Write-Up: Installing a Front Strut Tower Brace (STB)

Ash wrote:

charlieRobinson wrote:

Does anyone else have a '99 with this on? I'd like to know if I am the only one who had it so easy.

I have a '99. It went on fairly easily, but I had to do the dimple modification over the brake system reservoir like llamalor2112 shows in his pictures. You may very well be the only one that had a direct fit with no interference. Maybe during the build of your car, tolerance stacking went in your favor. ??

Yes, a very noticable ride/handling difference after the installation.


Remove it? Never.

I too have a '99 and my STS bar when on smooth as butter. No problem what-so-ever. It was like it was made for my car.
Greatly changed the handling of my ride, in corners AND on straights. Definitely recommend this.

nothincame2mind wrote:

I wonder if the Bonneville GXP STB will fit. Looks like it might help clear the MC. Not sure how many of them they are out there, but it might be another option. Apparently some Bonne guys are using the '98-'04 STS bars.

I put '03 Bonneville struts and a GXP Bonneville STB on my '97 Aurora, I had to elongate a couple strut holes to do this. If Rivieras suspension changed the same year as Auroras, then the GXP STB would be a bolt on affair for '98 and up Rivieras, unless they were some clearance issues with the SC Rivieras. Auroras have pretty much the same suspension from '98-'03, and it also carries on and improves with the Buick Lucerne.

That is certainly very interesting. It would be great to see if it clears the SC and other bits on the Riviera. Just from a cursory glance at your photos, I think the one clear item in question would be if the bar is going to clear the alternator on the Riviera and also not hit the hood.

I found the following part number on a thread in a Cadillac forum and if the part number is correct, vintage parts has it as well, again for about $40.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-seville-cadillac-eldorado-forum/185146-will-bonneville-gxp-front-strut-tower.html


http://www.vpartsinc.com/

Part Number#25653157

Can anyone confirm the part number is for the Bonneville GXP strut brace?


Al

Here is a link to the writeup on the Aurora forum, with current part numbers. A lot of places have them listed, but these are hard to find, they may say they have them and then contact you with a little higher quote saying they have to special order them. I got mine from another member on the Aurora forum.

http://aurorah.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Zoom&thread=15888

The part #s in that thread are different. Vintage Parts only has a match for the right hand bracket.

Al

I can say pretty comfortably from this photo of mine that the gxp bar won't clear the alt on the riv. I could be wrong of course, somebody prove me wrong haha

Woof, that looks veeeeeeeeeeery close. Looking at how the GXP bar is about an inch? in front of the brake fluid reservoir, it *MIGHT* just clear the leading edge of the alternator mount. But it is really hard to tell. It could just hit it too.

I like that your photo is from a 1995 as well, as I think the alternator mounts a bit different on the Series I ??

But you're right I'm sure that someone would just have to test it.

Thanks for the photo!

Al

The entire series one engine sits taller than the series two just fwiw. But yeah, if it would happen to clear it would be a great second option for Riv owners. Especially if it's actually available haha

My concern is that if it is long enough to sit in front of the alt, is it then siting high enough to incite gap further down the hood?

Very happy with my STS brace still though

al_roethlisberger wrote:

BTW, it looks like these are still available for about $40 from "Vintage Parts" . According to a thread on a Cadillac forum, "Vintage Parts" bought out some portion of this GM stock.

They appear to have about 20 in stock, for about $40 each (not including shipping).

http://www.vpartsinc.com/

Search for:

GM/ACDELCO AUTO PARTS - 25653157

$52 shipped 3 day, on it's way, very excited

Will post how it goes with the install.

Al

Installed the STB from the 98-04 Cadillac seville STS, gm part# 25653157 no issues with the guidance from this thread. Thanks all

Of course had to grind out the mounting holes to accomodate, but there seems to be plenty of material left.

I didn't have as much luck with crushing the bar with a vise, so I took the flat side of my heavy ball peen hammer to the bottom of the bar that traverses the brake fluid reservoir and did a surprisingly good job of a nice even flattening of the bar in that section.

It mounts up fine, although I didn't get a chance to verify if or how much it may interfere with the hood. I'll do the "toothpaste" test tomorrow and see, but have high hopes it is a non-issue based on other installs on a 95.

I won't get a chance to really check out the handling improvement as I'll be dropping it off with a buddy to get it powder coated following the grinding and "beating" it took to get it modified to fit. But should have it permanently installed by next weekend.

Al

Well, I bent over and got one from Vintage Parts. Better be here in 3 freaking days........

matt270avian wrote:

Well, I bent over and got one from Vintage Parts. Better be here in 3 freaking days........

They got mine to me very quickly. It was packed very well too.

I think $40 plus shipping is a pretty fair deal. It would only be cheaper if you could find it at a salvage yard, but I gave up on that after about a month of searching.

Al

I searched all the local yards today. None of them even had a Seville or an STS. Compared to others I will agree it's a fair price, but at the end of the day it's still a pipe with the ends flattened (well, it is to me anyways).

can someone give me a length on just the bar part of the stb? or better yet the dimenssions of the whole thing. we got some solid round stock left at work and im thinkin of makin one. only prob is my cars in atlanta at the office and im in alabama workin or id measure from it

matt270avian wrote:

I searched all the local yards today. None of them even had a Seville or an STS. Compared to others I will agree it's a fair price, but at the end of the day it's still a pipe with the ends flattened (well, it is to me anyways).

*laugh* .... that IS true I guess

Josh, if I remember I'll post the dimensions when I get it.

thanks bud

matt270avian wrote:

...but at the end of the day it's still a pipe with the ends flattened (well, it is to me anyways).

Yes it is, which is why the OEM part is a great deal at $30 or $40 when other STBs cost $100 for no additional benefit. GM recognizes how simple a part this is. Don't forget that although it's "just a pipe" it has at least a few hours of engineering time, has the right ends with the right dimensions, had to be manufactured, it's been shipped all over the world by now, and warehouse storage and inventory management is not free. So $40 is still not such a bad deal for an NOS part. You don't like $40? Go ahead, make your own, it's not that hard if you have the right equipment handy.

Just got my Cadillac STS front brace back from my buddy who powder coated it for me after I was done with the "dremel-ing" of the mounting holes and "denting" the underside to clear the brake fluid reservoir.  I'll be installing it tonight most likely since it should be a 15 minute task.

We could have just coated it solid black, but since he had some left over silver powder lying around, what the heck....

Did you install and drive with it prior to powder coating? If not, prepare to be amazed! It feels GREAT.

Awesome work, Al. I was actually thinking the other day about doing exactly the same thing! I got as far as removing the STB from my car, haven't painted it yet. Its amazing, your finished bar looks just like I pictured it. Hope you don't me copying your idea.

If I sent my bar to you, how much would your guy charge? I would media-blast prior to shipping.

No problem, I don't think I would have too much of a copyright on this simple paint scheme

I got a really cheap deal since he's my buddy, but called him and said he would do it for $60.  If we had 5+ folks, he would go $50.  This includes his stripping the old paint, masking and coating it.

Now this is in Raleigh, NC so I don't know if shipping it may make this prohibitive though.  You might see if it could be done cheaper locally once you factor in shipping to/from Raleigh.

Al

charlieRobinson wrote:

Did you install and drive with it prior to powder coating? If not, prepare to be amazed! It feels GREAT.

Heh, I did not.... so we'll definitely see

Al, I have family in Raleigh. Maybe next time I see them I'll have my bar sent your way.

Installed the STB today.  Went in without any hassle of course because I had already modified it before getting it coated.  The power coat did deform just a bit around a couple of the nuts & washers and one little area cracked at an edge because the powder coat is thicker than paint.  But it isn't very noticeable.  Paint may be better around the brackets as far as durability under the pressure of the bolts.  I figure that if the powder gives me trouble long term at the bracket ends, I can easily mechanically remove the powder immediately surrounding the bolts and paint it to match.

But it looks good and the finish should hold up very well.