CUSCO Prius"v" mid chassis Brace 952 492C with Custom "bulletproof" front brace

Description

This set only fits 2012-2017 Prius V models.
This COMPLETE front and mid-chassis brace provide greater stability and better feedback to the driver's road feel. The "squishy" feeling is reduced or virtually eliminated.
CUSTOM white oven baked epoxy with
blue enamel finished “BULLET PROOF” billet aluminum FRONT Brace matched with the original Japanese made CUSCO multi-arm center POWER BRACE.
This set fits only 2012-2017 Prius V models .
THE FRONT BRACE
This brace installs easily in less than 30 minutes
and has the same effect as the more expensive and hard to install CUSCO strut tower brace.
AFTER installing the Tanabe TUB153F on my Prius,
I liked the better handling, but I was disappointed in its design and construction.
Over the past five years, I developed ideas for a bar that serves the same purpose of the Tanabe that is a lot stronger, has no reduced strength welded parts and bolts on the same way.
Welding reduces the tempering and hardening process imparted to T651 treatment to the T0 or annealed condition or the strength by over 75 %.
F
irst, my cross bar would be solid, instead of hollow. That adds only about two (2) ounces to the bar. While a hollow bar would be lighter, it is NEVER as strong as a solid bar. The Tanabe weighs in at 11 ounces. Mine weighs in at 12.3 ounces.
I used the "eye bar" concept. It will be of tempered 6061-T651 billet aircraft aluminum. It WILL NOT be welded. Not welding it means that the totally tempering of the aluminum will not be weakened by heat and will be a lot stronger.
Specially machined 6061-T651 billet aluminum spacers are used to offset the "strengthening" ridges on the triangular OEM braces. The clearance needs to be only 7/8 inch below the bottom frame rails, NOT the 1-1/8 on the Tanabe. That will save 1/4 inch of "hang down." At least an additional 3/8 inch of "hang down" will be saved, because the "cup shaped" end reinforcing tubes would not be needed. THE TOTAL HANGDOWN OF MY BAR IS AT LEAST ¾ INCH LESS THAN THE TANABE. That ¾ inch of additional ground clearance makes a big difference in a car that has 4-1/2 inches of ground clearance. Mine is NOT visible below the engine pan covers or any part of the suspension. The Tanabe bar is visible from the front under the engine cover.
The spacers would have at least 3/8 inch walls, not the thin 1/16 inch tubes on the Tanabe. The main cross "eye bar" will be 1/4 inch thick and either 1-1/4 inch wide.
Basically, this solid billet tempered aluminum high strength set is at least fifty(50) times stronger and more durable than the Tanabe TUB153F.
If one was building a structure for an aircraft or even a spacecraft, where there are numerous multiples of these "bars," a cumulative multiple addition of weight or mass would be very detrimental to the performance of the vehicle.

In the case of only one bar, an additional sacrifice of two ounces of additional weight will have little effect to the decrease in performance to the vehicle.
The Tanabe bar is attached to thin 1/16 inch thick aluminum cups.
My bar is attached with 10.9 grade bolts through the eye bar and the spacers. The bolts go through over an inch of thick billet aluminum with over 30,000 pounds of clamping pressure. One of my users replaced his Tanabe which had snapped off from road debris with my design and has not had any problems since. If bottomed on road debris, the steel member of the car body would bend a little and allow the bar to ride over the debris rather than break. Road debris would more likely hang up on lower hanging underbody components rather than this bar.
THE TANABE BAR IS MADE WITH A “VERY LOOSE” FIT FOR EASE OF INSTALLATION.
A loose fit, while making installation a bit easier, NEGATES the purpose of having a bar for a “tighter” more taut suspension. My bar is designed with a VERY TIGHT close fit, while the Tanabe has nearly an eight an inch of clearance around the mounting bolts. JUST LOOK at the side-by-side comparison of the mountings.
Installation should take less than 30 minutes to about an hour. The front wheels should be supported evenly on ramps.
THE CUSCO 952 492 C MID-CHASSIS POWER BRACE.
The Cusco 952 492 C mid chassis power brace is the GOLD standard of Gen III mid under chassis braces.
I first became familiar with this model in March 2012 when I joined PriusChat and found that the Toyota Prius models with OEM braces created an unnerving “squishy” ride when driven.
Intrigued, I was, however, NOT really considering buying it, because of the aluminum welded construction.
Welded aluminum is always NEVER used in aircraft structural components under high and repeated stress loading.
In the past year, CUSCO began making this brace entirely of TIG welded steel, just like the steel aircraft frames of the early days of aviation, which use began with the World War I Fokker D7 biplane.
Now, I am really impressed.
I had to buy one to really examine this brace.
The tested one was installed to compare its function with the rest of my Prius brace offerings.
The rails of the Gen 3 Prius liftback happen to be approximately six inches longer that those on the Prius”v.”
I had to see one to confirm that is a steel
and NOT the older aluminum model.
I have included the official CUSCO English installation instructions NOT included in the brace’s package as shipped.

From my years of experience in developing assembly techniques production lines, I have includes a set of easy to follow instructions for installing these braces.
CUSCO recommends a lift, but I successfully installed mine with drive on ramps.
The technique allows for even tightening of the mounting bolts without uneven preloading.
This set has been fully tested on my 2012 Prius v, a 2016 Prius v and a 2017 Prius v.
The photos are of the same set installed on a 2016 Prius v.
This sale is for ONE set of White Oven Baked Epoxy finished and blue enamel over coated Prius V “Mike500” custom front and the NEW Genuine CUSCO mid POWER brace
ALL the included pieces are shown in the FIRST PHOTO.
Nothing else shown in the photos the car, additional installed items or the Tanabe brace included.
The set is guaranteed to be exactly as described.
Shipping and handling is eBay calculated by Priority Mail to any location within the 50 United States.
Please, PayPal payment only. I ship FAST on the SAME or NEXT business day that I receive confirmed payment.