US Car Tool vs. XV Engineering - Inner Fender Braces

[MOsman82]

I am looking at installing chassis stiffening components on my 1968 Charger.

I am already set on purchasing the sub frame connectors and torque boxes from US Car Tool.

With XV Engineering apparently supplying again - I'm undecided on where to source my Inner Fender Braces and Lower Radiator Support Brace from.

Does anyone have experience that would help lead me in a particular direction? US Car tool vs XV Engineering.

The XV parts look to be a bit stiffer in isolation (boxed tube vs sheet metal), but not sure when installed...........

[pipeliner]

So are you road racing or something?

[Troy]

I have a few cars with the US Car Tool subframe connectors but the other braces (rad support, inner fender, etc.) I got from XV. I honestly don't remember *WHY* now. US Car Tool jumped on the bandwagon after XV came out with their stuff so, perhaps, when I purchased the stuff it was only available through XV?

Troy

[MOsman82]

Not looking to road race at this point in time.

Just trying to future-proof the car as much as I can for the (inevitable) point in time when I decide that I want more than just a cruiser.

[sccachallenger]

I have a few cars with the US Car Tool subframe connectors but the other braces (rad support, inner fender, etc.) I got from XV. I honestly don't remember *WHY* now. US Car Tool jumped on the bandwagon after XV came out with their stuff so, perhaps, when I purchased the stuff it was only available through XV?

Troy

Yep, I believe these parts originated with XV and US came out with their versions when XV was out of business.

[Mike DC]

  
I think XV was getting their SC's and torque boxes from USCT.  USCT had been making them for a couple years before XV came along.  

XV was the first one to offer the shock tower & lower rad bracing.  Their own testing on some Mopar unibodies proved that those spots were the next low-hanging fruit for stiffening.    

[comet_666]

I used the XV inner fender braces and the lower radiator support. I ended up having to "modify" the lower rad support to get radiator in but both are good pieces.

[HPP]

So are you road racing or something?

Don't need to be a racer to benefit from uni-body stiffening efforts. Good panel alignment, reductions in vibration and noise, improved door and window sealing, etc. The benefits are not limited to racing.

[TexasStroker]

I went with US Car Tool's Inner Fender Braces and XV's Lower Radiator Support Brace.

I think either will get the job done for the inner fenders...I like the USCT aesthetic better. 
Similarly, for the lower radiator support, I prefer XV's.  With USCT's lower radiator support brace you will need to love the look...With XV's you can either prefer the clean lines, or simply weld the factory brace as a front.  You can see an example in this thread: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,80758.0.html

[Mike DC]

  

Wouldn't that XV method knock out the option of stock radiators?  I think that was why the USCT version was designed to go on the front.  

These days the aftermarket makes drop-in aluminum versions of the stock radiators too.

[WHITE AND RED 69]

I went with US Car Tool's Inner Fender Braces and XV's Lower Radiator Support Brace.

I think either will get the job done for the inner fenders...I like the USCT aesthetic better. 
Similarly, for the lower radiator support, I prefer XV's.  With USCT's lower radiator support brace you will need to love the look...With XV's you can either prefer the clean lines, or simply weld the factory brace as a front.  You can see an example in this thread: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,80758.0.html

US Car Tool offers their radiator support brace without the holes. Adds a couple extra pounds but makes for a nice clean look. Just have to ask them for it, wish I knew that before I installed mine but I like the look.