NB2 Rear Ladder Brace
 

Hi,

Track car only NB2. I have a full RB exhaust, and it hits the rear ladder brace in a couple of spots (marked with red and blue lines of the pics). I have tried to space down (pink circle in pic) but hasn't worked.


I have cut the middle cross brace to the point that it has most likely lost much of its integrity (blue circle), and am about to do the same to the brace marked with red, but thought I'd ask what others do?

The very back bar (marked in yellow) looks very strong so I'd like to keep it. Can I just cut the cross braces marked in red and blue right off? I think that would basically make it like an NB1 brace.

Car has a roll bar, but not a full roll cage.

Cheers.

anyone? anyone?

The rear resonator is too big. I left my rear ladder brace off while the Racing Beat midpipe was on the car. I debated cutting the brace and creating a hump to clear the resonator, but decided against. I ended up moving to the Roadstersport 3 midpipe and muffler, which cleared just fine. The cat also eliminates some backfires that passing through the racing beat midpipe.

Take the brace off, modify it, or move to a different midpipe are your options. Or live with the banging.

Appreciate the reply Mobius. Did you notice any difference in the handling?

whilst I am ok with parts not being completely plug and play I am little disappointed with Racing Beat (as a quality brand) that this doesn't fit better. Must say that the quality of the parts are first class, it's just the fitment.

Subject to any advice on car handling without the brace, I'd be a bit reluctant to remove it completely, so will most likely come up with some sort of cut and welded (read butchered) ladder brace.

Well up until 2001 the rear brace only had the rear bar under the diff. So you could probably swap on an earlier one without any major issues.

given changing the brace increased the cost of building the car and the weight, I'd like to think the mazda engineers added it with good reason!

I guess I really have talked myself into keeping it and making it fit now.

I mean it probably helps some, but I am doubtful you would really notice it gone. Pull it off and drive around for a few days and see if you can tell. It's not like it will make the car explode or anything.

Can you run a hose clamp around the exhaust hangers to lift it up a bit?

I assume, since you posted this in race prep, that NVH is not a primary concern. Mazda's priorities are going to be different and they very much do care about NVH. Maybe it was added only for NVH, maybe it reduces flex somewhere and makes lower lap times, maybe both. I read somewhere the ladder brace helps reduce wheel hop.

The front/body attachment points are crushed pipe and bend very easily. Makes me question how effective it is for controlling movement. The bent/crushed tube brace in front of the ladder is well believed to be useless at chassis stiffening and is dead wait for a race car. Supposedly the stock NB butterfly brace is also NVH improvements only.

I removed the front crossbar a couple weekends ago because it slightly interfered with the exhaust. Haven't driven the car since December so I won't have a clue if that made any difference.

thanks Shuiend and midpack - all fair points.

I didn't notice a difference but couldn't exactly do a/b comparisons.

Unlike the other 2001+ braces, the rearmost brace is quite beefy, but for us amateurs deleting it probably makes no difference. Running only the earlier smaller NB brace is probably the best compromise.

I had the same problem, used a couple large fender washers to space the bar down.