After hearing much hype on how good strut tower braces are, I decided to fabricate one myself and put the theory to the test. A tower brace's function is to tie the towers together and prevent flexing and movement during cornering.
I began with 1" diameter 16 gauge tubing and welded 6" tube lengths with diagonal cuts to the end of the main cross tube so I could clear the air cleaner. I cut 1/4" flat stock mild steel and welded pieces together to form brackets which were bolted to the towers well out of the way of the strut plates. On one end of the dog-legged cross tube a hole was drilled so it could be bolted to the bracket. On the other end a nut was welded into the end of the tube and a Heim joint was screwed in. The Heim joint is then bolted into the other bracket. The length of the cross tube can be changed by turning the Heim joint. Obviously careful measuring and thought is required to build one yourself. In addition, all the parts were hand cut, drilled and welded which took considerable time. The parts themselves added up to about $40 and this is less expensive than buying a prefabricated unit. For me this was a fun project. Shortly after I finished it, Edelbrock came out with a triangulated brace for TBI and carbureted Camaros. No doubt their brace works better than mine as it ties to the fire wall as well.
What I can say is that steering response was greatly improved and this was definitely worth the effort.. It makes me wonder how many other parts we don't notice as possible improvements.