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Hey guys, Looking into doing some SS braided brake lines in the near future... but I have been reading on Nasioc and I read that the Master Cylinder Brace improves the pedal feel MUCH more than the SS lines. I still plan on doing both, but I would like to do the MCB first and then the SS lines to "feel" how much they actually do. Has anyone tried to fit one of these on our cars?
Here is the Grimmspeed one, Supposedly these matched with the SS lines greatly improves pedal feel, reducing the "dead" and "mushy" feel.

http://www.grimmspeed.com/catalog/index ... _33_35_148

I would recommend doing the lines first. The pedal feel everyone complains about is due to an overboosted brake booster. I did measurements before & after for the MC brace, and even with the brace, you still get some flex in the MC & chassis. Before measurement was around 50 thousandths, and the after was around 25 thousandths. This thread has some pictures. It's a pain to install.

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2065

You also benefit from the SS braided lines in that you're replacing nearly 20 yr old lines with new lines.

If after all this you still don't like the brake feel, replacing the brake booster with a single diaphragm booster is the way to go. I've got one on my car and it does drastically improve pedal feel over the tandem diaphragm booster.

well, I'm not necessarily dissatisfied with the brake pedal feel now, just considering that I'm so used to it. But I think I would like a more "snappy" and "responsive" pedal feel, especially for autocross. I suppose I'll do the SS lines now and then if I feel the need to, do the MC Brace, I really doubt that I will want to swap out the booster, but who knows. What car did you purchase the MC Brace for, just a 90's impreza? Also what did you buy your rear strut tower bar for an impreza as well?

I don't believe the MC brace had any specific application. If you find that there is specific application, just get it to fit the 93-01 Impreza and 02-05 WRX's. The rear strut tower brace I bought for 93-01 Impreza. It's not of the highest quality, but does the job. I had to bend the mounts slightly so they would go through the access hole into the trunk.

ahhh gotcha.... so just like everything else, it needs some tough loving to get it to work haha. O well that's what sets us apart from the guys who can only loosen and tighten bolts!

True that. I'm actually glad I don't have an STI. Those guys just bolt everything on and never had to really innovate or get creative to make things work. I'm sure they don't appreciate their cars in the way we do. I waved at a guy in an sti today and he just looked at me like I was nobody.

I too have been wondering how to get a rear brace. I'm gonna buy a front brace one of these days. They're only about $70 for a carbon fiber STI front brace from 1stsubaruparts.com and I see them sell for $150-$250 on NASIOC. Idiots haha.

Yea its crazy, I think I've gotten 1 wave from an sti guy that I didn't know... most of them are just like all the Honda, evo, etc. owners... they don't even belong to the Subaru community in my eyes.

I almost bought one off of here for 140 haha. Do you have the part number handy for front or rear?

STI Carbon Fiber Front Strut Brace
E4010FA000


Mod edit: Put the correct part # in to minimize future confusion

hmmm... i typed that in and it came up with LW bumper beam?

Oh weird, I don't know how I got that part number? But I just found the right one: E4010FA000 $69.60 on 1stsubaruparts.com

thats the carbon fiber and pink sti one? damn thats so cheap. Do you know the P# for the rear?
How do you find part #s for parts? haha

I found it by accident when I was searching NASIOC classifieds for one and I kept seeing them for $200-$250 and I was like damn that's ridiculous. Then I stumbled across a for sale thread where someone had a link to where you could buy them for $75 and I was like DAMN! On that website they listed the part number and I checked it on 1stsubaruparts (buy all my parts there) and it was even cheaper there!

I don't have a part number for the rear, sorry.

damn well hell ya thats sweet. Once I get my alignment, and get my SS brake lines and new brakes on I'm getting the strut tower bars, buying everything else I need for my clutch swap, and then saving for coilovers

OK just for future reference, I bought the Perrin MC Brace at the BNW meet since it was only 50$ instead of the usual 70 or 80. It is made for 02-07 wrx/sti. It is set up to use the 2 bolt holes where the fuel filter bracket sits, and another on the side. The 2 holes do line up fine, but our car doesn't have the one on the side. There is one farther back but in order for this bracket to fully serve its purpose, you would need to drill a new hole.

I still installed it with just the 2 bolts in, and took it for a spin. I wouldn't say that there is a noticeable difference, but that can almost surely be because the side bolt wasn't securing it from 2 angles, so it still could move a bit. My MC actually doesn't move very much when the brakes are applied, not noticeable anyways. My girl has a bugeye wagon and I could SEE it move a good 1/8" or so, so this will be going on her car.

If there is another company that makes one that would work for our cars, I would certainly buy it. The Perrin one seems to be a solid design and I'm sure it would serve its purpose well if installed to the proper application. The only downside I see is that you can't use the factory fuel filter mount with this installed (noted in instructions).

Cliff Notes:
Not a direct bolt on for our cars, But you could make it work.

AHHH here we go!
The Grimmspeed one will work, as long as you order the right one. The Perrin one will not without modification.
Here is a link to the CORRECT GS MC Brace:
http://www.grimmspeed.com/catalog/produ ... cts_id=217

Someone should make one. Can't be hard to do for someone working at a machine shop or anyone with fab experience. I'll look at mine and see if it would be feasible to make one.

I don't think it would be difficult at all. Just more work than I really care to do. $100 isn't too bad, but if someone on here wanted to make some for a little extra cash, why the hell not?!

For how simple that bracket is, $100 is too much in my opinion. GrimmSpeed charges ridiculous prices for their products.

Ya but from what I've seen, all of their products are great quality

MRT made one...not sure if they still do. That's what I have on my car.

I'll say from direct experience, that our cars do not have as bad a flexing issue of the firewall as the WRX's or some of the other newer cars. When I did mine, I got out the calipers and measured the improvement, it went from moving around 50 thousands to 23-25 thousands, and as was mentioned it's a pain in the ass to install.

So the movement I saw on my car was drastically less than the 1/8" you saw on your girl's bugeye. But if you look at my numbers that is still a 50% reduction in movement.

Original thread with more info
http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2065

yea, its not a big priority in my book by any means at the moment. I'm pretty damn sure the SS lines and new/bigger brakes with good pads will help stop it a little better

But ya on her bugeye you can literally see it move, didn't make any measurements or anything, but on my car I can't "see" it move, but I'm sure it is haha