F41 and aftermarket bracing diagrams (MORE pics added)

[G-Body_Vet]

can I just walk into any O'Reilly's or Pep boys and ask for them?

You can also ask for the Moog HD ones for your application. I believe they're a little cheaper than the Energy Suspension ones....not by much anyway. Either way they should be listed for your car.

 

[bigjoenvegas]

can I just walk into any O'Reilly's or Pep boys and ask for them?

You can also ask for the Moog HD ones for your application. I believe they're a little cheaper than the Energy Suspension ones....not by much anyway. Either way they should be listed for your car.

But I have to get them for the GP sway bar. It's bigger than my stock El Camino one, right?

 

[G-Body_Vet]

can I just walk into any O'Reilly's or Pep boys and ask for them?

You can also ask for the Moog HD ones for your application. I believe they're a little cheaper than the Energy Suspension ones....not by much anyway. Either way they should be listed for your car.

But I have to get them for the GP sway bar. It's bigger than my stock El Camino one, right?

I don't know why I was thinking of end links
If you measure the sway bar they should have the size listed with the correct bushings.

 

[mr evil]

I have another unorthodox idea that I may try. Being that the fender-to-cowl braces are a little harder to find I think I'm just going to make them. I have some 3/4" EMT conduit laying around that I want to try. If I blow it out my *ss no big deal since it's like $3.29/10 feet. It's galvanized and you can even get it in red if you like :lol:

I was thinking about doing the same thing with the core support "X" braces and trunk braces, just in a different diameter. Whether it's as rigid as the factory....I don't know, but it's cheap enough to give it a shot.

Exactly what I used......

 

[ssgpolo]

Outstanding thread! I have been following this one for awhile. I am fixing.to put my 78 Cutlass on the road and have almost all of the braces. Iwill be fabricating a rear frame brace and firewall to core support brace. seems like evrything is a custom job on this car. Will be worth it.

Keep up the great posts!

 

[chstonebraker]

ok i really like useing the conduit idea cause its cheap.. but what size ... the 1/2 inch stuff looks to be the same size asthe one brace i have for the radiator to fender . or should i use the 3/4 inch stuff. also how do you guys go about bending this stuff.? the one support i have is bent so i must have to bend mine for clearance

 

[565bbchevy]

I made my fender supports out of 3/4" emt and I made my frame support braces out 3/4" rigid emt along with a gp bar.
I made my own crimper for the ends.

 

[chstonebraker]

how did you bend them though

 

[565bbchevy]

how did you bend them though

The thick frame braces I bent with the same hydraulic tubing bender I used for my roll bar. If you need to bend thinwall emt you could use a standard hand bender, if you have an electrician friend they should have one or you could probably rent one.

 

[chstonebraker]

cool i may have a friend with a pipe bender never thought about it i guess
thanks