually would? I would think that such an addition would add even more to the functionality of this piece.

Any thoughts?

They tested several designs and this design provided the greatest rigidity and yielded the most benefits.

will it fit with a V-brace?

Is this item legal in autocross? It doesn't look like it's even SM legal:

SM says this:

C. Strut bars are permitted with all types of suspension. Strut bars may be mounted only transversely across the car from upper right to upper left suspension mounting point and from lower right to lower left suspension mounting point. No other configuration is permitted. Additional holes may be drilled for mounting bolts. Only bolt-on attachment is permitted.


--Roman

hmmm..... a guinea pig is needed to try this thing out and report back to us!

i'd try it, but not at that price... no way.

Here is your guinea pig

"i have the first production chromo in my 05 STI few months ago. it really stiffen the rear of the car. I also have a cusco type II brace in front and it balanced the stiffness better. i highly recommend it!! Just you will not be able to add coilovers with adjustments on top of rear struts. not a problem for me since i have pinks, group N rear top mounts, Racecomp front camber plates, strano/addco 32 mm hollow fron sway bar, cusco adj rear sway bars, with stock endlinks.

my car handle very very well now without being too stiff and bouncy. i am running -2 deg neg camber on the front and -1.25 deg in the rear. rear bar set to middle. I was playing with an evo 8 on hwy 156( from fwy 5 to san jose ) we saw speed from 100 to 110 in high speed turns. the evo was have some problems staying with me. don't know if it was his skill or just scared. he did stay with me on the straights. i stop pushing at 140s on the straights. god, if i get caught by chp at that speeds.

on the way back to LA, i was travelling on 101 and hwy 1 thru monterey down to san luis. the car perform as well on tigher raduis turns as well without understeering much. the car is a lot better to drive. i have 280 WHP and 316 tq on 91 gas. only mod was PDE catted downpipe and Cobb AP Pro Tuned by harman. he is really god great with tuning.

just got my CF drive shaft installed and now the car rev quicker and decell quicker too!

sorry for digression. get the brace. you won't be disappointed!"

From iwst.com

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33990

Id expect that price from titanium though. The price is very high because its a private investment and they are trying to make back the money they just dished out to patent it. You can spend $30 for subframe locks and get the same effect if not better. You way it out?

NICE looking product...but out of my range

Id expect that price from titanium though. The price is very high because its a private investment and they are trying to make back the money they just dished out to patent it. You can spend $30 for subframe locks and get the same effect if not better. You way it out?

somehow i just can't see a couple bolts having the same effect as a cross brace designed to shore up the one biggest place the impreza flexes.

Mabe offer a 30-day trial period so ppl can review it? (and make one for gc8 and do the same thing)

somehow i just can't see a couple bolts having the same effect as a cross brace designed to shore up the one biggest place the impreza flexes.

The wagon flexes a lot there, the sedan, not so much. Take your rear seats off and look at the beams running across. What flexes is the rear subframe with respect to the frame and that is because the bushings between the two are soft. The Whiteline bolt essentially bolts the subframe to the car without the cushion of the bushings and makes the entire ride really really stiff. You would also be much better off spending that money of a cusco rear subframe brace... and jsmonet, I didnt believe it either until I got a set.

Is this item legal in autocross? It doesn't look like it's even SM legal:

SM says this:

C. Strut bars are permitted with all types of suspension. Strut bars may be mounted only transversely across the car from upper right to upper left suspension mounting point and from lower right to lower left suspension mounting point. No other configuration is permitted. Additional holes may be drilled for mounting bolts. Only bolt-on attachment is permitted.


--Roman

It would not be legal for SM. It would put you into a Prepared/Mod class.

How does it mount, Do you have to drill holes in the floor of the trunk so it can bolt down? I would like to see some more pics of this installed, im pretty interested in it. Also will this work with coilovers? I read the review up there and it said something about not working with coils.

+1 for more installed pics.

Installed pics....
The X-brace bolts into 4 existing holes, no drilling necessary.

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/2610/midinstal27hj.th.jpg (http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=midinstal27hj.jpg)

NOTE: Back seat is out for installation ONLY.

http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/291/frontstrutcap36us.th.jpg (http://img457.imageshack.us/my.php?image=frontstrutcap36us.jpg)

http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/2031/finalrear35sk.th.jpg (http://img457.imageshack.us/my.php?image=finalrear35sk.jpg)