1969 mustang export brace

[STEVEB253 10]

i purchased and export brace for my car, and i tried to install it last night, however it seems the aftermarket brace is like 1" to long. when i line up the holes at the firewall, the holes to go over the shock towers are way to far front. can someone tell me if this is typical and how to fix it? do i send back the brace or do i need to modify it?

 

thanx

 

steve

[Brian Conway 264]

Here are some measurements from my stock 69. Maybe you and some others can check the numbers ? Measurement starts from above the firewall pinchweld. Brian

[Regta 10]

I had some trouble with this on my 1970. as it turns out, my shock towers had flexed out of place and after looking around, I found a technique which you jack the car up and let the wheels hand a while and it gets closer. In the end, mine fit just great.

 

Sorry I can't recite the procedure, but if you search the Vintage Mustang site, I think you'll find the answers.

[latoracing 256]

Welcome to the forum!

 

Sounds like the towers have sagged, or the car has been hit possibly. Something to try would be to put the car on jack stands being supported at the torque boxes front and rear. It is scary to think that there is that much flex in the car, especially if the tower holes are off an inch. It is worth a try. I wouldn't think the export brace would be off that far, but something is out of kilter. A little off is normal, yours sounds a little excessive.

[beecj0 11]

I have a low miles (less than 100k) that hasn't been thrashed to take some other measurements from if needed.

As said above, sounds like saggy towers.

The factory two piece export brace slip in with ease.

[magician 13]

Don't modify it. Use the jack stand method and check for proper measurement. A little force in spreading towers is not unusual. May need to re-align fenders when done

[Fantastic 57]

I know how frustrating this can be. I was replacing floors in a '69 and the two rocker panels were about 3/4 inch too far apart. I measured and messed with it for over a month trying to figure out what was wrong and why it was not fitting. In the end I ended up squeezing the car and stretching the floor pan. It was not a fun time.