Can you feel improvement after fitter USCT stage 2

peterOZ said

I spoke with USCT after i created this post . The fella i spoke with advised me to get the frame connectors, Torque boxes , radiator core support and as i do not have front coils i can do without the inner fender brace kit.
From what i have been reading the frame connectors are a must and by fitting the torque box & radiator core support wont hurt it but help it.

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The factory shock towers in my '68 convertible Barracuda were spot welded with about 6 welds to the inner fender. All but one of them was torn loose. I welded in the entire USCT Chassis stiffening kit. The car already had torque boxes from the factory, and was virtually rust free and in incredible condition. The car had noticeable cowl shake when driving over roads with a washboard type surface( the dash and windshield vibrated from side to side over rough roads)

I was only running a Slant 6 in the early years of ownership of this car, but still wanted to improve the handling and chassis rigidity of the car. I welded in the subframe connectors first. The difference was amazing. The under fender bracing and the re-welding of the shock towers solidly to the inner fenders also made a significant difference. Finally, I welded in the under radiator brace, which made a noticeable improvement in the car.

The cowl shake I felt before and during these upgrades was also slowly being reduced with each addition. It was still detectable especially on rough roads. The car drove and road much better.

I then searched for and couldn't find a bolt on Monte Carlo bar to tie the cowl into both inner fenders. I ended up making my own bar that bolted to the pinch weld above the wiper motor and then diagonally out to a couple of the fender attaching bolts on each fender. I tied those into another bar/tube that went across from fender to fender to triangulate my Monte Carlo bar. The last bit of cowl shake was finally gone. The bar only fit the Slant 6 however, and I have never bothered to re fit it with my Magnum swap. It does make a worthwhile difference though.

I would stiffen the chassis with the complete kit and reinforce the shock tower to inner fender connection as much as you can. Your roof-line adds bunch of chassis structural rigidity to you car as would a roll cage. The bottom line is anything that you can do to increase chassis rigidity without adding unnecessary weight will make the car perform better. It allows the suspension to work more effectively and helps make chassis tuning more predictable.