Fender Cowl Braces from TiC

**Turninconcepts.com** · 11-18-2005, 12:32 PM

Ok guys, here's the deal:

I'm making this announcement here before I make it on other forums to give you guys a first shot at these.

I just picked up the new fender cowl braces from the fabricator. They are flat black anodized. They are not a pretty, shiney part, but that was not our goal. They are basic, boring, and functional. If you want hidden bling on your car this is not for you.

We have been telling everyone that we will try to keep them under $100 per set. We were hoping to make them significantly less than $100, but that's not how it worked out. Costs crept up on us so it kinda blew the "way less than $100" out of the water. The good part is we were still able to just barely keep them under $100. The price on these is $95 and shipping in the US is free.

I have 19 sets available (sorry one set is already spoken for). I will try and get pics loaded very soon.

We will get instructions done ASAP, but I'll give you a quick text rundown here.

First You do not need to remove the entire fender to install these!!

Tools you will need.
Flat head screwdriver
Phillips screwdriver
Needlenose pliers
10 or 12mm socket with extension (I don't remember the size off the top of my head so I'll need to double check)
14mm ratching box end wrench (We call these happy wrenches)
Some kind of extension for that 14mm box end wrench or large box end wrench that you can slip over the open end and use as a lever arm extension.
Tape of some type (race tape, painters tape, masking tape, etc)
PB blast

Get the front of the safely in the air and get the front wheels off.

Use the screwdrivers and pliers to pull the pop-its for the fender liners. You will leave one in place. That's the last one right above the end of the side skirt. This way you do not have to remove the side skirts to pull the fender liners off.

Look up at the very top of the fender line. There is a 10 or 12mm bolt holding it up. Remove that (I will confirm sizes when I do the pretty instructions)

Pull the fender liner down and rest it on the brake assembly.

Stick your head in there and take a look. There are four bolts holding the stock brace in place. Here's how we'll refer to each end. Upper end for the upper frame member. Door end for the end the bolts up between the door hinges. On both the upper end and door end are two bolts. A top bolt and a bottom bolt. All 4 are 14mm.

Ok, the bolts are a bit hard to break loose. The reason is because they were in place when the car was dipped at the factory. This means they are painted on, making it a bit difficult to break loose.

Spray them with PB blast, and go have a cup of coffee (or a soda).

Come back and stick your head back in there. Here's how we're going to do this.

From within the fender: crack the bottom bolt on the upper end and remove it.

From within the fender: crack the lower bolt on the door end and remove it.

Now open the front door and take a look between the hinges. Find the upper bolt on the door end. Take some tape and put it on the inner edge between the hinges, and put some more on the edge of the door. This is to keep you from scratching the paint if you wrench slips.

Now, take your 14mm happy wrench and get it on the upper door end bolt. If your happy wrench is offset then great, if not get it on there the best that you can. Now take your breaker bar or big box end wrench and slip it over the open end of the 14mm wrench. Slip a hand inside to keep the wrench on the bolt head and apply steady pressure to crack the bolt. If you start to round off the head then stop and take a look as to why it's rounding. Make sure the wrench is as far on the head as you can get it. Once you have it cracked get your head back in the fender.

For the top bolt on the upper end clearance is really really tight to get a wrench in there with the brace in the way. Grab the door end of the brace and push it up to crack the paint gluing the bolt head then pull the door end all the way down so the brace is pointed verically. This will give you enough room to get to the last bolt.

Crack the top bolt loose and remove it. Now, you may not have enough clearance to remove it as dimensions are a bit tight (as in you only need 1-2 more mm). If that is the case then pop the hood and find the three bolts along the top of the fender. Use the edge of some tape to mark where the fender is supposed to meet up on the frame. Crack those three bolts loose, but do not remove them, and gently shift the fender away from the frame. This will give you enough room to get the upper bolt the rest of the way out.

Once you have removed the brace look at your new brace. The end with the notch in it is the upper end.

Start with the upper end top bolt and work in the reverse order of the disassebly process. Do NOT tighten the bolts down as you go. Just get them all in and finger tight first. Once you have them all in and finger tight then go back and tighten them all the rest of the way. I do not have a torque spec on these yet, but a couple of grunts should do it.

If you had to loosen the fender be sure to push the fender back to it's original position and retighten the bolts. Torque is only 5.5 lbs so don't gorilla these.

Now, reattach the fender liner. Remember the liner goes inside the lip of the fender.

***BoostJunkie*** · 11-18-2005, 03:15 PM

do you have any pics? have you tested these and noticed any difference?

**Turninconcepts.com** · 11-18-2005, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoostJunkie

do you have any pics? have you tested these and noticed any difference?

I'm going to try and get some pics up tonight. I've been running the test ones for a while now, and I like them. Things feel tighter when pushing the car hard. Another sign is there isn't as much creaking from the front as there once was.

***BoostJunkie*** · 11-18-2005, 03:45 PM

hmm, might be worthwhile for $95. waiting for pics.

**Turninconcepts.com** · 11-18-2005, 06:43 PM

Pics:

**Turninconcepts.com** · 11-18-2005, 06:48 PM

and a direct link:

http://turninconcepts.com/product_in...products_id=56

RacerXS · 11-18-2005, 07:42 PM

What are the advantages of these braces?

**Turninconcepts.com** · 11-19-2005, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfa2527

What are the advantages of these braces?

They are MUCH stiffer than the stock ones.

DILLIGAFRacing · 11-21-2005, 05:34 PM

Are they going to remain this price??

**Turninconcepts.com** · 11-22-2005, 05:44 AM

The anodized ones will. We're thinking about doing a raw or painted version which I'm hoping will let us lower the price in the future, but then again if these don't sell....

Chris05STi · 11-22-2005, 06:26 AM

Very nice, looks like a nice clean weld, plus your right, no one ever can see them, so looks don't matter as much as function. Love the Army guy tossing a potato stick!

***kwlsti*** · 11-22-2005, 06:34 AM

looks good

, but why didn't you go for a triangle like the GT Spec one?

**Turninconcepts.com** · 11-22-2005, 11:56 AM

If you look at the GT Spec one it DOES require removal of the fender. On top of that you mess with the door hinge bolts. I don't know about you guys, but I for one HATE rehanging body panels, and really really hate adjusting doors.

With ours you don't have to remove the fender, they are still way stiffer than stock, and they are affordable.

Enchanter · 11-22-2005, 03:18 PM

I just bought a set through your website. Once installed, I'll leave an update here.

**Turninconcepts.com** · 11-23-2005, 05:04 AM

Ahh, so you're one of the two. I got orders for 2 sets within like 5 minutes of each other.

11-18-2005, 12:32 PM	#1
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Car: 04/08STI 95SVX 86E30 Posts: 5,025 Join Date: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (53)	Fender Cowl Braces from TiC Ok guys, here's the deal: I'm making this announcement here before I make it on other forums to give you guys a first shot at these. I just picked up the new fender cowl braces from the fabricator. They are flat black anodized. They are not a pretty, shiney part, but that was not our goal. They are basic, boring, and functional. If you want hidden bling on your car this is not for you. We have been telling everyone that we will try to keep them under $100 per set. We were hoping to make them significantly less than $100, but that's not how it worked out. Costs crept up on us so it kinda blew the "way less than $100" out of the water. The good part is we were still able to just barely keep them under $100. The price on these is $95 and shipping in the US is free. I have 19 sets available (sorry one set is already spoken for). I will try and get pics loaded very soon. We will get instructions done ASAP, but I'll give you a quick text rundown here. First You do not need to remove the entire fender to install these!! Tools you will need. Flat head screwdriver Phillips screwdriver Needlenose pliers 10 or 12mm socket with extension (I don't remember the size off the top of my head so I'll need to double check) 14mm ratching box end wrench (We call these happy wrenches) Some kind of extension for that 14mm box end wrench or large box end wrench that you can slip over the open end and use as a lever arm extension. Tape of some type (race tape, painters tape, masking tape, etc) PB blast Get the front of the safely in the air and get the front wheels off. Use the screwdrivers and pliers to pull the pop-its for the fender liners. You will leave one in place. That's the last one right above the end of the side skirt. This way you do not have to remove the side skirts to pull the fender liners off. Look up at the very top of the fender line. There is a 10 or 12mm bolt holding it up. Remove that (I will confirm sizes when I do the pretty instructions) Pull the fender liner down and rest it on the brake assembly. Stick your head in there and take a look. There are four bolts holding the stock brace in place. Here's how we'll refer to each end. Upper end for the upper frame member. Door end for the end the bolts up between the door hinges. On both the upper end and door end are two bolts. A top bolt and a bottom bolt. All 4 are 14mm. Ok, the bolts are a bit hard to break loose. The reason is because they were in place when the car was dipped at the factory. This means they are painted on, making it a bit difficult to break loose. Spray them with PB blast, and go have a cup of coffee (or a soda). Come back and stick your head back in there. Here's how we're going to do this. From within the fender: crack the bottom bolt on the upper end and remove it. From within the fender: crack the lower bolt on the door end and remove it. Now open the front door and take a look between the hinges. Find the upper bolt on the door end. Take some tape and put it on the inner edge between the hinges, and put some more on the edge of the door. This is to keep you from scratching the paint if you wrench slips. Now, take your 14mm happy wrench and get it on the upper door end bolt. If your happy wrench is offset then great, if not get it on there the best that you can. Now take your breaker bar or big box end wrench and slip it over the open end of the 14mm wrench. Slip a hand inside to keep the wrench on the bolt head and apply steady pressure to crack the bolt. If you start to round off the head then stop and take a look as to why it's rounding. Make sure the wrench is as far on the head as you can get it. Once you have it cracked get your head back in the fender. For the top bolt on the upper end clearance is really really tight to get a wrench in there with the brace in the way. Grab the door end of the brace and push it up to crack the paint gluing the bolt head then pull the door end all the way down so the brace is pointed verically. This will give you enough room to get to the last bolt. Crack the top bolt loose and remove it. Now, you may not have enough clearance to remove it as dimensions are a bit tight (as in you only need 1-2 more mm). If that is the case then pop the hood and find the three bolts along the top of the fender. Use the edge of some tape to mark where the fender is supposed to meet up on the frame. Crack those three bolts loose, but do not remove them, and gently shift the fender away from the frame. This will give you enough room to get the upper bolt the rest of the way out. Once you have removed the brace look at your new brace. The end with the notch in it is the upper end. Start with the upper end top bolt and work in the reverse order of the disassebly process. Do NOT tighten the bolts down as you go. Just get them all in and finger tight first. Once you have them all in and finger tight then go back and tighten them all the rest of the way. I do not have a torque spec on these yet, but a couple of grunts should do it. If you had to loosen the fender be sure to push the fender back to it's original position and retighten the bolts. Torque is only 5.5 lbs so don't gorilla these. Now, reattach the fender liner. Remember the liner goes inside the lip of the fender. This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

11-23-2005, 05:04 AM	#15
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Car: 04/08STI 95SVX 86E30 Posts: 5,025 Join Date: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (53)	Ahh, so you're one of the two. I got orders for 2 sets within like 5 minutes of each other. This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

11-18-2005, 03:15 PM	#2
*BoostJunkie* Sold My Soul For Mods Car: '05 CGM STi Fav Mod: Track Time Location: Bethesda, MD Posts: 6,546 Join Date: Jun 2004 Trader Rating: (14)	do you have any pics? have you tested these and noticed any difference?

11-18-2005, 03:45 PM	#4
*BoostJunkie* Sold My Soul For Mods Car: '05 CGM STi Fav Mod: Track Time Location: Bethesda, MD Posts: 6,546 Join Date: Jun 2004 Trader Rating: (14)	hmm, might be worthwhile for $95. waiting for pics.

11-18-2005, 06:43 PM	#5
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Car: 04/08STI 95SVX 86E30 Posts: 5,025 Join Date: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (53)	Pics:

11-18-2005, 06:48 PM	#6
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Car: 04/08STI 95SVX 86E30 Posts: 5,025 Join Date: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (53)	and a direct link: http://turninconcepts.com/product_in...products_id=56

11-18-2005, 07:42 PM	#7
RacerXS S204 Racer Car: 05' Sti Black Fav Mod: Dyslexia Location: Central, NJ Posts: 3,362 Join Date: Oct 2004 Trader Rating: (13)	What are the advantages of these braces?

11-21-2005, 05:34 PM	#9
DILLIGAFRacing Junior STI Driver Posts: 56 Join Date: Jan 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	Are they going to remain this price??

11-22-2005, 05:44 AM	#10
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Car: 04/08STI 95SVX 86E30 Posts: 5,025 Join Date: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (53)	The anodized ones will. We're thinking about doing a raw or painted version which I'm hoping will let us lower the price in the future, but then again if these don't sell....

11-22-2005, 06:26 AM	#11
Chris05STi I Has a Turbo Timer Car: 2005 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Every single one! Location: NJ Posts: 9,667 Join Date: Jun 2005 Trader Rating: (27)	Very nice, looks like a nice clean weld, plus your right, no one ever can see them, so looks don't matter as much as function. Love the Army guy tossing a potato stick!

11-22-2005, 06:34 AM	#12
*kwlsti* an old tired whore Car: 04 Subaru STi Fav Mod: myself Location: Scarborough, Ont, Canada Posts: 5,570 Join Date: Apr 2004 Trader Rating: (6)	looks good , but why didn't you go for a triangle like the GT Spec one?

11-22-2005, 11:56 AM	#13
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Car: 04/08STI 95SVX 86E30 Posts: 5,025 Join Date: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (53)	If you look at the GT Spec one it DOES require removal of the fender. On top of that you mess with the door hinge bolts. I don't know about you guys, but I for one HATE rehanging body panels, and really really hate adjusting doors. With ours you don't have to remove the fender, they are still way stiffer than stock, and they are affordable.

11-22-2005, 03:18 PM	#14
Enchanter Junior STI Driver Location: Bay Area Posts: 189 Join Date: Apr 2005 Trader Rating: (2)	I just bought a set through your website. Once installed, I'll leave an update here.