Any body know if theirs a replacement

[batwrangler]

for these engine fender support brackets ,maybe a smaller ones ?? these are to big and are in the way of changing my spark plugs.

 

[batwrangler]

I forgot to add mine has no AC

 

[TommyK]

Search for "export brace" using the search tool. Lots to read.

 

[SteveO_71]

I know what you mean. But, you can reach underneath the brace to change plugs. Its tight but possible. Your hands may get scraped from the master cylinder in the process but not to bad.
Other than that, you can remove the left bolt at the firewall and the nuts at the shock tower and then pivot it out of the way. I used this method when trying to get a little more room to change power steering hoses on the steering box. Once it pivoted, there is plenty of room.
I thought of using this method for doing the plugs but sometimes I feel lazy and dont.

 

[Stanglover]

Personally, I just work around the braces, but that's not the problem I have. Try working over the fender to change plugs etc. with short legs and short arms!! Mind you smaller hands does help.

 

[DAverkamp]

for these engine fender support brackets ,maybe a smaller ones ?? these are to big and are in the way of changing my spark plugs.

You can find "resto mod" billet styles and pay alot and also live with the look of them vs original. I'm not sure how many times you change plugs, but taking these off is a five minute task, and if you do that, it also gives you a great opportunity to inspect other things like header/exhaust manifold bolts, and everything else you can now see and touch. The braces are not part of the shock absorber components, they bolt on to them so for tuning, etc, leave them off and do your thing and then zip them back on when you are ready to rock and roll.

 

[will e]

Is that the factory color for those braces? I see them sometimes in that color, sometimes in black.

 

[Stanglover]

Is that the factory color for those braces? I see them sometimes in that color, sometimes in black.

They should be "slop grey" i.e. all the left over paint mixed together which ends up as a shade of grey. NPD sell it in a rattle can, or mix your own.

 

[Steve McMahan]

Is there a reason you don’t just remove them? I’ve done that and it makes all the difference in hand clearance. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Ron Tanzi]

I don't think unbolting and removing them is a big deal. That is what I have always done.

Ron

 

[batwrangler]

With me one think i hate doing is changing plugs ,,i love doing everything but that iv been doing it for 56years broke the ceramic off twice cause i couldn't get to the plugs and always afraid of miss threading them wrong and having to remove the head to fix them when i use to drag race i always changed or cleaned them thats how i won a lot and develop a hate for changing plugs...wow i never though i hated anything on my mustangs

 

[DAverkamp]

With me one think i hate doing is changing plugs ,,i love doing everything but that iv been doing it for 56years broke the ceramic off twice cause i couldn't get to the plugs and always afraid of miss threading them wrong and having to remove the head to fix them when i use to drag race i always changed or cleaned them thats how i won a lot and develop a hate for changing plugs...wow i never though i hated anything on my mustangs

Heck, if you don't have to turn left or right then the braces would not even be needed and would save you a boatload of time on plug changes if your et's weren't up to par. It could save you a little weight as well.

 

[giantpune]

Total control products makes some nice stuff. They offer some skinnier export braces. Unfortunately they do not install using the factory holes. Part of the installation is drilling new holes and fishing up some bolts or nuts behind your dash to secure their bracket.

 

[DAverkamp]

Total control products makes some nice stuff. They offer some skinnier export braces. Unfortunately they do not install using the factory holes. Part of the installation is drilling new holes and fishing up some bolts or nuts behind your dash to secure their bracket.

That sounds like a root canal giving itself a root canal vs spinning out 4 bolts and 4 nuts (plus PS hose bracket)!

 

[71ProjectJunk]

Is there a reason you don’t just remove them? I’ve done that and it makes all the difference in hand clearance. Just my 2 cents.

Do not remove the shock tower braces when you are driving the car, they are there for a reason. They tie the top of the shock towers to the firewall and help disperse the energy of road shock to the unibody, and they help your shock towers from collapsing inward with use. Remember that all of the weight of the front of you car is basically held up by the top of the shock tower. When you are driving the car, the shock tower will flex towards the inside of the vehicle (towards the engine). The shock tower braces not only keep the shock towers in place, keeping your tires better planted and your alignment where it needs to be, but they also move some of the impact energy to the firewall. Without shock tower braces your shock towers can flex inward quite a bit. It is not uncommon to find shock towers that have flexed 1/2" to 1" inward with the passage of time. Remember that Ford used an "export brace" for all cars that were exported outside of the USA. The export brace is basically a one piece set of shock tower braces, where you basically ended with a "U" shaped strut brace that would not only connect to the shock towers to the firewall, but to each other. It was a much stronger design and would really help with the flex in the chassis. Ford said that they needed the export braces because the roads in Europe were much rougher than the roads in the USA, and the shipping of the cars put a lot of stresses on the unibody. Seems that Ford was concerned with the shock towers flexing too much thus bending and/or or cracking. Also remember that Shelby used to put the export brace on all his cars as it improved the rigidity of the chassis over the regular braces, and thus it improved the handling of the cars.

 

[Steve McMahan]

Well if it has to be said for everyone to understand, remove brace, change spark plugs, and then reinstall braces. I usually also put the wheels back on when I’m done changing the brake pads .

 

[71ProjectJunk]

Well if it has to be said for everyone to understand, remove brace, change spark plugs, and then reinstall braces. I usually also put the wheels back on when I’m done changing the brake pads .

Yeah, after I wrote that I figured the ones here saying to remove them most probably meant just temporarily. Almost thought of deleting post, but then I just figured it was a good reminder, we have all seen these classic Mustang being driven around without the strut braces.

 

[jscott]

I remove mine all the time for work, only takes a minute or so

 

[cjstaci]

Definitely a structural support. The 69 Boss 429 had a very strong export brace. The 71 braces are thin stamped steel. I’ve seen these with a plate welded to both pieces for increased strength while still retaining a stock look.
If you don’t like these because of the space they take up, there are aftermarket solutions. If you plan to do some hard cornering, consider adding a cross brace in addition to the firewall support. Attached is a pic of what I did. It’s all bolt in an the supports can be removed easily.

 

[batwrangler]

Keep your hats on guys i don't intend to drive with out the supports im going to try something like these