[1]Our pals at Corvette Central [2] have once again expanded their tech library, this time with a tutorial on the why and how of reinforcing the chassis on a C4 Corvette coupe [3]. The ‘why’ is actually pretty simple – as author Chris Petris points out, with the top removed, Corvettes of this vintage have a propensity to “hinge” a bit in the middle due to the lost structural integrity.
Chevy fixed that problem with C4 convertibles by installing factory bracing beneath the car as a standard feature, but the coupes continued to go un-braced despite the fact that with the roof removed for open-air enjoyment, they have the same level of rigidity as a braceless ‘vert. Petris takes readers through the process of installing Corvette Central’s part number 184146 chassis brace kit, which actually improves on the factory stamped steel design through the use of heavy-gauge square tubing, yet installs in the same location and uses stock holes to help locate it properly.
[4]Corvette Central's camber brace helps tie the front suspension together for better cornering performance.
While there is some drilling involved, Pertris claims that installation, along with the Corvette Central camber brace kit, only takes a Saturday’s worth of work. C4 owners looking for more structural strength would be well-served by taking a look at this article to see if it’s something they’d like to tackle themselves.