Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
This is a set of Brainstorm Subframe Braces for the front and rear control arm that suppose to fit models for ALL YEAR, BUT was having trouble installing it
These were installed in a 97 STO miata The front subframe brace is nicely built, fits just fine. Ties to one of the three holes on the control arm, i believe it is same as the one from racing beat which cost around $100. Got BOTH braces for the rear and front for $100. installation would be easier if someone will help u hold up the bar or secure the bolt while u tighting the nut that ties to the control arm. Fits parallel to the front stock brace. NOW here comes the rear brace, i don't think the design is very effective, looks like it is giving a lot of work/pressure on the two joints on the brace, i bought it becase it was cheap, suppose to fit models for ALL YEAR, while others wouldn't fit the 92 to 97. During installation, i try to fit the rear brace according to the instructions, IT WOULD NOT FIT. the stock brace is in the way. It looked like it would have fit but it didn't. So i thought maybe if i get some washers or spacers i can get it to fit. So i got a few washers, trying to install it, still there is not enough space for the brainstorm brace. I didn't want to return because of the hassle and the shipping cost and everything, so i thought i will get more washers to fit between the brace and the control arm. Then when i searched up on the Miata forum, someone said to install it OVER the exhaust pipe. Originally, the rear brace is like the "U" shape, and when you install it according to the instruction, it goes UNDER the exhaust pipe and fits like a "U". So i try to to install it over the exhaust pipe, (so it shapes like a "n" install of a "U") IT FITTED. Although it was touching the sway bar, i used a set of washer to extend the brace and it is now free of interferenc! e. I am not so please with Brainstorm because the instruction didn't say anything about this, and the shipping took a while even it is in the same state. I think it is just luck that the brace fits to the rear. so beware when u buy this for a 92 to 97 miata, theres a chance it might not fit. if you search the forum u might find a thread claiming that the rear brace would not fit properly. so far i recommand the front subframe brace, it is nicely built and fits perfect, and cheap compare to other ones like racing beat. i haven't driven it hard or anything, so i can't tell if the braces are making any difference.
Beware when u install the rear brace for a 92 to 97 miata with stock braces, u might have to install it differently from the instruction provided to get it fit properly
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
BSP front and rear lower chassis braces.
Installed very easily with car on ramps except for some paint overspray on one of the rear bolts. Chassis stiffened tremendously. Car feels much more solid, responsive. Lean reduced slightly. Puts a smile on my face.
Excellent for the money. $100 for both. These look like they perform in both tension and compression. Many of the other designs appear not to work in compression. Reccommend - before installing, buy an extra set of nuts to lock the provided nuts in place - I don't trust lockwashers much.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Brainstorm front chassis brace and rear subframe brace.
The braces themselves are great. Nice fit and beautiful finish. As others have said though, the hardware included really sours the experience. Like others, I also recieve the incorrect hardware for the rear brace. Coarse thread 5/16 nuts were included, while M8 x 1.25mm nuts are required. Also, the included nyloc nuts for the front brace are about as strong as soft butter. I came nowhere near the 45 ft. lb. torque spec before the threads gave and the nut stripped. Great braces, but I'd plan a trip to the hardware store BEFORE installing them to pick up some quality fasteners.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
BSP front & rear sub frame braces.
Install on a 1994 R package miata, equipped with ground control coilovers & Koni yellows and rollbar with factory braces. After the recent install of the new suspension I felt it was a good idea to stiffen up the chassis to take full advantage of the setup. Front & Rear bars ordered from BSP as a package, arrived quickly with great instructions. Installation took under 20mins with use ramps. The parts are simple, beefy, and strong. After install went for a short ride, first thing you will notice is the steering. Feels like I put a larger front sway bar on the car, indicating to me that the roll before was actually chassis flex. Steering is better overall and feels more connected. The car seems to track through corners more accurately as well. These should help every miata stiffen up. BSP bars are the Viagra your Miata needs!
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Front Subframe Brace, Cockpit Brace
Easy install, no shipping or hardware problems. The Cockpit brace looks good in the car. The top boot can still be used, I don't know if myne is Mazda or aftermarket, it was on the car when I bought it. $109 for both braces, plus around $13 for shipping.
Improved the ride a lot, very happy with the product, the car feels like its a new car, solid feel. Would definetly do it again.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Brainstorm front subframe brace. Bolts in 2 locations under the front subframe.
Installed since 2000 on my '91. Easy installation. Use jack stands or ramps, and crawl under the car. Chassis rigidity seemed to be only slightly improved. Steering response was GREATLY improved. Turn-in was quicker, and the car felt much more comfortable in turns. I would recommend using a Dremel or saw to trim off the extra length of the supplied bolts, as since installation, I've noticed many scrapes on the brace and the studs from speedbumps, etc., and my car is not lowered. Could cause problems for extremely lowered cars, but the brace and the hardware should be able to handle the abuse.
A good product, at an even better price.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 +
Stout steel braces that bolt to existing holes at front and rear of car
About a week.
Surprisingly easy installation. Rears are 5-10 minutes. Fronts a bit longer--can reasonably easily be accessed from the side of the car if you turn the wheels--ramps unnecessary. Adequate hardware and instructions supplied. Definitely less shake and rattle in my ten year old, 40,000 mile M1. Hard to tell if there's much handling difference as I've replaced wheels, shocks, and tires recently as well. Hard to go wrong for under $100 and thirty minutes (or less) of your time.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Front/Rear Subframe Braces and Cockpit Brace
Front/Rear Braces - Not too hard to install, about 15/20 minutes each, for front and rear. Put the car on ramps, will make things much easier. Directions a bit weak, no problem w/ mounting hardware that some earlier reviewers mentioned. Definitely stiffened things up on my 90 M1 w/ 90k miles. Paid $89 for both with Brainstorms moving special. A good deal. Cockpit Brace - Installs to seatbelt mount behind seats. Very easy installation. Also helped to stiffen things up. Bought used on Ebay for $49. Good deal.
Highly recommended, quality products. Car is even more enjoyable now.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Front and rear chassis braces used to reduce chassis flex.
The braces are very heavy duty and "solid". The hardware on the other hand seems flimsy. I've had them installed now for about 2 months and so far they've held up great. Brainstorm originally did not send me any hardware or instructions. After notifying them of this, they quickly resolved the problem by sending me the items. Installation was straight forward. The rear brace took less than 10 minutes to install. The front however took considerably longer due to the fact that the work space within the sub-frame is very tight. You need a thin open ended wrench to make the job go smoothly. There was no need to jack the car up, but it would've made things easier.
I am very pleased with this product. I noticed that the car doesn't shake as much when going over rail road tracks or bumpy roads. I would recommend this product.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
chassis braces front and rear
this is an excellent product to add to early vintage m-1. immediately tightens up the car. alot less rattle and shifting when going over bumps. seems to tight up the car nicely for corners. way recommended. easy to install. get your local mechanic to put it on their lift. takes 10 min tops.
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 +
Ordered both front and rear braces. Attempted to install the rear first but was provided with the wrong size nuts/washers to attach the brace to the subframe. The rear will have to wait until I make a special trip to the hardware store for the correct size nuts/washers. (Kind of defeats the whole idea of buying a complete kit by mail-order) On to the front brace. This one installed fairly easily (<15 min) BUT the nuts provided by BrainStorm only have 2 metal threads before the nylon locking part of the nut begins. The instructions say to torque to 45 ft/lbs. 45 ft/lbs stripped one of the nuts so now I have to get a couple QUALITY nuts to replace the cheap items BrainStorm provides. At least I can make only 1 trip to the hardware store...
The poor quality hardware BrainStorm provides tarnishes the otherwise great quality of the braces. Also, BSP's quality control needs some tweaking. Besides being provided the wrong hardware for the rear brace, they also shipped the completely wrong item for another part of the same shipment. Quality of braces: A. Quality of hardware: D. Quality control at BSP: D-.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Two steel sub-frame braces (approx. 3 lbs each) for the 90-93 miata or to accompany existing OEM chassis sub-frame braces in the 94+ Miatas.
Very easy install. One glance at the illustrations printed on the instructions and installation immediately becomes self-explanatory. I have the Racing Beat street springs in my miata (thus, slightly lowered) and I was very pleased I was able to install the both of these without having to jack up the car. NOTE: For a flush install on the rear sub brace, I needed to add washers to it to keep it from coming in contact with the orginal sub brace; otherwise the new brace would of had to be mounted in at an angle. Used a total of 6 washers (3 on each end of the brace) 13 cents ea. - Not a big deal.
Highly recommended for 90-93 miatas because they lack the oem chassis braces. With the front and rear braces installed, they produced a moderate improvement in chassis stiffness in my 94 miata. Rattle due to road irregularities is slightly lessened. Recommend and glad I installed these, however, I will be adding a strut tower brace as well to compensate for the overly-high expectations I had in these.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
strong bar... not too heavy but construction impressive
Well... a little tricky to get on because.. I suppose my alignment was a little off.... but I just bent the screw a little and everything worked out fine...
really really really stiffens the rear of my 91'. However, it seems to have precipitated very mild understeer on initial turn-in. I suppose increasing front tire pressure may even stuff up. I have had a front brace from MM on for about two months prior. Car handled great and turn-in spectacular with front brace only, although followed by slightly confused rear end motions around corners. I'm most impressed by the BS brace to completely balance the car through rough corners and unduly roads. The rear stays stiff and controlled at the same time. I cannot fathom how a steel bar can do this.... but try it.. you will not be disappointed. However, best to put front and rear braces on at same time.... Curiously, steering, although slightly heavier now... is still mildly vague at the limit... oh well, thats power steering for ya... Great product, not bad price...
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to: '99 +
Chassis braces/reinforcements.
Installation is very simple and straightforward. Ramps are a good idea.
Difference was VERY apparent. Less cowl and body shake. Flatter handling. Better steering response< EXTREMELY sturdy.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Great quality, tough pieces. Not too heavy though somewhat heavier than most of the competition.
Didn't do install on my 94 Miata but looks straight forward and simple. The results are immediate and very noticeable. My 8 yr old chassis was flexing and creaking. Now, most of the cowl shake is gone. Nearly as solid as an M2. Handling improved also, inspiring confidence at every turn. More solid feel on the steering wheel and faster response to steering imputs.
Highly recommended. Great price! Great quality! Easy Install!
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Brainstorm (BSP) Front and Rear Subframe Braces
Two well made pieces of black metal with good instructions. Got down and installed the rear brace in under 5 minutes. Front ones a little longer (15). Made a rear difference to the handling of the car...my road has speed bumps and the car handles them in a far more mature manner now. Steering is noticeably stiffer too. Excellent value at £90 for the pair :)
Helpful tips for the front brace: 1) Tie a piece of string around the front brace bolts and drop them in...you can always get them back easily this way...then cut the thread when in place 2) Use something to support the weight of the other side of the brace when you are putting the first nut on to keep it straight (I used a cardboard shoebox). 3) Unsure how your supposed to accurately gauge 45lbs of torque though!
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Front and rear subframe braces.
Wow! I installed both front and rear braces on my '95 last night. Easy installation, 45 minutes start to finish. I didn't have huge expectations, as my '95 came with the factory braces, but the difference is noticeable. The BSP braces mounted in parallel with the factory braces. The entire car feels pleasantly stiff now, with much of the shake eliminated. I had earlier installed a shock tower brace, but the subframe braces made a MUCH bigger difference. Highly recommended.
I wish I had done this before anything else (except for air horns!)
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Brainstorm front & rear subframe braces
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Brainstorm front & rear subframe braces
This product is an excellent addition to any early Miata. These subframe braces eliminate the 65 m.p.h. shimmy and 90% of cowl shake over bumpy roads. The real bonus is that the car will handle a whole lot better and inspire confidence at the limits of tire adhesion. The effects are immediately noticed just by opening and closing the doors, sitting down in the drivers seat, parking, etc., etc. The car just feels a lot more solid (less flexible). Installation is a snap... ten minutes for the front brace and five minutes for the rear. A must have for any first generation Miata.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Front subframe brace bolts to existing holes and does not interfere with factory brace. Cockpit brace bolts onto seat belt towers, using existing bolts and does not interfere with glass window top.
These two products are very easy to install, and if one would wish, to take out. To install both I'd say it took about 20 minutes. I did jack up the car to install the subframe brace, this made it a little easier to reach under the car to tighten the bolts. Be careful taking the plastic covers off the top of the seat belt towers, I did this during cold weather and the tabs holding them on were brittle and snapped. But I was able to hold them back in place with some double sided tape. No one will know any different:)
I was very pleased with the immediate affect these products had on the handling of the car! Smoother shifting, greatly lessened the shaking of the passenger seat, bad a$$ cornering. I really didn't think the handling could get any better until I installed these parts!
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Brainstorm front and rear sub frame brace
Less then 30 mins to install, comes with all screws, and they fit perfectly. You don't need to worry about the exhaust fitting for the rear brace, since most after market exhaust can get away with it. After I install the braces the car is much more stiffer then before a very noticeable difference on the steering wheel because it is heavier then before. (mine is 90 Miata without the factory sub frame braces) Highly recommend for Miata without them. This is a must for serious driver.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '99 + 1.8 liter
Front and rear subframe braces to stiffen the chassis
Install was fairly easy. Car can stay on the ground while being installed. Hard to tell if they have done anything for steering feel yet, haven't really driven the car yet.
Very sturdy braces, well made, good instructions.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Front chassis brace to upgrade pre1993 1.6 cars t0 1.8 specification.
Mounts under gearbox, using pre-existing holes in the 2 A-arms. No need to jack the car, just turn the wheel for access. The bolts were a little fiddly to get into the box sections due to my gorilla fingers. You need a deep socket to torque down correctly. Clear instructions (but not much needed. Very substantial bar (box-section steel, with welded brackets). No ground clearance problems at all. I noticed straight away that the steering felt much more "solid".
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to '90 - '97
A pair of simple steel braces that bolt to existing holes on the suspension. Appear well made, simple, all parts included. Most important, the holes line up!
The rear took about 15 minutes, the front about 1/2 hour, mostly due to fumbing with the bolts in
confined spaces - should have used the magnet! The usual rule applies - don't tighten any one side until everything is attached, then work evenly.
I installed the rear, drove a few days, then did the front. The front has definitely helped the 65mph issues - I am a bit surprised and pleased. Overall the car feels significantly tighter and points much better, with little apparent affect on ride. I have to say that I noticed the total effect more when I added the front brace, i.e. the rear didn't have such a drastic obvious effect, IMO.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter
This is a brace between the two seat belt towers. It is an aftermarket upgrade which is equivalent to the factory brace standard in the 1994 on cars.
I put this on in about 20 minutes after dinner one night. All you need is a socket and a torque wrench. You install it by removing the vertical bolts and associated spacers that mount the upper seat belt attachment points. You then remove one of the factory spacers and put the bar and a couple of washers in its place. Put the bolts back in and torque to 50 foot pounds - you're done.
What can I say - there are no moving parts or anything exotic. This is a tubular bar with flattened, bent ends. It reinforces the upper part of the rear chassis. I took it out for a quick test spin after installing it tonight, and the car appears stiffer when sharply cornering. Mazda included a similar bar in all the post '94 cars, apparently to pass some government side-impact requirement. The stiffer chassis for cornering was just an additional benefit. You don't need this if you have a style/roll bar (in fact you would have to remove it), but at least this is one performance mod that also increases safety. Brainstorm has a package price of $99 for this brace and the lower front chassis brace. This was a deal for me as I have a '92 which comes standard with the lower rear chassis brace.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Seperate brace for front and for rear. Used to increase handling and feel of the car, I understand these many be standard features on newer models.
They are very easy to install. You don't need to raise the car for either installation. However, I have ramps, so I used them when installing the front brace. It was very easy to do this way as long as you have nimble fingers. The rear brace (I got the yellow one) is real easy to put on. Took me about 5 minutes.
I definatly notice an increase in car rigidity. Dosn't rattle as much from road irregularities. Very nice and economical modification for those older miatas (1990 and 1991) Will work well with Technosport track bar also.
Subframe braces add structural rigidity to frame of the Miata.
Rear bar installation was easy. It attaches to the rear of the rear subframe, just behind the muffler.No jacks are required if you are thin enough to slip under the muffler to tighten the bolts. All hardware and instructions are supplied with these bars. It took maybe ten minutes to install start to finish. Front bar was not so easy. It attaches to underside of front subframe, just behind the engine. Better get the car ramps out for this one. I don't think anyone is thin enough to get under the engine area although I suppose it is possible to do from the side of the car. I put the car on ramps to make things easy on myself. All hardware and instructions are supplied with this bar too. The anly difficulty on installation is holding the bar up while feeding the bolt through behind the rear of the suspension control arm. Everything bolted up nicely in about a half hour.
What's really nice about these bars is that the mounting holes are already on the car, so all you do is bolt 'em on.
These bars add substantial rigidity to the car. My driveway is sloping and at an angle to the road, so when pulling out in the morning the dash would creak as I entered the road. With the bars installed, no more creak. The car feels generally much more solid overall. The only dissapointment was that I thought this might eliminate that annoying shimmy at 65-70mph but it didn't. Very little difference there. Maybe a cockpit brace is the answer.
This is really a nice product. For less than $90 and an hour's time, you can really beef up strength and feel of the car. Well worth it.
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